The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-15

nations, moving 10 and fro over the marble
pave On every side of the circular area were
little trlbunes OF stations for the use Of speak
ers and auctioneers. Two of these, ON opposite
sides Of the area were now occupied by bril-
Liant and talented gentlemen enthusiastically
forcing mp. in English and French commingled,
the bids OF cOnnoisseurs in their various wares
A third one, on the other side, still unoccupied,
was surrounded by group, waiting the mo-
ment OF sale to begin. And here we may rccog-
MISE the NJ. Clare servants-Tom, Adolph. and
others; and there too, Susan and Emmeline-
awaiting their turn with anxious and detected
faces. Various spectators intending to pur-
chase, or not intending, as the case might be,
gathered around the group, handling, examin.
ing, and commenting on their various points
and faces with the same freedom that set of
jockeys discuss the merits of horse
Hulloa, Alf! what brings you here'" said
young exquisite, Shaping the shoulder of
sprueely-dressed young man, who was examin-
ing Adolph through an eye-glass
We'll, was wanting valet, and heard
that st Clare's lot was going. | thought I'd
just look at his
"Catch me ever buying any of st. Clare's
people Spoilt niggers, every one.n
"lmpudent as the devil, said the other
"Never fear that" said the first. "If get
en- I'll soon have their airs out of them; they'll
soon find that they've another kind of master
to deal with than Monsieur st. Clare 'Pon
my word, I'll buy that fellow. like the shape
Of him"
"You'll find it'll take all you've got to keep
him. He's decidedly extravagantn
ayes, but my lord will find that he can't be
extravagant with me- Just let him be sent to
the calaboose few times, and thoroughly
dressed down I'll tell you if it don't bring
him to sense of his ways! Oh, III reform
him, up hill and down-you'u see buy him,
that's fiato
Tom had been standing wistfulIy examining
the multitude of faces thronging around him,
for one whom he would wish to call master
And if you should ever be under the necessity
sir, of selecting, out of two hundred men, one
who was to become your absolute owner and
disposer, you would perhaps realize, just as
Tom did, how few there were that you would
feel at all comfortable in being made over to
Tom saw abundance of men-great, burly
gruff men; little, chirping, dried men; long
favored lank, hard men; and every variety of
stubbed-looking. commonplace men, who pick
up other men as one picks up chips. putting
them into the fire or basket with equal I'M
concern according to their convenience; but he
saw no st. Clare. A little before the sale com
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aud pantaloons much the worse for dirt and
wear, elbows his way through the crowd, like
one who is going actively into business, and,
coming up to the group, begun to examine
them systematically From the moment that
Tom saw him approaching. he felt an immedi-
ate and revolving horror at him, that increased
as he came near. He was evidently, though
short, of gigantic strength. His round, bullet
head large, lightgray eyes with their shaggy,
sandy eyebrows, and stiff, wiry, sun-burned
hair were rather unprepossessng items, it is to
be confessed his large, coarse mouth, was dis
tended with tobacco, the juice of which, from
time to time, he elected from him with great
decision and explosive force his hands were
immensely large, hairy, sun-burned freckled,
and very dirty, and garnished with long nails,
in very foul condition. This man proceeded
to a very free personal examination of the lot
He seized Tom by the jaw and pulled open his
mouth to inspect his teeth; made him strip up
his sleeve TO show his MUSCLE turned him
round; made him jump and spring to show his
PAGES.
Where was you raised!" he added, briefly,
TO these Investigations.
an Kntuck, mass'r," said Tom, looking
about, as if for deliverance
"What have you done?"
Had care of mass'rs farm" said Tom
Likely story" said the other, shortly, rs he
passed on. He paused a moment before Dolph,
then splitting a discharge of tobacco juice on
his well-blacked boots aud giving q contempt
nous umph, he walked on Again he stopped
before Susan and Emmeline. He put out his
heavy, dirty hand, and drew the girl towards
him, passed it over her neck and bust, felt her
arms, looked at her teeth, and then pushed her
back against her mother, whose patient face
showed the suffering she had been going
through at every motion of the hdeous stran
ger
The girl was frightened and began to cry.
"Stop that, you mink !" said the salesman
emo whimpering here-the sale going to be-
gin" And accordingly the sale begun.
Adolph was knocked off at good sum to
the young gentleman who had previously stated
his intention Of buying him; and the other
servants of the st. Clare lot went to various
bidders
"Now, up with you, boy dye hear ?" said
the auctioneer to Tom
Tom stepped upon the block gave few
anxious looks round all seemed mingled in u
common indstinct noise--tbe clatter of the
salesman crying off his qualifications in French
and English, the quick fire of French and
English bids-and almost in moment came
| the final thump of the hammer and the clear
ring on the last syllable of the word "doliars,"
as the auctoneer announced his price, and
Tom was made over--he had a master.
lie was pushed from the block--the short
b,let-headed man selling him roughly by the
shoulder, pushed him TO one side, saying, in a
harsh voice, Stand there, you ~
Tom hardly realized anything; but still the
bidding went on--rattling Gathering now
French, now English-down goes the hammer
again-Susan is sold She goes down from
the block, stops, looks wistfully back--her
daughter stretches her hands towards her
She looks with agony in the face Of the man
who has bought her---a respectable middle
aged man of benevolent countenance.
"Oh, mass'r, please do buy my daughter |"
"Fd like to, but Pm afraid ] can't afford
it, said the gentleman, looking with painful
interest ~ the young girl mounted the block,
and looked around her with frightended and
timid glance
The blood Pushes painfully in her otherwise
colorless check-her eye has feverish fire.
and her mother groans to see that she looks
more beautiful than she ever saw her before.
The anctioneer sees his advantage, and expa-
tiates Yolubly in mingled French and English,
and bids rise in rapid succession.
"Pll do anything in reason" said the be-
neyolent-looking gentleman, pressing in and
joining with the bids In few moments they |
have run beyond his purse. He is silent the |
auctoneer grows warmer, but bids gradually |
drop Off 1t lies now between an aristocratic |
old citizen and our bullet-headed acquaintance |
The citizen bids for few turns, eontemptu-
ously measuring his opponent; but the bullet
head has the advantage over him, both in obsti- |
macy and concealed length Of purse, and the
controversy lasts but moment; the hammer