The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06

tink yourself white folks You amt Merry one,
black nor white, I'd like to be one or tur-
rern
Miss 0pheGa saw that there was nobody in
| the camp that would undertake to oversee
the cleansing and dressing of the new arrival,
and so she was forced to do it herself with
some very ungracious and reluctant assistance
| from Jane
1t is not for ears polite to hear the particulars
of the first toilet of neglected, abused child
In fact in this world, multtudes must live and
die in state that it would be too great a shock
to the nerves of their fellow mortals even to
hear described. Miss Ophelia had a good
strong, practical deal of resolution, and she
went through all the disgusting details with
| heroic thoroughness, though it must 'be con-
fessed with no very gracious air; for endurance
was the utmost to which her principles could
bring her. When she saw, on the back aud
shoulders OF the child, great welts aud oalloused
spots, ineHaceable marks Of the system under
which she had grown up thus far, her heart
became pitiful within her
"See there! said Jane, pointing to the
marks, "don't that show she's a limb! Wen
have fine works with her. | reckon. hate
these niger young uns! so disgusting wonder
that massr would buy her"
comments with the subdued and doleful air
which seemed habitual to her. only scanning
with keen and furtiye glance of her Pickering
eyes the ornaments which Jane wore in her
ears When arrayed at last in suit of decent
and whole clothing her hair cropped short to
her head Miss Ophelia with some satisfaction
said she looked more Christian-hke than she
did, and in her own mind began to mature some
plans for her instruction
Sitting down before her, she began TO ques-
ton her.
Axss ~ % ~, ( gsS>ss e 49,
Dun no misss,' said the image, with grin
that showed all her teeth
} Pest know hoy .dr you are, Bjdn'tany;
! BODY ever ten you : " no was your mother
"Never had none 4" said the child, with
another grin
- Never had any motheri What do you
mean Where were you born !"
"Never was born persisted Topsy, with
another grin, that looked so goblin-like, that if
Miss 0phela had been at all nervous she might
have fancied that she had got hold of some
sooty gnome from the land of Diablerie but
| Miss Ophelia was not nervous, but plain and
business-like, and she said, with some stern
ness
"lou mustn't answer me in that way, child !;
Pm not playing with you. Tell me where you
were born, and who your father and mother
were"
"Never was born" reiterated the creature
more emphatcally; "neyer had no father nor
mother nor nothin. | was raised by a specula-
tor, with lots of others Old Aunt Sue used
to take car on u.s.
The child was evidently sincere, and Jane
breaking into n short laugh, said
Claws, mssis, there's heaps of 'em. Specu-
lators buys em up cheap when they's little, and
gets 'em raised for market"
"How long have you lived with your master
and mistress? %
"Dun no, mssis."
ais it year, or more, or less :"
"Dun no, missis."
Claws, missis those low negroes, they cam
: tell they don't know anything about time,
said Jane; "they don't know what year rs
4 they don't know their own ages"
n Have you ever heard anything about God
o Topsy'
4. The child looked bewildered, but grinned a
70 usual
Of ado you know who made you +"
Id "Nobody as knows on" said the chile
We with a short laugh.
n The idea appeared to amuse her consider;
10 bly,, for her eyes twinkled, and she added
m 81 spect crowd Don't think nobody nevc
4 made me-
It ado you know how to sew" said Miss Opht
o. liza, who thought she would turn her inquire
l. to something more tangible.
,e "No, missiso
"What can you do-what did you do 10
d your master and mistress !"
Fetch water, and wash dishes, and ru|
3 knives and wait on folks"
l. "Were they good to you ;"
aspect they was" said the child, scanninl
n Miss Ophelia cunningly.
~ Miss Ophelia rose from this encouraging col
loquy; St. Clare was leaning over the back o
l. her chair.
"a "You find virgin soil there, cousin put il
your own ideas-you won't find many to pull
r up"
Miss Ophelia's ideas of education, like al
p her other IDEAS were very set and definite, ans
of the kind that prevailed in New England I
q century ago and which are still preserved il
\ some very retired and unsophisticated part
! where there are no railroads. As nearly al
/ could be expressed, they could be comprised ir
4 very few words: to teach them to mind when
! they were spoken to; TO teach them the cate
chism sewing and reading; and to whip then
: if they told hes And though of course in thu
J food of light that is now poured on education
these are left far away in the rear, yet it is ar
undsputed fact that our grandmothers raised
q some tolerably fair men and women under Thu
/ regime, as many of us can remember and test
I fy At all events Miss Ophelia knew Of moth
j ing else to do and therefore applied her mind
to her heather with the best diligence she
D could command
The child was announced and considered In
I the family as Miss Ophelia's girl; and as she
. was looked upon with no gracious eye in the
kitchen, Miss Ophelia resolved to contne hei
sphere of operation and instruction chiefly u
6 her own chamber With a selfsacrifce which
! some of our readers will appreciate, she re-
solved, instead of comfortably making her owr
bed, sweeping and busting her own chamber
which she had hitherto done in utter scorn OF
all offers of help from the chambermaid OF the
establishment, to condemn herself TO the mar
, tyrdon Of instructing Topsy to perform these
operations--ah, wo the day. Did any Of our
readers ever do the same, they will appreciate
. the amount of her self-sacrifce
, Miss Ophclia began with Topsy by taking
her into her chamber the first morning, anC
solemnly commencing a course of instruction il
the art and mystery Of bed-making
Behold, then, Topsy washed and shorn of al
the little braided tails wherein her heart hat
delighted, arrayed in clean gown, with well
starched apron, standing revcrcntly before Mis-
+ Ophelia with an expression Of solen,nity vel
betting funeral.
"Now ToPsy, Pm going TO show you jus
how my bed is to DC made. ! am very particu
lar about my bed. You must learn exactly how
10 do itp
, ayes, ma'am," says Topsy, with deep sigi
and face Of wocful carnestness.
"Now, Topsy, look here--this is tho hem o
the sheet--this is the right side Of the sheet
and this is the wrong-wiI you remember 2"
eyes ma'am," says Topsy, with another
, | SIGH