The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-04-19

ia
ess man, and = sincere christian. | stood
BY his bedside today, and With bic hands
clssPed in mine, heard the last vords he
uttered; they were, Master, meet me 10
hcaven.'
His voice ialtsrsd moment, aud 10 con.
tinusd, alters pause, with increased excite
ment-
His loss 10 melancholy one to me. II
! LEFT my home, ] said 10 him, John, go that
al things are taken caro- Of and knew
that my wife and child, property and oil,
were % sale - though they were guarded
by an hundred soldiers. l never spoke q
harsh word to him ia oil my life, fos he
never mesited il. ] have . hundred oh.
ere, many Of them faithful and true, but bic
loss 10 irrepsrable.'
leone from section q tho Unioo whore
slavery does not exist, and brought with
mo oil tho prejudibes which 20 generally
prevail in the free States 10 regard to this
institution had already seen much to
soften those, but the observation Of years
would have failed to give me % clear On
insight into the relation between master
and servant - this simple incident. Il
vas not the naughty planter, the Iordly ty-
rant, talking Of his dead slave, ~ Of bis
dead horse, but the knd.hsarted gentle
man. lamentiog The loss, and suloRizioR
the virtues of his good old frie~d.
After On interval Of silence, my host ~
sumed--
There sEe,' said he, many Of tho old
mans relatives and friends who would wish
to attend HE funeral. To siTSsd them an
opportunity, several plantations have been
notified that he will b hurried tonight;
some, presume. have siready arrived; and
desiring to eco that oil things are properly
prepared for bic insermens, trust you will
excuse my absence for . few moments.'
Most certainly, sir; but,' ! sdded, 'if
there il 10 improperly, would b pleased
to accompany you
There 10 none he replied; and follow
ID him to one of long row Of cabins, stu.
atsd II the distance Of some three hundred
yards from the mansion. Tho house was
crowded with negroes, who oil arose On our
entrance, and many Of them exchsnged
greetings with nv host. in tones that con.
vincod mo that they felt that he vas m oh.
ject of sympathy from skem! The corpse
vas deposited in the coffin, sttired 10 =
shroud al tho finest cotton materials, and
the coffin itself painted black.
The master stopped At iis head, end lay
ing bic hand upon the cold brow Of his
faithful bondsman. gazed long and intently
upon features with which he had been %
long familiar, and which he nov looked up
on for the last time on earth; raising bis
eyes u length and glancing Il The serious
countenances now bent upon HE, be said
solemnly and with much feeling
He wss faithful servant and . true
christian; IL you follow his example. and
live ~ hs lived, mono Of you need fsar,
when the time comes Tor yo,Iso lay here.'
A patriarch, with the snow ofeigbsy win
tiers on his head, answered.
master, il - true, and ve will try 10
live like him.
There was . murmur Of general sssent,
and after giving some instructions relative
to the burial, We returned 70 the dwelling.
About nine o'clock essvans appeared
with the notice that they were ready "a
move, and 10 know il further instructions
were necessary. My host remarked 10
me, that BY stepping into the piazza, ]
would probably witness, 10 M, . novel
scene. The procession he'd moved, and lie
route led within few yards of the mansion.
There were 1t least one hundred and fifty
negroes, arranged Jour deep, and following
wagon il which VS. placed the coliin;
down the entire length Of tho line, 1t inter.
walls Of . lev feet, on each side, wers CARR
Cd torches Of the sesinous pine, and here
called light wood. About The centre was
stationed the black preacher, . man Of ri.
gantic frame and steniorian lungs, who
gave out from memory tho vords Of hymn
suitable TO tho occasion. The Southern
negroes ore provcrhial for the melody end
compass Of their voices, and thought thss
hymn. msllowed by distance, tho most col.
emn end yet the sweetest music that had
ever fallen upon my car. The stiffness Of
tho night end ssseokth Of their voices ena-
bled mo Ia distinguish The aie 1t the die
sance Of half mile.
i VS. 70 mo : strange and solemn scene,
and ~ incident Of my life has impressed
me with more powerful emotions than tho
night funeral n the poor neero. shall 70.
turn n my Northern home, deeply impress.
% With tho hslisf, ihat. dispensing With
Tho ssss Of Freedom, tho negroes Of The
South are the happisss and most coassntsd
people On the face al the earth.