"It do look as if yo'd been specially 'lected to dat mission. De flesh-pots ob Egypt don't tempt yo' no mo'; de Red Sea am behin' yo' an' yo' ken show dem po' heathens by pussunel 'sperience dat de desert an' mountains am jes' dis side ob de Promised Lan'; but, Massa," here Reuben's voice vibrated like a deep-toned bell, "de good Lawd wants His chillen to be happy, to be de' bery bestest selbes. He done made eberyt'ing good jes' a pu'pose fo' dem to use. De Good Book says,—'Happy am de man dat findeth wisdom, an' de man dat getteth undastandin—'All huh ways am ways ob pleasantness, an' all huh paths am peace.' Yo'se plumb kuahed now, got back to de fo'cks ob de road an' de's on'y two, de right one an' de wrong one; an' onless de one p'intin' to Hong Kong ansahs de call f'um de bery bottom ob yo' hea't, onless dat ansah comes so natrel-like dat it don't take no strainin' to go, yo' won't fin' wisdom dat-a-*way an' it aint de path ob peace." After a pause he resumed: "I reckon dat strainin' am f'um de Debbil. Hit makes sich a
