Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-03-12

they were large and soft, and brilliant, although
very black, believe no one ever knew Clusy
without loving her, she was so sweet, and kind,
and gentle aud no one ever saw her without
admiring her beauty which may say noT,
never saw tie like of in the faiTest lady that ev-
er gladdened the heart Of Tree man, for it is
two years this day since laid her in her lonely
grave away out there in Maryland, and nothing
bnt her sweet soul is left
He bowed himself to the ground and knew
by the convulsiye heavings of his crouChing form
that he wept bitterly. The unwonted indul-
gence appeared to relieve him He arose and
went out few moments, and when he returned
to his seat all trace of tears had been wiped a.
way, and he resumed his narrative.
l had long been tenderly attached to Clusy.
We had loved even from childhood, and for about
three months after marriage we were happy as
the birds Until that time had thought little
though had seen much of the evils of Slavery,
for had begun to love SO early, and this so en-
tirely took up my attention, that had little time
to dwell on the sorrows ofmy less fortunate COM
panions | had won the favor aud confidence of
to eat and drink, and was always clothed Up
on my marriage | was promoted from the post
of errand boy, or runner of the plantation, to
that of coachman, and as my dear Clusy was the
personal attendant of her mistress, this arrange
ment added much to our happiness; as we gen.
orally Travelled together. Both parties were mu-
tually pleased with our new relation, and for a
time all went on happily. Clusy was great
favorite with her mistress they had indeed been
raised together, and were more like sisters than
mistress and slave Our master and mistress
were married about year before We were, and
they already had fine little boy, of which the
young parents were very proud. Our courtship
had advanced together Year in and year out,
we went in company tothe neighboring planta-
ton of Col. Davis. We shared each others Sc
crets. All our little love-quarrels, all our hopes
and all our fears were freely communicated, and
in the warmth and confidence of mutual love, we
at times forgot we were master and slave we
forgot that there was gulf lay between us wide
and deep as that which separates chattels from
men. Cusy and were happy All our wants
we're supplied. We were conented in the pres
ent, and without care for the future We con
sdered ourselves the most favored of mortals.-
We soon found that we stood in false position
What is true Can never come out of faIsehood
what is right can never come out of wrong.
: have known slavery in lis best form, but there il
no good in it,
= AT length observed that Clusy was getting
- ,lo I I
her the cause-I urged her to tell me- but sh
: would dry them instantly, and say that she wa
not WE'LL or that she was so lonesome she couIt
/ not help CRYING when was gone. saw tina
this was mere pretence, and sought in vain 70
the truth that lay under it, and when, at last sh
could no longer hide from me the fact of he
. unhappness, she resolutely refused to tell tn
c cause. | could find no relief to my anxiety
e Strange indistinct visions Of wrong haunted m
$ bed at night, aud my work by day Anew fee
II ing of of insecurity came upon me. felt ;
trald of knew not what, A dreamy consc
1t BUSINESS of my false position bagan to present i
e self, and vague sense of slavery oppressed mt
When slept it lay upon my breast like nigl
1t mare, and when l awoke it stared at me with til
g eyes of fend, making hideous faces in the darl
t. 1t followed me everywhere, Itlooked out irol
u the corners Of the road. amounted the earring
g box and sat beside me. This spirit of unre
l. haunted me forever-a strange ntimation of til
N approach of some unknown evil 1t seemed I
W me that spirits were continually whispering wore
<, of warning, and though did not undcrstan
+ their meaning, felt their truth and their pow
J. err. In this manner three months more wor
/ heavily away, Clusy all the time getting pale
W weaker, and more silent, until, at length, sh
e trembed as approached her, and an act of tel
d derness on my part seemed to terrify her, S
that began to lose all pleasure in her society
e and at length seldom visited her.
', One holy-day--i was the fourth Of July
e had resolved to 90 to carouse, with my fellow
is slaves, and drown my troubles in whiskey. NJ
master was even more compIacent than usua
o and gave me generous allowance Of money
: He warmly encouraged my going, as master
c always do, because whatever sinks the man Sc
cures the slave-and it seems he had anothe
e reason for wishing me absent l had alread
: left the plantation and set out to join my CON
panions at a small ale house, about half a mil
: farther, when my purpose was arrested in yer
y singular manner. While lettering through til
meadow, whstlng, not so much for want q
S thought, as to drown thought, | came accident
It ally to large magnolia tree, where had frs
met Cusy when we were both children.
= threw myselfint the refreshing shadow, whe
the times past and long forgotten, seemed t
4 rise before me. There we had often playe
S together in childhood and when she came t
e the great house, to this tree, | always accomps
y MED her, and here we always parted. Here toe
e she often came to meet me in the long starr
e evenings, after our work was done. Here sh
d first promised to be mine, and here too m
n mother blessed us but few days before he
o death, and | remembered well the hot tears til;
fell upon my hand, as it was casped betwee
II the bony, shrvelcd ones ofmy mother. though
II then that she wept because she was going to di