to live the remainder of his days on shore; and in the darkest night, when the hurricane roars, and the waves break high, the brilliant light entrusted to his care, may be seen for many miles around, by the voyager who may be sailing in the neighborhood of old Nantucket.  Capt.  Harry Grosvenor has also bade adieu to his much-loved home on the sea; for together with Winnie’s entreaties, and the goodly amount of wealth, which she declares as rightly belonging to her husband as to herself, he has been induced to give his little wife the promise that he will sail the seas no more.

But there is one, who is no unimportant member of this happy family, for whom you have forgotten to inquire, so intent are you, as you pass out from them into the silent night, upon what you have seen and heard; but you are minded of this negligence by a voice near, and a negro, tottering from beneath the weight of years, whom you recognize at once as old Vingo, stands before you.  His mind is much impaired, for he has attained his second childhood; yet from his disconnected remarks, it is evident that he still retains a pleasant remembrance of the past.

“Old Bingo neber want noting more,” he replies to your question of what you can do for him; “nobody neber can do noting more for Bingo; for Missy Sea-flower hab gib Bingo, Phillis, and gib him Heaben, and what more does he want?”

“And where is your mistress’s home?” you ask.

“Dar,” said the negro, pointing to the skies, “dar is Heaben, dar am my missus’s home; and dat is whar she tell me dat she wait for me if she go home first.  If it hadn’t been missy dat tole me, I couldn’t beliebe dat such an ole brack fellow like me, go to dat white place; but I beliebes it now, for since missy gone home I’s seen a new star up dar; and I knows it am her, for didn’t she say she look down to me, jus’ like ole Massa Grobener and dat poor brack Injin look down upon her!  Yes, I know dat I shall meet her dar, and what am better, Phillis am going dar too! only sometimes she get skeered like, when she remember what her ole cotton massa tell her; for he tells her dat de hounds go to dat bright place, afore good for notin’ niggar like her get dar; and she’s afeared dey remember dar ole habits and hunt her up, for she run away from her ole massa, and gets sabed in dese free states, whar de folks don’t mistake poor niggar for someting else dan a man.”

“Farewell, faithful Vingo, and may the remainder of your days shed peace along your way.  Thy portion here has not indeed been to sit in ‘kings’ courts,’ yet thou hast so used the one talent lent unto thee, that at the last, when every ’island shall have fled away, and the mountains shall not be found,’ thou shalt have a place at the right hand of that glorious throne, whose king is our God; thou shalt hear those blessed words,—­’well done, good and faithful servant,’ and the morning star shalt be thine; and there thou shalt again find that pure gem, who, in her little day on earth, led thee to the bright river of life, where thou hast sought and found that ‘pearl of great price.’”