The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06
WHOLE NO. 253

st. Clare a. wish you'd answer it. What is
to be done with human being that can be
governed only by the lash-thqt fails-its q
very common state of things down here F."
I" I'm sure don't know; never saw such
child as this
- Such children are very common among us,
and such men and women too How are they
to be governed ~ said St Clare
"Fm sure it's more than | can say" said
Miss 0pheGa.
"Or either" said St Clare; 4" the horrid
crueltes and Outrages that once and while
find their way into the papers-such cases as
Prue's, for example-what do they come from
In many cases it is a gradual hardening pro-
cess on both sides-the owner growing more
and more cruel, as the servant more and more
callous Whipping and abuse are like lauda-
mum you have to double the dose as the SEN
sihiitioe decline. | saw this very early when
became an owner, aud resolved never to be-
gin, because | did not know when | should
stop; and resolved at least to protect my own
moral nature. The consequence Is that my
servants act like spoiled children but think
that better than for us both to be brutalized
together. You have talked a great deal about
our responsibilities in educating cousin. | really
wanted you to try with one child, who is a
specimen of thousands among u.s.
1T is your system makes such children"
said Miss Ophea
IL know It; but they are mGde-they exist
and what as TO be done with them :"
"Well, can't say thank you for the ex-
pertinent. But then, as it appears TO be duty
shall perseyere and try, and do the best
can" said Miss Ophelia; and Miss Ophelia,
after this, did labor with commendable de-
gree of zeal and energy on her new subject.
She instituted regular hours and employments
for her and undertook TO teach her to read and
81 ., o. 80 r.t-t'9 s.t$' q sst vi
In the former act the child was quick enough
She learned her letters as if by magic. and was
very soon able 70 read plain rssifpg :. ., 81
| sewing was a more difficult matter. The crea-
ture was as 1.-the as cat and as active as a
monkey, and the confinement of sewing was
her abomination so she broke her needles,
threw them slyly out of windows, or down in
chinks of the walls she tangled, broke, and dir
tied her thread, or, with sly movement would
throw spool away altogether Her motions
were almost Us quick as those of practiced
conjurer, and her command of her face quite
as great and though Miss Ophelia could not
help feeling that so many accidents could not
possibly happen in succession yet she could
not without a watchfulness which would leave
her no time for anything else, detect her.
Topsy was soon a noted character in the es-
| Enlistment. Her talent for every species of
drolery grimace and mimickry--for dancing,
tumbling climbing singing, whstling imita-
| ting every sound that hit her fancy-seemed in
| exhaustible, In her play hours, she invariably
had every child in the establishment at her
heels, open-mouthed with admiration and won
der, not excepting Miss Eva, who appeared to
be fascinated by her wild diablerie rs dove is
sometimes charmed by Offering serpent.
Miss Ophelia was uneasy that Eva should fan
cy Topsy's society so much, and implored st.
Clare to forbid it.
"Poh, let the child alone" said st. Clare;
"Topsy will do her good"
But so depraved achild-are you not afraid
she will teach her some mischief
"She can't teach her mischief she might
teach it to children, but evil rolls off Eyas
mind like dew off cabbage leaf-not a drop
sinks in.p
Don't be too sure" said Miss Ophelia. al
know I'd never let child of mine play with
Topsy"
3 but mine may; if Eva could have been spoil
ed, it would have been done years ago"
o Topsy was at first despised and condemned
{ by the upper servants They soon found rea-
=
discovered that whoever cast an indignity on
I Topsy was sure to meet with some inconyenient
= accident shortly after - either n pair of ear
rings or some cherished trinket would be miss
& ing, or an article of dress would be suddenly
; found utterly ruined, or the person would STUN
BILE accidentally into pail of hot water, or n
r libation of dirty slop would unaccountably
deluge them from above when in full gala
a dress-and on all these occasions, when inves-
{ tigation was made, there was nobody found to
p stand sponsor for the indignity. fopsy was
r cited and had up before all the domestic judi
catories time and again, but always sustained
{ her examinations with most edifying innocence
I and gravity of appearance. Nobody in the
I world ever doubted who did the things, but not
a scrap of any direct evidence could be found
t to establish the suppositions and Miss Ophelia
was too just to feel at liberty to proceed to any
lengths without it.
The mischiefs done were always ~ nicely
timed, also, as farther to shelter the aggrcssor
Thus the times for revenge on Rosa and Jane,
the two chambermaids, were always chosen in
those seasons when las not unfrcquently hap
pened) they were in disgrace with their mis-
tress-when any complaint from them would
of course meet with no sympathy. In short
Topsy soon made the household understand the
propriety of letting her alone and she was let
alone accordingly.
Topsy was smart and energetic in all manual
operations, learning everything that was taught
her with surprising quickness With a few
lessons she had learned to do the proprieties Of
Miss Ophelia's chamber, in way with which
! even that particular lady could find no fault.
Mortal hands could not lay spread smoother,
4 adjust pillows more accurately, sweep and dust
and arrange more perfectly than Topsy, when
she chose-but she didn't very often choose. If
Miss Ophelia, after three or four dayso Of careful
and patient supervision was 10 sanguine as to
suppose that Topsy had at last fallen into her
way, could do without overlooking and 80 go
of and busy herself about something else,
Topsy would hold perfect carnival of confu-
sion for some one or two hours. Instead Of
making the bed, she would amuse herself with
pulling of the pillow cases, putting her woolly
head among the pillows, till il would sometimes
be grotcsqueiy ornamented with feathers stick
ing out in various directions--she would climb
the posts and hang head downward from the
tops-h0urish the sheets and spreads all over
the apartment---dress the bolster up in Miss
Ophelia's night clothes and enact various
scenic performances with thanksgiving and
whstling, and making grimaccs at herself in
the looking glass--in short, as Miss Ophelia
phrased it, "raising Cain generally.
4 On one occasion, Miss Ophclia found 1opsy
with her very best scarlet India Canton Grape
shawl wound round her head for turban,
going on with her rehearsals before the glass in
great style-Miss Ophelia having, with careless
ncss most unheard-of in her, left the key for
once in her drawer.
"Topsy!"s she would say, when at the end Of
all patience, "what docs make you act solp
"Dunno, missis-lspects cause Psso wicked ~
al don't know anything what shall do with
you Topsy"
Law, misis, you must whip me; my old