Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-03-03
THE DYING SLAVE.

"lt was in the right mood fol 1t, SO gave full
scope to my imagination"
He Law on straw couch, with his face
half turned towards the sinking sun. The
skin was drawn tightly over his forehead,
as though it was parched and shrunken by
extreme age; but the restless and uneasy |
wanderings OF his eye told that he still
claimed some ompanionship with earthly
feelings.
He was slave, and for more than an
hundred years he had gone forth to the
daily toll of bondman. 1t was said In
the F." land" from which he had |
been torn by unprincipled violence, he had
been prince among his people. In the
first days ofhis slavery, he had been fierce |
and ung overnable, nor could his naughty
spirit ever be tanned into subsection until
it had been subdued by gratitude. The
father of his present master had, in his
childhood, by interfering to save him from
| punishment, received in his own body the
blows intended for the slave; and from
that moment he became to his youthful
| master devoted servant. The child had
grown up TO manhood, fourished through
out his term of years, and faded away In
1.-The grave, but stilthe aged African linger-
led upon the earth; and it was Tor the son
of that man that he now waited, and, to
use his own expression, "held back his
BREATH" until he should behold him.
At length the light of the low cabin
door was darkened, as the master stopped
his tall form to enter the dwelling of his
slave. II have come" said he, as he
! approached, "What would you with me e.
/ The negro raised himself up with a
sudden energy, and stretched out his
withered hand. "Have not borne you
in my arms in your helpless infancy"
said he. and should not now once more
behold you before die2 Heed me, mas
teri ere yon sun shall set, the last breath
shall have passed my lips--its beams are
! fast growing more asant and yelloWer-
tell me, before die, if have not served
you faithfully!'
"You haver'
IL have been honest and true-I have
never spoken to you fatshood-l have
never deserved the lash"
ITO my knowledge, neverl'' said his
: master.
+ Then there is but one more boon that
| would crave of you:-I am going
: home-to revisit the scenes of my youth
f Ito mingle with the spirits of my friends !!
Suffer me to return to them slave NV
;. fathers were proud chieftains among their
native wilds-they sought out the lion in
, the midst of his secret recesses-they sub
dued the strength of The savage tiger
n they were conquerers IN battle-they new.
! er bowed 10 man-they would spurn a
bondman from their halls 90 tell me-
exclaimed he, SEEING his masters hand in
# the rising excitement of his feelings
|. "oh, tell me, while | may yet hear the
n sound, that am once more free!'
II Your wish is granted" said bis mas
ter, you are freenan.H
J.. "a freeman p' repeated the negro
o slowly sinking back upon his couch, ane
.. clasping his hands above his head with al
3 his remaining energy-"write it for me
- masteri" III
The gentleman tore a leaf fom. hi:
II pocket-book, and pencilling hasty certi
: 6cate of his freedom, handed it to the slave
4 The old man lifted up his head once more
~ as he received it, and the last ray of sun
: light streamed across his countenance, a
% with strange smile he gazed upon tn
e paper; then falling suddenly back, b.
81 once more repeated the name of freedom
:. and expired. NJ Chandler.
wi When Tamerlane had finished buidin,
his pyramids of seventy thousand huma
8 skulls, he was seen standing at the gat
n of Damascus, glinering with steel, wit
y his battle-axe on his shoulder, till ferc
q. hosts were fred to new victories and cal
nd mage, that pale on-looker might have far
nd cied that nature was in her death lhroes-
o. for havoc and despair had taken possessio
y of the earth, and the sun of manboo
l. seemed setting in seas OF blood. Yet
ed might be on that very gala day of Tame
" lane, a little BOY was playing nine pins i
nd the streets of Mentz, whose history wa
on more important to them than twenty Tan
lv erlanes! The Tartar Khan, with h
ey shaggy demons of the wilderness, passe
away like the whirlwind, TO be forpotte
;, forever-and that German artisan h.
~ wrought benefit, which is vel immeas,
rably expanding ITSELF and will continu
Or to expand through all countries and a
,er time What are the conquests and exn,
he ditions ofthe whole corporation of capta in
"a. from Waiter the Penniless TO Napoleo
nd Bonaparte, compared with the moyabl
a. types of Johannes Faust r'-Forsign r
,ar vleV.
hin -----
ris- There is one thing that confounds a
in6delity. and that is, no one ever repente
in OF being Christian, ON his dealh-bed.