# A Hairdresser's Experience in High Life/Chapter 9

CHAPTER VII.
natchez—new orleans.
I have spent many seasons in the South; sometimes I was in Natchez and Vicksburg, and at the plantations along the coast, but generally the greater portion of my time was spent in the city of New Orleans. I have been witness to many queer scenes in this southern country, the relation of which shall occupy this chapter. They were all written long after they occurred, and in the order in which they presented themselves to my memory; so that this portion of my narrative will, perhaps, be more desultory and unconnected than any other.
Some years ago, about the close of the winter season, I found myself in Natchez, at the residence of a family for whom I had worked in New Orleans, and who had given me a pressing invitation to come to see them at Natchez. Having heard so much of the beauties of the residences in the vicinity of that city, surpassing those of the English nobility, and feeling myself quite mean at having seen those of England before the beauties of my own country, I determined to see and judge for myself.
When I arrived, I was perfectly delighted both with the people and scenery. I went to Mr. H.'s, and staid some two weeks, and during that time I assure you I was not idle. I was all around, in the country, in the ​town, and everywhere I could go. While staying at Mr. H.'s, I observed their treatment of their servants was far more kind than that of many ladies in the Eastern States, although they had it in their power to be kind or unkind; while in the East they are compelled to be kind at all times, or their servants will not stay with them. But you might well ask, how long did this kindness last I After a while a change came over Mr. H.; sometimes he would be very good, and at others very severe. I was very sorry to hear it, for he had been so kind to them that I knew they could not nor would not stand bad treatment. He did not treat them as many treat their servants.
Mr. H. had one particular body servant, whom he treated as a companion, except that he did not eat, drink or sleep with him. No matter where he went, up town, down town, or in the country, they were inseparable.
Almost all gentlemen in Louisiana and Mississippi have favorite body servants, and they are always very kind to them, more particularly so than to any other servant. As regarded Mr. H., I can testify to his kindness to his servants that season, and as to myself, I was treated more like a guest than a person who was dependant on the public for a livelihood.
Some years passed over. I frequently visited Natchez, and found Mr. H. and family much the same; his wife as lovely as ever. It happened that, from some cause unknown, Mr. H. fell out with his body servant and chained him to a log of wood, and whipped him severely. He went out the next day to repeat the dose, when the despised slave, enraged at the treatment, broke loose from the log, seized it, and ​dashed Mr. H's brains out before the eyes of his family. It appears that, although a slave, he was descended from one of the highest southern families, and inherited all the proud feeling and independent spirit the Southerners generally pride themselves on.
After a short time had elapsed, I engaged with a gentleman and his sister, who came to New Orleans and engaged me to wait on a very gay lady, the gentleman's wife, who resided in the vicinity of Natchez, on a very beautiful plantation. The lady was not on good terms with her husband's family; therefore, when I went, she was so provoked to think they would not allow her to retain her old maid, that she determined not to take me, because they had engaged me; and whenever she decided on doing anything in opposition to his family, she was not to be changed. She was, nevertheless, kind to me, for she had endeavored to secure my services some seasons before; but I was not able to engage with her at that time, owing to a prior engagement with a young lady who had been formerly engaged to her husband, and I believe he loved her till her marriage.
The gentleman's family and numerous ladies in Natchez felt very indignant at her disappointing me; but I saw through it immediately; it was because I had been waiting on the other young lady, who was perfectly beautiful, gentle, mild and amiable, and more than all, immensely wealthy. Miss F was of medium hight, splendid form, had large, full black eyes, and such a profusion of curls as are seldom seen while the lady Mr. D. married had light hair, light blue eyes, and an alabaster complexion She also was called a great beauty in the East.
​Although the match was broken off on account of family difficulties, I can testify that the love was not broken off. This occurred in the fall of the year. The following winter Miss F.'s mother took her to New Orleans, where she reigned belle, but still appeared to cherish a fondness for her former lover. In the spring Mr. D. went East through the influence of his family. When he arrived there, some of his friends set to work to make the match between him and this beautiful blonde, when it was well known he loved the beautiful brunette. In a month or so he was engaged, and in two or three months he was married.
Mr. D.'s family and the family of Miss F. stopped at the same hotel; in fact the rooms were so closely connected, they could both see and hear all the preparations for his approaching marriage. I knew all the particulars of the affair, though Miss F. was not aware of it. I could not but admire the manner in which she acted, as I knew very well the quarrel was not between the two, but between their mothers.
'Twas in the summer I was with Miss F. In the fall Mr. D. and the beautiful blonde were married. In the winter they went to New Orleans, where Mr. D., his bride, and Miss F's family happened again to be in the same hotel. My services were not confined to either family, but while in New Orleans I worked for the families of all the planters of Louisiana and Mississippi. While attending on the bride, I often spoke of the amiability of Miss F., when Mr. D. would always join in, and declare Miss F. was perfectly beautiful, gentle and amiable—which seemed in no way to displease his bride, as she was at that time not only beautiful but lovely herself. She had ​just commenced her career as belle, and seemed no way put out at the praises bestowed on Miss F.
The season was gay and brilliant. The bride had many parties given in her honor; she attended all the "hops" at the St. Charles, and I have seen groups of people stand to look at her when she came down stairs; and often, as she passed through the hall, the different doors would be opened, and persons peep out after her—she was so perfectly beautiful. All this was, of course, very flattering to her.
After a few seasons—and a very few—they commenced picking her, as they did other belles, at hotels, watering-places, and every other place where belles are the general topic of conversation; but she was perfectly indifferent as to the opinion of the world, as she had not only beauty, but wealth to back it, and had no worldly cares—neither child, nor pet of any kind. So she continued her visits to the fashionable watering-places, winter and summer.
A young man who was grandchild to one of our great Kentucky statesmen, having gone to New Orleans quite young, fell into the hands of gamblers. His father detected him in gambling, and made very severe threats what he would do, if he ever caught him again. It appeared that this young man had collected some money for his father and lost it, and through fear of his father, he chose death rather than meeting him. He told one of the men at the gambling house to come at seven o'clock the next day, to get a check. The gambler came at the appointed time, and found the young man dead. He had gone home, undressed, and, after getting into bed, put a pistol under his jaw and blew his brains out. I saw ​the corpse with my own eyes. He was tall and slim, very fair, and had dark hair.
Did this throw a gloom over the house? No; for that very evening there was a tremendous large ball. The corpse was immediately taken away, and placed in a vault, and at the first opportunity sent to Kentucky. For my own part, the gloom did not wear off for a month; and I thought if I crossed the hall, that ghosts and hobgoblins were right behind me; and when I would go home at night, I would light three or four candles and place them in every part of the room, for the hospital was just opposite where I lived, and I knew every death that took place—man, woman, or child—by the toll of the bell. When a man would die. it would strike three times; a woman, twice, and a child, once; and never a night passed but it would toll several times. I must laugh now to think how frightened I was one day in going down the back stairs. I heard some one coming down very rapidly behind me; when I turned round I found it to be a gentleman who had just left a lady's apartment who he had been in the habit of visiting in her husband's absence, and as soon as he heard him come up the front stairs, he would rush down the back stairs. I went to the lady's room to see what was the matter, and I found her almost fainting for fear her husband had seen the man; while the husband, frightened, thinking his wife very sick, was putting back her massive curls to bathe her temples. The gentleman was frightened for fear he had been seen; and I, also, frightened on account of his haste. However, I got through that week very quietly, without seeing hobgoblins or being frightened to death.
​I remember well a lady and her two daughters who, about this time, came to New Orleans. The daughters were very gay, and very pretty. The first time I saw their mother she was in the hall speculating in pianos, and the next time I saw her she was in her own room. I did not know her again, as, when I had first seen her, she had jet black hair, a profusion of curls, clear red and white complexion, and magnificent teeth; her eyes shone like diamonds; she was tall, slender, and apparently a magnificent form. On entering the room, I saw her sitting on a chair. I looked half a dozen times for the lady, when she exclaimed, "Here I am; don't you know me?" "No, madam, I did not know you." "By George, no wonder; I have not got on my pretties." Her hair was white, and her beautiful curls were all false; her complexion was eau de beaute, blond de pearl, and rouge; her teeth were the most perfect deception that ever was made, and her beautiful form was a perfect skeleton; and to hear her swear, I will acknowledge I was frightened for once by a woman.
While I was speaking to her, a handsome, amiable-looking girl stepped in, and said, "Oh, ma, why are you not dressed before this!" She replied, "Oh, don't you know I was out playing cards till near three o'clock." Hearing her speak in this manner before a stranger, her daughter shook her head, when she said, "Oh, thunder, by gingoes, there's no use shaking your head; she will soon get to know me, and like me, too." But she did not know me—for I did not like such ladies. Her daughters I became very much attached to; they were elegant, graceful and amiable girls—the eldest rather more so than the other.
​In a few days I again saw this same lady in Camp-street, buying and selling bales of cotton; at another time I saw her in a wholesale store, buying sacks of coffee, and speculating on them. There was a family in the hotel, from off the coast, who had with them a very pretty maid, and a very good hair-dresser. She made her dissatisfied with her owner, that she might purchase her; she told the girl that so soon as she would earn what she paid for her, besides fixing her two daughter's heads, she would give her her freedom. The maid brought home forty dollars every month, until she had nearly paid for herself; this woman then turned round and sold her for very near as much again as she paid for her—saying nothing of what the girl had paid her. She then left the hotel and went traveling. I did not see her again for a long time, but frequently heard of her.
On one occasion I saw a very nice free girl. She proposed to this girl to sell her, and divide the money between them, and then she was to kick up a row and swear she was free. I have seen many ladies, but never one that loved money as she did. Notwithstanding all her improper conduct, her daughters kept a fair position in society, more particularly with gentlemen.
Several seasons passed away, and I did not see or hear of this woman, till one season, on leaving Washington City, she happened to be on the same train, but not in the same car, with me. Sitting in the same seat with her, was a green, country woman. On my passing through the cars, I saw her in deep conversation with this woman, and knew immediately she was striking up some trade; so I took a seat in the same car she was in, to notice her maneuvers.
​All at once I saw her jump up and, with the woman, go into a small room, called the ladies' dressing-room; in a few moments she came out, laughing, and I saw she had changed her dress. I then went up to her and asked her why she changed her dress; she said, "By George, I had a good chance to sell it, and I sold it. I have worn it for a year or so, and I got as much as I gave for it. It wont be long till the cars are in Philadelphia, and I have got a waist and long sleeves under my shawl, and then the girls will have plenty of new dresses for me from the mantuamakers." She went to Philadelphia, and I did not see anything of her till about in the middle of the season, when she came to Saratoga. The salute I got from her was, "Halloo, Iangy!" When I turned around and saw it was her ladyship, I told her she looked very well. She said, "Yes; I come here to drink water, recruit, and get a husband." I asked her where she had been all this time; she said she had been in the New York Hotel, she and the girls, raising the devil, and having more fun than a little. "Now," says she, "I have come here, and the girls are going to be belles here, I can tell you that. Moreover, Pet has got a rich beau, but he is so old he can hardly stand straight," and she laughed at the top of her voice.
She made her youngest daughter make the old man believe she was desperately in love with him, and the mother pretended to give her consent. She could find no other way to speculate, so she speculated with her daughter's hand. The old man gave her a diamond ring worth several hundred dollars, an old family relic, they say. It was an expensive and elegant ring. She made him settle a large amount of property on her ​daughter, and got money from him herself. She went to a dress-maker's with the ring, and told her to raffle it off for three hundred dollars, at twenty-five dollars a chance. The dress-maker retained the ring for some time; but, as she did not feel very safe with it in her possession, returned it, and said she could not raffle it off. She took the ring, and there is no telling what she did with it. She then took several boxes of goods, and was going to leave them at the dress-maker's; but the dress-maker would not have anything to do with them; she knew there was something wrong, and a lady of her disposition did not care whether she got any one in trouble or not.
The season ended in Saratoga, and she, getting as much money as possible from the old man, started for Europe. The old man died, and she married her two daughters off, and remained herself in Europe, on account of the fuss about the property the old man settled on her. When I was in New York there was great confusion about the property and money the old man placed in her hands. The family grieved very much for the ring, and other pieces of jewelry belonging to the family.
I suppose that many of my readers would like to know where such a noble lady came from. She was from the South, although, when I was there, the Southerners were not proud to own her; and I am sure the North would not claim her. In the mean time my readers might ask, where is her husband. A difficulty arose between a gentleman, a great gallant of hers, and her husband; the former went in her husband's office one day and shot him, and he died some time after; she ever since has been like the Wandering Jew.
​A few years ago, in Louisiana, there was a family of three sons, one of them an invalid; they had a mulatto servant with them, who was, in stature, color and disposition, pretty much the same as the brothers, only a shade or so darker. This invalid brother would have no one to wait on him, he would not be taught anything, nor would he eat or drink unless he was waited on, taught and served by this mulatto. So they had to have this servant taught, to enable him to teach their brother. All this annoyed the other brothers very much.
In the course of a few years the father died. On his decease it was found that this mulatto was his son, and half-brother to those he waited on. The father dying suddenly, left him unprovided for. In a short time the sickly brother died, and then the two brothers tried to quarrel with him, and at one time tried to whip him, but he gave them a pretty good turn, and, when they were asleep, locked them in the room, and, taking as much money as he wanted, left the country.
As he was in the habit of traveling with his younger brother, there was nothing thought of it till he got to New York. He there married a white girl, and it was there I saw and conversed with him. He told me where I could find his mother, and requested me, when I went back to Louisiana, to find her, and tell her I had seen him, and all the particulars at the same time. He told me he was never struck a blow but once in his life, and that was by his brother; and he said he felt he would be willing to die to have revenge.
Some may think it strange that a white woman should marry a colored man in the North, not ​knowing he was colored; but it is not more so than a rich white lady of Virginia, who was a belle at the St. Charles, and every place she visited, marrying a man, said to be a millionaire, whose mother was a mulatto, and his father a Frenchman, who sent him to Paris and had him educated. He came back highly educated, a wealthy gentleman, and greatly sought after for his millions and his handsome appearance, and he married this great belle. Many knew who he was, but on account of his millions and his father, nothing was said. His mother I saw, a few years ago, in Massachusetts; she would not know him if she saw him. And there are many in the same situation; for I know two sisters now, who often visit Saratoga, from St. Louis, who married two brothers on account of their wealth. They are very nice women; but it is known by many that they were born in slavery, but raised free, and well educated. On one occasion, while in Saratoga, they were coming to the dinner-table, and some ladies, who came along, said they were not white, they looked like negroes. One of their husbands, a fine-looking man, heard the remark, and after dinner sought out the husband of the lady, who was a diminutive bit of a creature, and made him take back all his wife had said; he was glad to do so with many apologies, and the next morning he and his family were missing. All this is nothing; for, in our Queen City of the West, I know hundreds of mulattoes who are married to white men, and lawfully married. Some of these pass for white, and some, again, are so independent they will be thought nothing but what they are.
A few years ago there was a marriage in Saratoga ​of a gentleman belonging to one of the best families of South Carolina. This occurred through the effects of alcohol. Several years ago a chambermaid was proved to be not respectable, and she was turned out from the hotel. She led an immoral life for some time, when Mr. ——— married her. He could get no one to marry them, till at length he found out an old country parson, who performed the ceremony. There were great preparations for them to start to Charleston; but, I am told, at a certain station she was shoved off the cars, and they went on without her. Whether it was a compromise of his friends, I know not, but the apartments which he had engaged for the ensuing season were empty in Saratoga. There are a great many queer matches; one of them was a match of a gentleman of high rank and standing, with an Indian squaw. There was a camp of Indians near there, and many gentlemen chose their wives from among the squaws. This gentleman married her in the morning, and took her away with him. Several of these squaws have married men of high standing.
I knew a colored man who belonged to a family in Lexington, Ky. The children taught him to read and write, unknown to their parents. For some slight offense he was sold to a family in Bigbury; and the master found him writing passes for the servants to all parts of the city, and letters, when he was again sold, to a family living in Mississippi.
They put him to work in a cotton patch, but the head waiter in the house used to steal him newspapers to read, and at twelve o'clock they, the slaves, would go to their meals and return in a very short time, and they would lay in the grass around a tree, while he ​sat in the tree reading to them out of the newspaper. At last it was noticed that the slaves all hurried through their meals, and it was thought so strange to see them all congregated together, that their master undertook to find out the reason. One of the young masters hid himself in one of the trees near to the one they were surrounding. They all came from their meals as usual, and he began to read the newspaper to them, he being in the tree, and they laying around. It was the time of the trouble between England and the United States on the account of McLeod, and he was explaining all the particulars, telling them England was threatening war, and what their course of conduct should be. When the master found out what they were about, he called this man to the house and questioned him; he acknowledged what he had done as he always did from the first. They then told him if he would not tell the servants, and leave the country in two hours, they would let him go; he did so, and went to Canada, I afterward saw him there at the Custom House, and we had quite a long talk.
Some will say it is very queer and they can not understand how the slaves get so enlightened; it is very easily understood. Some of them are very easily learned, and if a family has a favorite servant they will treat them as one of the family, but for the slightest offense they will sell them, and if they can, to the farthest plantation possible, and they will of course teach others.
When I commenced going down South, a widow and an overseer could, without difficulty manage a hundred slaves, now it takes three overseers and the master to rule the same number; times are fast, masters and ​mistresses are getting more enlightened, and so are servants. I know gentlemen and ladies who would not put on a suit of clothes without the servants say it is suitable, but if the same servants chance to offend them, they will sell them to go as far as cars and boats will carry them.
I know a widow lady who lives in Mississippi, she comes down to New Orleans every season to provide for her plantation. She is very much thought of and sought after, more particularly by merchants, on account of her immense wealth, her name is Mrs. G.; she came to the St. Charles and staid some days there. I had the pleasure of waiting on this honorable lady; she left to go home, and I went in the same boat to make a visit to a plantation further on. It seems the steward had offended her in some way, coming down, and on our going back again, when the boat stopped at her plantation, the steward came forward, expecting a dollar or so as steward's fee, she handed him a little package and told him to carry it for her; there were about fifty or so of her servants came down to see her on her arrival, and when the steward came among them, she told them that fellow had insulted her, when they all put after him like a parcel of blood-hounds, and he had to actually jump into the water to reach the plank to get on board the boat, or they would have torn him in pieces. Such devotion is from kindness. She is a kind mistress.
In the same neighborhood, a short time before, a lady was attempted to be poisoned three times by her slaves for her cruelty to them. Was this lady a Louisiana lady? No, she was not, she was from the North, and was one who had to work for her living before ​going South; these are always the worst of mistresses. I remember a colored woman who was raised in Cincinnati, and her parents and family now live in the midst of our city; she is now a slave-holder in the city of New Orleans; the most tyranical, overbearing, cruel task-mistress that ever existed; so you can see color makes no difference, the propensities are the same, and those who have been oppressed themselves, are the sorest oppressors. It is a well known fact, those who are as black themselves as the ace of spades will, if they can, get mulatoes for slaves, and then the first word is "my nigger."
In the South, both whites and blacks, if they have but one garment to their back, must have a servant. I was a good deal amused one day to hear a dispute between a white and a colored woman; the colored woman was from New York, but was very wealthy, having accumulated quite a little fortune; the white woman was also from the North, and she had not been so fortunate in worldly matters: their dispute commenced on politics, and the white woman at length got so angry with some remarks of the other, that she started for the house, while in a voice quivering with passion, exclaimed, I dont care, I have the law on my side if you have the money, while the other laughingly replied, excuse me madam, I have both. Notwithstanding there is so much hatred between the two colors, and so much enmity exists, they will associate much more so in the slave States than in the free States. There is a great deal of sociability between the free colored and the rich whites in the slave States, but when you come to the lower orders of both, there is decided enmity. I will give you a little instance ​that I saw with my own eyes, and I know both parties well, the white I knew when I was a little girl in New York.
A family named B———, having had some trouble in bank business, left New York and went to New Orleans. After my being in New Orleans several seasons, I found them out by visiting next door to them; the lady next door was colored, and kept elegant furnished rooms. As I told you before, there are numbers here make fortunes, and it is a common thing to have these furnished rooms, and in no mean street either, but side by side with some of the very best mansions are these furnished apartments. They are generally occupied by gentlemen, who take their meals at the St. Charles, and sleep in these apartments; and it is not thought anything if the landlady is colored; even to this day, it is very fashionable for gentlemen to take their families to these rooms.
The colored lady who kept the house I have mentioned, was very beautiful and very wealthy; she owned a great deal of property and many slaves, and kept two houses more like some of the elegant mansions of the nobility, than anything else. She inherited this property by her husband and master, he emancipated her, and then finding himself about to be involved in his business, he made all over to her—property, money and shares—a short time after, he died, leaving her in possession of all his wealth. Several gentlemen were going to see her at one time; one of these gentlemen, was a Mr. B———. They made proposals to her, not exactly of matrimony, but by them considered in the same holy light as lawful marriage; she flattered Mr. B——— for some time, ​making him believe she would take him for her lawful "placeyer," but when the evening came on that he looked for the fulfillment of her promise, she deceived him, and took another. He went home and blew out his brains right in his father's house. Did these people treat her with contempt? No, they always treated her both before and after that as a lady, and the last time I was in New Orleans they were living beside each other, in good neighborhood and good fellowship, and she was seen daily going out to the grave-yard strewing flowers over his tomb. Such occurrences as these are frequent. I could neither find paper nor time to tell you half of such things as came under my notice.
I will now tell you of a lady I know, who was raised in high life in New York. She married a gentleman from the South, a very elegant looking man, and she thought wealthy, supposing the wealth followed the looks—as the northern ladies generally think when a man comes from the South, who is fine looking, elegantly dressed, and so forth, he must be wealthy, but it is not so, for many come to the North to pick up a rich wife, that are depending on the wages of some poor old man or woman, and it may be, had their lands to mortgage to get the money for them to flourish on. I myself, went to the house this lady's husband brought her to, a few miles from Memphis, and found it a log cabin; true she had a piano and some pieces of silver, and a great many costly things that were presented her on her leaving New York to go to her wealthy home. What a change for her from her three story brick on a fashionable street, to a little log cabin in the country, a few miles from Memphis!
​Gentlemen do not think they are deceiving ladies in acting so, as they know ladies are taking them for their good looks and elegant appearance, and of course they think themselves a prize; and I know ladies who, on finding themselves so deceived, were ashamed to acknowledge it, and such often come to the North and boast of the riches and splendor of their southern home.
During the year 18—, I was in New Orleans; the season was as gay as any I had ever passed there; all was bright and brilliant. The St. Charles was crowded with people from all parts of the country; Madam Levert and Frederica Bremer were of the number. Great preparations were making for Jenny Lind, who was then in Cuba; among the rest was a gay married woman from Mississippi, whom I and numbers of others know to be a gay and fashionable lady; to my thinking she not only wore her crinoline but his pantaloons. She had at the hotel four children and several servants, and occupied two rooms, parlor and bedroom. She very seldom allowed the children to come in the parlor, but kept them with their nurse in the bedroom, unless on very particular occasions.
One day, while the children and nurse were out walking, I was in her bedroom combing her hair, when there came a knock at the door, she said, come in, and, to my surprise, a gentleman walked in and took a seat. They immediately commenced a conversation in French, when he told her to take care, as maybe I understood French, but she said, no, she is from the upper country, and does not know anything we are saying. So I combed away, and heard all their conversation. Their plan was to go to a fancy store, ​on the corner of Royal and St. Louis, a door opening on Royal and one on St. Louis. She was to go in at one door and a carriage was to be in waiting at the other, in which they were to drive to the Lake. The blinds were to be drawn, as if somebody was in it sick; she then told him in French, he had better go, as it was near the hour her husband come to lunch with her.
As soon as he left, I went and fastened the door, took my chair, and sat down right before her, and told her, word for word, what they had been saying, and told her never to treat any person with contempt before another because she was rich and highly educated, for there were many simple looking people, and poor people, who understood more than those who were speaking of them.
The lady became very much agitated, so much so that I feared she would faint, when I reassured her, by saying I would not expose her; I told her the circumstance I would mention, but never her name, as that should go to the grave with me; she offered me money, but I told her money never would seal my lips, nor anything except kindness. I then told her of a gentleman from Lexington, who came to me and tried to bribe me to answer just one question about some circumstance that occurred in Kentucky, which would place a lady in his power, so he offered me a seventy-five dollar silk dress if I would only answer him. She asked me if I gave him an answer. I told her no, I never did, nor I never would. She told me it was only a joke, as she was only fooling the gentleman, and did not intend to meet him; however, I had business at the St. Louis, and as it happened to be about the hour ​I went there to comb that she had made the appointment, I determined to see for myself, particularly as she had promised me she would not go. Shortly after I got there she came down the street, went in one door, purchased some little article, went out at the other door and into the carriage she went. I said no more to her, though I combed her for several weeks, as I had many such ladies, though their position was such no one would ever think of impeaching them.
My associate hair-dresser had a lady who, she said, was very difficult and hard to please, so she gave her over to me and I gave her one of my ladies, both of us pretending the hours would not suit. I found her very easy to get along with; after combing her for some time I found there was something wrong between her husband and herself; she was from Pittsburg and he also; they had been coming there for numbers of years. She one day asked me if I could keep a secret. I told her most assuredly I could, but I could keep it better if it was not told me. She said she for some time had her eye on me, as she thought me a bold, independent woman, and she asked me if I would go with her that afternoon out walking. I agreed, and we went out.
She took me into the French part of the city, where, after walking for several squares, we came to a little low, French built house, from appearance uninhabited, as it was all closed up, and looked as if no human being, but rats alone lived there. On going in the house she sat down and asked me if we had been seen coming there would I take the responsibility on myself. I told her that depended altogether on the nature of the case. She then told me the reason she had brought ​me to this strange house. She had taken a letter out of her husband's pocket the night before, from a female, saying she left the key with the hotel porter, and would meet him there, and if he could not come at that time not to come till the next day, as one of the other gentlemen would be there that day, so she got the key and determined to be there to meet her husband.
I told her if I had known such was her object in coming I would not have come with her on any account, as it might end badly, for assuredly her husband would not overlook meeting her in such a place, and I feared it would result in no good to her; however, after expostulating a long time with her I at length asked her to come to a fortune-teller's and have her fortune told and we could come back there again; she readily consented to go. Before leaving, however, we concluded to look round the place, it was certainly as curious a house as I ever saw.
The first room we went into was all lined, in place of papered ceiling and walls, with crimson oiled calico; there was a couch covered with the same, and also the chairs; there was but one mirror in the room. The next room was lined in like manner with oiled calico, but instead of crimson it was blue; the bed had a blue spread, and an elegant lace musquito bar; a wash-stand was in one corner with, everything on it belonging to a wash-stand, and in the other corner was a bureau, with everything on it a lady could require, even to paint and powder. In the third room were bottles of good old wine, bottles of champaign, dry wine, old bourbon, and every kind of liquor that could be desired; on a table spread in the middle of the floor were two or three packs of cards, with ​segars for both ladies and gentlemen; and on the mantlepiece were various novels. On examining some of these she declared most positively they were her books. While she sat down to look over them, panting for breath as if much agitated, I heard some one at the door trying to get in, I told her to keep quiet till I should go to the door; when I opened it I found a well known old citizen of this city and a married lady, also well known, and moving in a very high circle, who was the mother of several children. I told the gentleman, in an under tone, not to come in as there was something wrong, but to meet me at the hotel in two hours and I would explain all things to him. He and the lady went away, looking very much excited. I went back and told her it was only a man inquiring for some family who had lived there, and that it was time for us to go. We got ready and started, I slipping under my arm the books she had been looking at. When we came to the fortune-teller, I, having managed to get a moment's private conversation with the latter, told her, among other things, to say to the lady she had been looking over some books and thought they belonged to her, but she would find hers at home when she went there. I told her also to speak well of the lady's husband.
After staying there some time, I told the lady it was too late to go back to the house, so we started home. On the way there I pretended to have dropped the key and lost it, telling the lady to wait in the parlor while I went back to look for it; I run up stairs to her room, and put the books under some papers. Returning again to the parlor, I handed her the key, and she went up to her room; when she got there, she found ​the books there; and as I met her husband coming up stairs and told him enough to put him on his guard, he went up and told his wife of a letter he had lost out of his pocket, belonging to another gentleman of the same name that was in the house; he had got the letter and mysteriously lost it. The lady hearing this story, finding the books, and remembering what the fortune-teller had told her, at once became convinced she had been mistaken, and of course her husband, in her eyes, was exonerated from all blame.
The next day, on going to my room, I found a very beautiful Cameo bracelet and ten gold dollars, together with a note of thanks for the shrewd and delicate way in which I had managed the little matter. Did this satisfy me? No, nor would anything else till I had given him a good lecture. I told him it was a good lesson for me as I never would be caught in a like manner again. I gave him such a talking to, I am sure he remembered some of my words to his dying day.
Some time passed away, and great preparations were making for the arrival of Jenny Lind. I was one day combing a lady in the fourth story, when I heard a great noise up in the fifth; I ran out and asked what was wrong, when one of the servants told me there was a fire. I went back and told the lady they said there was a fire, but not to be alarmed, and told her to remain there while I went to see if there was any danger. I went up stairs and found they could not get at the fire as it was between the ceilings. The proprietor said there was no danger, and insisted there was no fire, but that a little smoke had got between the ceilings. When the firemen came, they ​would not let them in, still maintaining there was no fire. In the meantime I had got two men, and had Madam L's baggage taken down although they still persisted in saying there was no danger. I had bursted open the door to have the baggage removed; by this time the flame had made its appearance, and every one was for himself. The news then reached Madam L., who, with Frederica Bremer, had gone to the daguerrean gallery; they, with their servants, and some friends, then came home and took possession of their own baggage. I then went down to another room, where there was a gentleman and his wife sick, helped to dress them, took the lady in my arms, and carried her down to the parlor, and laid her on the sofa.
The excitement that was in that house then, I suppose never was surpassed, since or before. Some losing all they had on earth, others destroying many things by the way in which they used them. Ladies who had gentleman friends there to assist in packing up, I am sure, on opening their parcels again, regretted the packing, as elegant brussels laces, fine bonnets, shoes, and everything were put together in a promiscuous heap, in it may be a bed quilt, or some such thing. Those who had presence of mind to pack up their trunks, were offering porters five dollars to carry them over from the St. Charles to the Verandah, which was only a few steps, but they could not get them to take the trunks for that. There were gentlemen shouldered trunks that day, I suppose never did such a thing before or ever will again, unless on a similar occasion.
I was a good deal amused at a young lady who was sitting in the parlor with her lover when the cry of ​fire was first raised; she deliberately walked up stairs, got her bonnet and shawl on, and went over to the Verandah to secure a room; she then went out to look at the house burning, as it was said to be the most beautiful and grand sight that was ever witnessed. She was asked if her baggage was saved, she said yes, when she had neither given up the key nor sent any one to look after her baggage, though it was very valuable; it seemed as if she was so perfectly fascinated with her beaux, and so excited by the fire, she was perfectly sure she had her baggage secured, and so lost all her clothes and money too. Her uncle had been there with her, and had only left that morning. She did not know the contrary till evening, when she was to have her head dressed for dinner, for notwithstanding all the excitement of the fire, there were but a very few who did not want their heads dressed the same as usual. All those who were able, secured rooms at the Verandah or the neighboring hotels. It was amusing to see for weeks afterward, in all the hotels and boarding-houses such crowding together as there was. I could scarcely say which amused me most, to see the people running around, hunting up their friends, or to see them running into stores, on galleries, or the roofs of houses during the fire, to see the dome of the hotel fall.
Many who were witnessing the burning of this grand floating palace, on their return, had no homes to go to, as their own had been burnt up. There were a number of houses burnt that day, and some churches. For my own part, I have no remembrance of ever making myself so generally useful as on that day, and was so worn out from going up and down stairs so ​repeatedly, that it was weeks before I felt myself well again.
All the excitement of the fire was soon forgotten, and the gayety resumed; and I had then to comb at the Verandah, and the St. Louis also. The first and second time I went to the St. Louis, I found every thing pretty much like the St. Charles—every thing conducted with a great deal of order. It was but a short time till there was a fuss raised between the two sets of boarders—the St. Charles boarders thought themselves superior to those at the St. Louis, and the St. Louis boarders thought the St. Charles' presuming.
While combing two ladies, from Bigbury, who were in the habit of stopping at the St. Charles, I found them very angry, and, on inquiry, they said they owned hundreds of slaves, but would not sit at the table with negro-drivers and negro-traders. I said, "Neither would I, madam, sit at the table with any such persons; even the Old Boy himself would not allow them a seat at his table; as I know well, neither in heaven nor on earth, nor yet in that unmentionable place, will soul-drivers or soul-traders ever have a comfortable place. She immediately exclaimed, "Oh, there is a necessity for such men, but I do not wish to associate with them." I told her I did not see any necessity for such people at all, as, if every man was honest, and earned his bread by the sweat of his brow—as you, madam, will see in your Bible—there would not be occasion for such terror at night, as there is no slave-holder, no matter how good he be, if he has any conscience at all, can go to bed at night without fear and terror." I felt my dignity more aroused at this moment than at any time during my seven ​years' visit to the South. I asked her if she had remarked that society in the free States was purer and more moral than in the slave States. She said she did not see any difference; but I showed her a difference by telling her "no man in a free State would dare keep his mistress in the same house, or a neighboring one, beside his wife; while in a slave State it was a common thing for a man to have his mistress in the same house with his wife. No matter how elegant or beautiful a woman his wife may be, he has a slave in the house as a second mistress. I do not say this from prejudice, but merely state what my eyes have seen; from the minister down to the lower order of men, all keep their slaves." She observed, "Many have moved into our State recently from free States." I told her that when their hearts were black, and their deeds evil, they were glad to move into some place where they will be sustained in their deviltry. She then said she went North every summer, where she saw as many mulattoes as in the South. I said, "Just so, madam; those are children sent from the South to the North, as all our institutions are filled with gentlemen's children sent from the South. I spent my last winter in Oberlin, Ohio; between three and four hundred children were there—two-thirds of them being gentlemen's children from the South."
I had now got so much excited I did not wish to continue the conversation, and told her I would see her again, when we could finish our subject, as I had staid past my time. I bade her good-by, and dashed down stairs, and on going down, I heard a great shout below me. I stopped on the stairs and looked down in the rotunda, and there was a slave-market.
​On the stand was a young girl who, it appeared, had been born in New York, and had gone traveling with an unprincipled family, who had undertaken to sell her. The girl had the presence of mind, through the advice of many friends, to suffer herself to be sold, and, as the custom was to undress them to see if they were perfect or not, she allowed herself to be partially stripped, when, in aloud, shrill tone, she declared they should proceed no further. The man who bought her came up and told her she was his property now, and must do as she was bid; and as they proceeded to use violence, she asked a friend who stood behind her for a pen-knife, and ripping open her corset, took out her free papers, and, holding them up, demanded who dare insult her, or use such violence any more! The rascal himself was not present, but the man in whose hands he had placed her, was immediately arrested and put under bail.
I stood for some time watching this market. Several were put up and sold off to the highest bidder; some seemed satisfied with their lot, and others, apparently, grieved to death. I then left, feeling more heavily burdened than ever in my life—vowing and declaring that I would never come another season to the South to earn the money that was made so hard by others.
I finished my work that day. My ladies all noticed there was something the matter; and when they asked me, I said, "Nothing, nothing;" feeling there was more the matter than either good feeling or conscience, in Louisiana, could relieve. I went home, and for several days played sick. Many ladies came to see me; many again sent to know how I was, and what ​was the matter. I must say, while in Louisiana, I received not only good pay from ladies, but real kindness, and numerous invitations to visit the different plantations; and everywhere was kindly received, as cruelty to the slaves does not come under the observation of the ladies' visitors. Did all this make me satisfied with the South? No—it did not.
A kind lady, thinking I was very sick, came and wished to take me on her sugar plantation until I should recover my health. I told her I felt very much obliged to her, but would not go, as I was not so sick, but only wounded. She tried to ascertain of me what I meant, and I told her I would tell her before she left the city.
The next day, on going to see the Misses M———, I resumed my duties. The eldest asked me how I was, and hoped it was not our conversation had made me ill. I told her it was not. The youngest came up and said, "Iangy, you look nervous." I said, "Madam, I am not nervous, nor have I ever been; do you think a poor working-woman could be nervous?" The eldest replied, "Yes; we are all God's creatures, and liable to be nervous and sick in various ways." She then said, "Iangy, you are tired and worked to death; do come home with me and rest yourself, and see how we use our slaves." I thanked her warmly, and said I would, but I had promised to stop at Natchez and learn some ladies' maids to dress hair. We were interrupted by their father, and on their telling him I was sick, he insisted on my going home with them, and rang the bell and ordered a sherry cobbler for me. I thought how kind he was to me, and how many of his poor slaves might die before they would have one ​soothing cup of tea made for them. He repeated his invitation to me, and said he would give me five hundred dollars a year to keep house for him and his daughters. I told him I would not take all he was worth in the world and keep house for him; he asked me my reason, which I was glad to give him. I said I yet retained my reasoning faculties and good feeling, and if I was there I might lose them, as I have generally seen, in slave States, all the people who came from free States, when they get slaves under them, lose all their better feelings. He gave in to me, and did not say anything more about my going as his housekeeper.
I continued on combing the ladies but was now very anxious for them to leave so I could get away from this place, where I have seen people as white as white could be and as black as black could get, put up and sold in this elegant hotel. On my going in I always went by the private door, and tried to come out in the same private manner, but it seemed, in spite of my feelings, some loadstone or electricity always drew me to the rotunda, where I daily saw people, both young and old, bought and sold. I have often wondered to myself how men can speak so much on the glorious cause of freedom and speak of this as the land of liberty, while they are daily and hourly trafficking in human beings, not only that but getting others from foreign lands to come here, which does very well in free states, but in slave states those poor laboring men are looked down on, even by the slaves themselves, with contempt, and when the least thing occurs, you will always hear them call them poor white folks. Do you think the slaves think themselves the inferior ​class? no, they do not, for I have seen them in a cotton patch or tobacco field, and if anything went wrong the worst word of contempt they could have is, "too good for poor white people." I do not blame them, as mean masters always try to employ the most degraded men they can get, without either feeling or principle, or some old pet slave who has been badly treated himself, and will do anything to curry favor, as an overseer.
I saw, a few days ago, a notice in the papers, burlesquing the American officers for dancing with the Haytian natives, because they were black. Have I not seen as fine gentlemen as can be found in North, South, East or West, dance with ladies from snow white to jet black, and think nothing of it?
I will now tell you of a colored person who visits this State, whose husband lives in Mississippi, and they figure largely at the North, and when this person enters a store in Natchez or New Orleans, every clerk rushes to wait on her, on account of the influence of the man she lives with. She has two accomplished daughters, whom she occasionally brings to spend the summer in our State, and spends the winter down South. Her cruelty to her slaves was such, although once a slave herself, she was not permitted to stay in Natchez and she had to make her head-quarters in New Orleans. She was so cruel to her servants that they undertook to burn her alive by setting fire to the room below the one she slept in; she had just time to jump on the balcony to save her life, and although she tried to make her escape, she was arrested, and was not so fortunate as one of her head servants, who, during her absence, collected all the rents, and taking all ​the clothes she could lay her hands on, passed through the city, and made for Canada.
I knew a gentleman who was cashier to one of the largest banks in New Orleans who married a colored woman. He got a physician to transfer some of her blood into his veins and then went to the court and swore he had colored blood in him. A gentleman of high position from Pennsylvania, having gone down South bought him a housekeeper; as soon as she became the mistress of the house, she became hard to please. One morning she went in the kitchen to command the cook, who answered her impudently; the lady flew to the gentleman, who gave her a note for the woman to take to the calaboose, saying, give the bearer thirty-nine lashes. The mistress, afraid the servant would not get the lashes, took the note herself; after reading it the officers took hold of her and cut her back almost to pieces; she, running home furious, showed the gentleman her back, he flew to the calaboose with pistol and bowie knife, but for fear of being arrested, did not use them.
During my visits to New Orleans every winter, I saw many amusing and affecting scenes, one of which was the following: A servant went to New Orleans as nurse, a gentleman of high standing married her, he bought two slaves, one of whom was a very old woman, and, as every bond woman does, she treated this old woman very severely, made her get up at four o'clock and work about the house, and then do a day's work; if she did not bring her day's earning every evening, let her get it or not, although she was a woman of fifty years of age, she was severely punished. The old woman went to a colored woman to get ​work, and as it is not the custom for free people to give work to slaves, she told her she had no work; one day she went again to this free colored woman, and finding no person at home, she sat in a corner and cried; when the woman came in she asked her what was the matter; she told her if she did not bring home the money she would be whipped. The woman questioned her closely about who she belonged to, who she knew in Virginia, and how many children she had, and then asked her what marks her children had, and all about herself. She found this poor old woman was her own mother, whom she had not seen for thirty-five years. She flew to embrace her when the poor mother cried and screamed for joy until she gathered the people round her for squares. It was just the hour when business men went to their business, but not many of them went to business that day, for I never saw men in my life show such sympathy and feeling as they did on that occasion; every gentleman was eager to purchase and liberate her if the daughter had not been able to have done so; notwithstanding the woman was well off and able to purchase her mother, fives, tens, and twenties were given to the poor old woman to the amount, almost, of the sum required.
The gentleman, seeing the sympathies of the people, asked a moderate price for her, but the lady, whose anger was aroused, would not give her up on any reasonable terms; but at length she was compelled to take for her a moderate price, or nothing, as there was so much excitement going on. Just at that time a few children were coming by from market, and they ran up to her, with five and ten cent pieces, saying, ​here, Aunty, this will help to buy you, making the scene more affecting.
People congregate at the St. Charles from all the different parts of the United States, and during the season many come from the different countries of Europe. I have known ladies to be six months preparing, and no expense or pains spared, when coming to this place. They are more particular at this hotel than any I know of in the Western or Southern countries; for instance, every two weeks they have a soiree, to which the ladies are entitled to five tickets, and can invite any gentleman they wish; even the gentlemen that board there are not invited, unless there are ladies who are acquainted with them. The more gentlemen a lady knows the greater belle she is. I have seen seven or eight hundred people there at one time, all of whom came to enjoy themselves, and well they succeeded. One afternoon and evening, I had to dress twenty-five heads; and indeed, it was very amusing to hear the different places they were going to; some going to the St. Charles Theater, some to French Opera, some to Placide's Theater, some to soirees, some to public balls and some to private ones.
One week I thought I would see how many queer things would come under my notice; in the first place there was a charming couple from Boston, passing as brother and sister, but when it was found they were not related, they were quietly asked "out." Next day the lady wished me to comb her, and be with her as much as I could, although she seemed to be in great distress. Every day she, together with a gentleman, would take a carriage and leave the hotel for a drive. For a day or two, she seemed more and more troubled ​and would pace the floor and wring her hands in the greatest distress; once, on entering her room, I found her in deep thought, and, not noticing me, she looked up to heaven and said, "Oh, if I should fail," three or four times. That afternoon she got me to help her on with a double set of clothing, and, taking a bonnet under her shawl, she went away at her usual time. The next morning there was a great stir about a lady from the St. Charles, who had brought a set of clothing and put on her husband, who was in prison, and both made their escape. I learned they were from Baton Rouge; the report was that he had forged a bill.
In a day or two came off one of the grand soirees, and it happened that an actress got an invitation, through the intimacy of a lady's husband. This raised a general row—some saying she ought not to be there, and some again saying she should be—the gentlemen taking a decided stand, and saying whoever the ladies, who are regular boarders, invited, should be admitted. The next day, trying to make my way through the ladies' private door, I was interrupted by the door-tender, who told me hair-dressers were not allowed to pass through that door, that they must go through the public door; I turned in and gave the boy a good shaking, and went my way, much to the amusement of the ladies and the mortification of the man; there were several ladies of our Queen City there to enjoy the sport. I went in a room where there was a lady who had recently come from France, and found her perfectly furious—nearly foaming with rage and anger; she told me there was a lady who slandered her. It so happened that a certain lady in the opposite hotel saw a gentleman in this lady's room, and she ​saw the lady dressed in her morning wrapper, which she mistook for a night gown; she came over and told a lady in the hotel of the circumstance. This lady was catholic and of Irish descent, and kept the money of both males and females of the different servants, and this was the reason given for the appearance of the gentleman in the room; this raised a general stir. The lady the report was raised against was a grass widow and a very smart woman, and she plead her own case, so that nothing could be proved; then she got several lawyers and commenced a suit for her character; the lady who made the accusation was an officer's wife and the officer had to sign a libel or pay heavily. I told my associate hair-dresser that I had promised to notice for a week or so, and I noticed what had happened for two or three weeks, and I was perfectly tired out, as there was nothing but quarreling and fussing, more than I ever noticed in the hotel before.
That season passed away and I returned to the city. There had been many cases of yellow fever in the hotel, but it was thoroughly purified and was filling up with visitors, amongst them was the family of Zachary Taylor; it was during the trial of Gen. Taylor in Mexico, and great excitement prevailed all over the Union. While every one in the hotel was worried and troubled, the family did not at all look alarmed, and a gentleman one dayasked Gen. Taylor's daughter whether she did not feel worried about her father, she said, "Oh, no, Pa means and does what is right, and God will protect him." His daughters and neices reigned belles for weeks. Quiet was restored, no more quarreling or fussing, and I never in all the days of my ​life, saw so many matches made, for truly, it was the greatest market that had been seen in many seasons. The first thing asked when a lady came there was, "are there any rich planters or other rich men here," if there are the next saying is, "make me pretty." I will tell you of a circumstance that occurred at this time.
There was a young lady and her aunt, who got acquainted with a middle aged man who dressed very elegantly, went every night to the Theater and Opera, and was called a very rich man; he, however, was but an overseer of the plantation and property of a gentleman who was at that time in France. The young lady and her aunt went to work to win the gentleman, thinking it was a good match, and the gentleman striving to win the young lady, because he thought it would be very agreeable to have the aunt's money, as she was rich; he took them to what he called his plantation, and both aunt and niece thought it a very good market. The young lady came to me and said, "Oh, Iangy, I am engaged to be married, and I want you to devote your time to me for two or three weeks." I told here not to be too fast, as all is not gold that glitters, for I knew the gentleman was not what he seemed to be, but as her mind was made up it was not for me to say more. I myself spent some two hundred dollars buying little things, to say nothing of the aunt spending fifteen hundred dollars for the wedding. They were married, and he took her to the plantation and she enjoyed wealth to her satisfaction for some time: when the real owner of the plantation came home, he had married and brought his bride with him to settle up his affairs. The overseer's wife was very ​indignant at the privileges the gentleman and his bride took, thinking all was hers; but her husband said, never mind, she might make a short visit to her aunt till they would leave. When she got there she found her aunt was also engaged, and she got married during her stay. The aunt's husband got tired of the niece's long visit—so she left and returned home; when she got there she found that the plantation was sold, and her husband was overseer of a neighboring plantation, when she, in a rage, kicked up a row, and went back to her aunt's. So this young lady lost her husband, and all his supposed riches, by her duplicity.
There is no true knowledge to be had of the wealth of the South; for, on some of the plantations on the coast they live very sparing—indeed, some of the slaves have no hats on, and others are scarcely half clad, and that of the coarse stuff that goods are packed in. Such families as these make the greatest show at the opera-house, in winter, in New Orleans, while, during the spring and summer, they barely have enough to sustain nature in themselves and slaves. Their slaves have nothing provided for them to either eat, drink or wear; they work hard all the day, and at night they plunder what they can from some of the rich plantations. If they are not caught, they are smart; and if they are, they are punished. On every New Year they have to sell a servant to support the balance the rest of the year.
While combing one of my ladies, she said, "Oh, Iangy, papa is going to buy a housekeeper to-day—there is one to be sold down stairs in the rotunda, and he is going to buy her.
I burred through my work to get my usual stand ​to observe how matters got along with this gentleman, who said he was so good to his slaves. There was a very fine, bright mulatto put up to the highest bidder; this gentleman bid for her, but there was another bid against him, and they put the girl up to one thousand dollars. The girl then declared this man need not bid any higher, as she would never serve him; but he said he was determined to have her, and made some threats what he would do. She said she did not like his looks, and that she had been raised by a lady, and always led a virtuous life; and, as there was an understanding between her owner and the seller, that she should not be sold to any one she did not like, the sale was put off till the next day.
On the father of these young ladies going up to them, they said, from what they had heard of the woman, they wished him to buy her, even should he pay twelve hundred for her. The next day the girl was sent up for the young ladies to see. On talking to her a little, they liked her so well they told their father to buy her should it take two thousand; however, he got her for twelve hundred. She was very much pleased with her young mistresses and master, bundled up with a good grace, and went with them.
I did not see her again for some four years, when one day, as I was combing some ladies in the Burnet House, in this city, I heard her voice, and knew it. On going out in the hall I found her there, with a friend of her master, who had sent her up here to be emancipated.
I asked her how she got along, and how she liked the young ladies; she was warm in praise of them, and said she had the first cross word to hear from any ​one of them. These young ladies were cousins to a lady who married a trader in Nashville, Tenn. They often used to ask me about this lady, and I frequently remarked that it was a wonder to me how a refined lady, as she seemed to be, could marry such a degraded trader. I was not then aware that they were connections.
This lady and her sister visited the St. Charles nearly every season, literally loaded with diamonds. All the fortune-hunters ran after her, as her husband, when he died, left her some millions of dollars; and these seekers-of-wealth cared but litttle how the money was made, though there were many ladies there who would not associate with her owing to her lowering herself by marrying such a man. I have known him bring, from Nashville and Virginia, the largest droves of slaves that were brought into the market; he has often taken a fine child from a poor-looking woman, and given it to a fine-looking woman, who had a delicate child of her own, to sell together, and given her little one to the other. Again, he would make a woman marry a man, let her like him or not, should a gentleman come along who wished to have a man and wife. Anything to make money.
As the weather was getting warm, and the ladies leaving very fast, I determined, what I had not seen in past years, I would see now; so I went to the highest circles, then to the lowest; to the free people, and to slave people; and every-where it was proper for a woman to go. I could not but notice, in some of the wealthy families, where there were but three or four in a family, and five or six servants, these were well treated; again, in other places, where there ​were nine or ten in a family, and but one or two servants to do the work for the whole, those poor creatures had to get up at four o'clock in the morning, and not see bed again, probably, till one or two the next morning.
These poor creatures are worked to death, and, when worn out and good for nothing, all at once a charitable feeling rises up in the master's breast, and he gives them free papers, puts them on the cars, and sends them off to Cincinnati. This I can testify to, as I have one in my house now, in her fifty second year, perfectly helpless, afflicted with rheumatism, and not able to more than limp around. From her appearance, she has been a hard-working and faithful servant. Her master one day took a charitable notion, came home and asked her if she would not like to go to Cincinnati. She told him she would go any place to get her freedom. He started the poor old soul off, with fifteen dollars in her pocket, to a strange place, where she knew no one. Had she not fallen in with friends, she might have been sent to jail, or the pest-house, where there are several at this time from the South and other slave States, who have been very charitably dealt with, and given their freedom. This poor old creature was knocked about from post to pillar, till at length I stumbled over her, and she is with me now. Her master is a captain on one of the most elegant steamers that float on the Southern waters.
I sometimes think it strange how so many of these creatures fall into my hands; but I can tell you how one woman and child, from New Orleans, fell into my hands, and I was very glad to let her fall out.
There was a gentleman, from New Orleans, at ​Saratoga. From his appearance and conversation, and that of his lady, I thought them New England people; his name was W———. They begun a conversation with me on slavery, which is, with me, a very exciting topic, and I would much rather hold a conversation on any other subject; but, being dragged into it, I did not fail to express my opinion. He showed how well some slaves were treated, and I showed how badly others are treated. I told him there was one blasting thing to slavery—how a man good to his slaves may die, and the slaves fall into the hands of very cruel masters, and can not help themselves; their situation is a great deal worse than those that have had bad masters, and fall into the hands of good ones. He then said slaves could not take care of themselves. I replied, they could if they had a chance: as a good slave would make a good citizen, and a bad slave a bad one; but give them a chance. He said he had a woman he would gladly give her freedom, if she could do anything for herself to make a living. I told him if she was a respectable woman I would give her a trade. His wife then spoke up, and said the woman was whiter than herself, and was very smart. I told them to send her to me.
Some eighteen months passed away, and I got a letter, saying they would send the girl and her child, though, in the first place, they had not said anything about a child. She came, and with her a child some three years old; and no one would think there was one drop of African blood in either of their veins. The woman had evidently been badly raised, as she was very profane in her speech, and they must have been glad to get rid of her on account of her temper. ​She stayed with me a few weeks, and my husband would not allow me to have her about the house any longer.
I took her child and put it in the Orphan Asylum, and got her a good situation in a family where she would be well taken care of; but her language and conversation were such they would not have her about the house. It was now easy to be seen why her former owners wished to get rid of her—she was so white they could not sell her, and her language was so bad they could not keep her; so they determined to impose her on our so-called picayune State.
These are the kind usually emancipated, either those who are too bad to keep, or too old to be made any longer useful.
Now while-running around, it was my privilege to comb a young creole lady, who was married to a French gentleman, raised in Paris, but who owned several slaves in New Orleans. After she was married she went up on her mother's plantation with several of his servants; after being there a little while, they sent for me to come up and make them a visit; not having much to do at that time, I went for a few days.
On my going there, I was very well treated by every one, and they showed me everything to be seen, but tried to confine my attention to the cottages and scenes just around the house, and did not seem to wish me to go out to see into the quarters. But as the family rose very late, I went out every morning to see the slaves at breakfast in the quarters, and to my astonishment, I did not see any of them have anything for the whole week but a pint cup of buttermilk and a slice of bread, ​those who could not take buttermilk, had a cup of coffee, made of browned corn, sweetened with molasses. I never saw meat of any kind given them while I was there.
One morning I was in the Orange grove, sitting close by the piazza, the young groom was on the piazza reading a paper; he suddenly laid his paper down, and said to his wife, "Annette what can be the matter with Julee, she looks very bad, she was quite fat when I brought her here, now she looks as if she was very sick." She said she did not know, but she would call her and ask. She did so, and Julee told her she had been there some two months, and had not tasted meat but twice in that time, and you know master, said Julee, I had been accustomed to have meat three times a day. He laid down his paper, and commenced, in his broken language, to scold; when his wife said, "Pierre, my dear, do you not know the Creoles do not give their servants as much to eat, or the same kind of meat as the Americans do, as we think they work the better not to be over-fed." He replied, "Zounds, madam, how can a man or woman work and not eat?" She said there were, sometimes, years during which their servants had nothing but milk, unless they might catch some wild game for themselves. He then said, to-morrow morning I shall send my servants home, which he did. I ran around a few days longer till they went into the city and took me home. I had been home but a day when there was a very wealthy creole gave a soiree, and as I was favored with an invitation, I went just to see how the affair would be conducted. On entering I was met by the hostess, who was a tall, fine looking ​woman, who looked as though she might be white, but a little sunburnt. She was dressed in white silk, with a head-dress of crimson, a full set of coral. Her father was a pure white Creole, her mother a colored Creole, a brown skinned woman; she was dressed in black silk, with a full set of white lawn. The hostess' son was a very handsome man. Did he take part in the soiree? No, he did not, nor did any colored man take any part in the proceedings, unless in the capacity of a servant. He kept his own room, or once or twice was seen moving about the house, but having nothing to do with the affairs of the house, as it is a strange fact among these mixed Creoles, that the boys are never taken notice of in public. About eleven o'clock the rooms were crowded. I never saw in any assembly north, east, or south, or even abroad, unless it might be among the nobility, a set of people more elegantly and tastefully dressed. At half past eleven, in walked a most beautiful brown skinned woman, elegantly dressed in pink brocade, and a full set of diamonds; she was led in by the Spanish ambassador. She looked to me more like an African princess than a Louisiana Creole. You might ask, was there no one there but Creoles? Yes, there were people from all parts of the country, when it became known a Creole soiree was to come off, as there was generally a great collection of Creole beauty there. The gentlemen from all parts sought for invitations. I myself, saw a clergyman from New York there, together with a hundred or a hundred and fifty others, and did not see one there without his white kid gloves, and white vest. It might puzzle my reader to know what class of people these Creoles are. Are they marrying people or ​not? They call it marriage, but I do not. These young girls are brought up as particularly as any children in the world; they have the very best education that can be given them, are taught music, dancing and every branch of education necessary to the accomplishment of a lady. They are never permitted to walk out to church or school, or any other place, without a servant after them. When they are marriageable, they are courted by the gentlemen the same as any other ladies, till it comes to the ceremony, then there is a large party assembled, and the young girl is given away by her father or mother, or both; this is called placayed; it is the same in their eyes as marriage, but no license is required. Sometimes they live together till they raise generations, then again, others are like some of the license marriages, they stay till they get tired, and then go, some one way, some another.
There came to this soiree a gentleman who had been placayed for thirty-five or forty years, and had been judge in different states. He has, during that time, stuck to his integrity, and lives very elegantly. You might go through his house and see everything in it more elegant than another, and could not tell who his wife was, or what she was, unless you might discover a little tinge in her complexion.
One of the Creole ladies I met at the soiree, I afterward found to be one of the most cruel women I had ever seen or heard tell of. I told her I did wish I had her up in our state a little while, when she would wish she never had owned a slave, or never seen one. I got so outrageously angry at her proceedings, that I got a petition drawn up by an old citizen, and signed ​by a goodly number of the most influential citizens, which I determined, myself, to present to Congress, to prevent the colored people from owning slaves unless through some change in law. As there are so many changes going on now, the whites should also own each other; then let the colored people have their slaves if they choose to. I have even known slaves to own slaves before now, and treat them very cruelly.
I now started for Natchez, where I told you before I was to teach some ladies' maids hair-dressing during my stay there. I had some papers, among them this petition, put away in a box in my trunk, with some pieces of jewelry, that I valued very highly. One day being hurried, I forgot my keys, and left them in my trunk, when the papers were taken out. I always accused a governess of taking them as the servants could not read, and I know the ladies of the family were above anything of the kind. I was in the house for several weeks, and saw the slaves there were well treated, not only the house servants, but those in the quarters.
On one occasion an overseer misused a slave, and Dr. J. turned him off without a moment's notice. This worthy gentleman even kept pastors to suit his slaves; if they did not like their pastors they were changed. On account of his kind treatment of them, they seemed delighted to work for him. When he wanted to speak to any of them he did not speak as if to dogs, but remembered they were human creatures, and that he would have to give account for the manner in which he treated them. He also had his modes of punishment—he had his own jail, and was his own judge. During my stay there, I went round a good ​deal to the neighboring plantations and looked around. The next plantation where I was, all was different, the slaves badly treated, half clothed, half fed, and misused in every way, and said to be great thieves. On one occasion I addressed one old woman, by saying Aunty why do you steal? do you not know it is sinful to steal? Her reply to me was, I don't steal—does not the Scriptures say reap where you have sown, and I have worked here and got nothing for my work. I take nothing but what I want to eat or drink, and hardly enough even of that. I left the old lady, very glad to get off without further question. I was glad to leave that plantation, for after seeing the kindness of Dr. J. to his people, the cruelty there was more than I could bear. I then got entrance into a gentleman's plantation who was very peculiar. He would neither let his slaves visit nor receive visits, nor would he ever receive strangers if he could help himself; he was a very severe master. I will give you one instance of his severity in a free State, so you may judge what it may be at home. One season at Saratoga, he had with him a slave as a body servant; all at the the springs said he was a much finer looking man than his master. In the morning about eight o'clock, the newspapers arrive, and the news boys run around with them as soon as they can get them. This gentleman was sitting on the gallery, and sent his slave for a paper; in the meantime, one of these little boys came along and the gentleman bought the paper himself; on the servant coming in with the paper, his master cursed him for his tardiness, was very angry, and swearing at him, commanded him to go and bring him back his ​money. The poor slave not having a cent in his pocket, some gentleman in an upper gallery hearing the whole conversation, and feeling both indignant and sorry, went down and gave the man the mighty sum of ten cents, which he gave his master. The gentlemen then consulted together, and thought so brutal a master should not take this man out of a free State, so the next morning, he with plenty of money in his pocket, was safely under the banner of Great Britain, and this was not done by abolitionists, but by friends of the master himself. I visited many places and was well treated, and saw slaves apparently well treated too, but that does not say they are all well treated, for there is a plantation in lower Mississippi, kept by some two or three planters, so that the slaves who in, any way disoblige their master or mistress, could be sent to this place to be punished. It must be an awful place, for the slaves in general, would prefer going to perdition itself, to being sent there.
After my seeing all the plantations, and going round as much as I wanted to, I thought I would now stay in the city of Natchez, where they sent for me every day. I would drive out and drive in. My visit to the plantations taught me many things, and amongst the rest to manage horses. One of the servants I taught hair-dressing to, in the city, belonged to Mrs. Colonel K. and she must be a kind mistress, as her girl is now a competent hair-dresser, and she brings her to New York every season. I saw her myself, a short time since in New York. I think Natchez a beautiful place, it reminds me of England more than any place I ever saw in my life.
​I visited many of the private residences at Natchez, and I must say the more I saw of them, the better I liked them; as indeed any one with the least taste for the beautiful, could not but admire those lovely spots. I will now leave Natchez and confine myself to my own State.