Democratic banner., 1849-04-16
Prom, RiH;ss afIpise Jprrsal.
THE NIGHT FHRNERsL DE- 4
...rn4 E u ssfsste ping.

'Ft.. - az ''Hf& EBkUA&HS IS40s
Messts. Edit t,s:IFfsss4lng recently,
on business, in the interiofiof Georgia, Z
reached lust at sunset the mansion 81 tie
proprietor.' through whose estate fof TIE ihss
half hour of my journey, / had pursued ny
way. Ny tired companion pricked his ear,
and with a low whinny Indicated his plea
sure, as Turned up the broad avenue lead
ing4othe house. y sllihgto a black boy in
view, bade him enquire Of mis- owner, il I
could be accommodated with lodings for the
night.
Myrequest brought the proprietor him
self to the door and from thence to the gate,
when, after q scrutinizing glance at my per-
son, and equipments, he enquired my name,
business and destination. I promptly re-
sponded to his questions, and he invited me
to alight and enter the house, in the true
spirit Of Southern hospitality. .7lt aa
He was apparently ~thirty-fve years Of
age, and evidently a man Of education and
refinement. ~ soon observed an air of
gloomy abstraction about him he said but
little, and even that little seemed the result
of an effort to obviate the seeming want Of
civility to a stranger. At supper the mis-
tress of the mansion appeared, and did the
honOrs Of the table, in her particular de-
%partment; she was exceedingly .lady-like
aid beautiful, only as Southern tDonaen are,
that is beyond comparison with those of any
other portion of this republic / have ever
seen. She retired Immediately after sup
per, and q servant handing some splendid
Habannas on a small silver tray, We had
just seated ourselves comfortably before the
enormous fire of oak wood, when a servant
appeared at the end door near my host, hat
in hand, and uttered in subdued but distinct
tones, the, to me, startling words
'Master, de coffin hab GOMEZ r.
sVery WE'LL was the only reply, and the
servant disappeared. Is.
My host remarked my gaze of inquisi-
tive wonder, and replied to it,
81 have been sad, sad,' said he, sto-dayI
have had agreater misfortune than / have
experienced since my fathers death. Il
lost this morning the truest and the most re-
liable friend | had in the world-one whom
have been accustomed to honor and re-
lsrect since my earliest recollection ; he was
the playmate of my fathers youth, and the
mentor of mine, a faithful servant, an hon.
est man, and a sincere christian. / stood
by his bedside to-day, and with his hands
clasped. in mine, / heard the last words he
uttered; they were, master, meet me in
Heaven. 81. .;.ts, e.a-4 .a.a
HIS voice faltered a moment, and he con.
I%tinued, after a pause, with increased ex-
ciiment- o5gs..,.,s sasent- .]s,,a.l
'His loss is o melancholy one to me. If
left my home, ] said to him, sJohn, see
that all things are taken care Of and knew
that my wife and child, property and all,
were as safe as though they were guarded
by an hundred soldiers. l never spoke a
harsh word to him in all my life, for he new
er merited it. l have a hundred others,
many of them faithful and true, but his loss
is irreparable.' .-.iyar f,I a
leone from a seetion.o of the Union where
slavery does not exist; and l brought with
me all the prejudices which so generally
prevail in the free States in regard TO this
institution had already seen much to
soften these, but the observation of years
would have failed to give me SO clear an
insight into the relation between master and
servant as this simple incident. It was not
the naughty planter, the lordly tyrant, talk
ing of his dead slave, as of his lead horse,I
but the kind hesrted gentleman, lamentingI
the loss, and eulogizing the virtues of his
good old friend.
After an interval of silence, my host re-
.sumed-
There are,' said he, 'many Of the old
mans relatives and friends who would wish
to attend his funeral. To afford them an
opportunity, several plantations have beenl
notified that he will be buried tonight );
some, Ipresume, have already arrived and
desiring to see that all things are properly
prepared for his interment, / trust you will
my absence for a few moments
'Most certainly, sir butt I added, 'if
there is no improperly, ! would be pleased
to accompany YOU EOS
There is none,' he replied; and l follow
ed him to one Of a long row Of cabins, sit
uated at the distance Of some three hun
dred yards from the mansion. The house
was crowded with negroes, who all arose
our entrance, and many Of them ex-F
changed greetings with my host, in tones
that convinced me that they felt thathe was
object Of sympathy from hem !aa The
corpse was deposited in the coffin, attiredE
I'M shroud of the finest cotton materials,