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Age not guaranteed---Some I have told lor 20 years---Some Legs Anyway Something Had

Ephriam Jackson, tall, colored, and kindly, had worked since he was a small boy for Judge Hawkins, of Mobile. He was yard man, butler, chauffeur, and man of all work around the Judge's house. FIe was practically a member cf the family, and treated as such. But Ephriam heard all the talk going round nowadays about the labor and the wage situation, and it impressed him greatly. So one day when the Judge was sitting on the side porch, doing nothing much but smoke his black pipe, E'phriam approached him.

'Jedge Hawkins, Suh," said Eph. "Kin I talk to you to a minute bout sumpin very portant?"

"Certainly, Uncle Ephi' said the Judge. "\Mhat is it?"

"Jedge," said the old darkey, scratching his head to get the words together in good shape, "I gots to hab mo' noney.tt

"Is that so, IJncle?" asked the Judge. "Just why have you got to have more money?"

"Becuz, Suhr" said Eph, seriously, "eve'thing has gone up, so I gots to hab mo'money."

"That's interesting," said the Judge, smiling. "Go ahead and tell me what it is that's gone up so that you need more money."

This reply surpriscd Uncle Eph, because from all he'd heard he thought it was taken for granted that everything had gone up, and did not need any proving. But he was started, so he had to muster up his arguments and facts. "Well, Suh," he said, "eve'thing's gone up. De cost ob vittles is gone 'way up. So is de cost of clo'es. De/s way up. So I gots to git mo' pay."

"Wait a minute, Ifncle," said the Judge. "Just how does that affect you? You've been eating my vittles all your life, haven't you?"

"Yassuh," said Uncle Eph, taken much aback and getting rapidly beyond his economic depth.

"And you've been wearing my clothes all your life, too, haven't you?"

"Yassuh," said Uncle Eph.

"As a matter of fact," said the Judge, t'you've never really bought any vittles or any clothes in your life, have you?"

"Nossuh," said the colored one.

"Then tell me," said the Judge, "what has gone up wittr. you so that you've got to have more money?"

Eph scratched his head hard now, then his face brightened.

"I can leJl you, Jedge," he said. 'WAGES IS GONE, UP.'

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