"Yes. You see they've all gone and left me, and I feel hungry.
You'll give me some of your dinner?"

"Yes, massa, please God! I'll give you all of it--but, it's only
pork and hominy."

"Very good; and it will be all the sweeter because I am welcome."

"'Deed massa, and you is welcome, five hundred times over! But it
was a downright shame for all de white folks to go off so. I never
seed such people."

"Never mind, Nancy, don't trouble yourself; I shall be well enough
taken care of. I'll trust to you for that."

And so Mr. Odell mounted his horse, and accompanied the old woman
home. She lived rather over a mile from the meeting-house--and the
way was past the comfortable residence of Mr. Martin. The latter did
not feel altogether satisfied with himself as he rode home. He was
not certain that the preacher had stayed at sister Russell's the
night before. He might have ridden over from S--since morning.
This suggestion caused him to feel rather more uneasy in mind; for,
if this were the case, it was doubtful whether, after class was
over, there would be any one to invite him home.

"What kind of a man is the new preacher?" asked Mrs. Martin of her
husband, on his return from meeting.

"He seemed like a very good sort of man," replied Martin,
indifferently.