The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-26
THE REPU BLIC.
SUMMER SKETCHES-NO
raf BY MARY.J. wINDLE.
SHANNoNDALE SpRINGs,

l.
For writer to give sketches ofVirginia life
without adverting to the slave population, would
be as difficult for the historian to write of the
early settlement of America without alluding to
the Indians.
Among the numerous important subjects with
which the public mind, WITHIN few years past,
has been agitated, no one has been obscured by
error and altogether so little understood this.
For ourselves, we wish to allude to the subject
precisely as, during our stay in Virginia, it has
been presented to ns-not to give our readers sen
|parte facts, and these from the darkest side Of
txe lcture. ga ..5 ~. .i-os
We have, at this moment, full view of
group of the house slaves connected with this
establishment collected at the kitchen door,
their daily work ended, capering and practising
jokes upon each other, while their even rows Of
teeth and the white of their eyes--the most ex-
pressive feature in the African physiognomy-are
displayed in striking contrast to their ebony
skins. ue{ s.. 4Fst a
But there is one among their numb er who de-
serves more than passing notice. Her COM
plexion is of the most intense black, and her eyes
have popularity which gives singular express
sion to her whole face. AS much of the white is
visible above as below the pupil, which, being very
large and black have such an intensely wide
awake look, it is impossible to conceive of her
ever sleeping The round, quick-moving ball
resembles an immense whortleberry swimming in
a saucer of cream. Protruding lips. and full
projecting chin, complete an assemblage of fea-
lures which are always shaded--morn, noon, and
night--by an immense bandana handkerchief No
Partisan belle ever took more pride in her
s'chauss,we" than aunt Easter in her bandana.
Faithful as the wren, Industrious the bee, and
cheerful as the lark, she accomplishes more work
with her single arm than half a dozen common
servants. She presides over the poetry of the
kitchen-such as beating the whites of eggs till
they foam like cascade, seasoning puddings and
pies, and cutting pastry in various original forms
The dairy also is her peculiar department, where
she manufactures butter. There is nice white
washed stoop, extending forward from the kitchen,
that excludes the rays of the sun, and beneath
this shelter Easter carries many of the mystic
ries of her dairy in more public manner than is
usually done. She can enjoy the benefit Of the
fresh air, see what is going in the world, and,
above all, watch her children as they play on the
grass among the pnk-headed clover and golden
Of her movements from our chamber window.
She is engaged in working over some rich golden
butter in n wooden tray white as milk. With
a smooth wooden paddle she tolls over the yellow
mass till every drop of buttermlk drips out, then
moulds it into immense biscuits, stamping them
vigorously with her practsed hand, leaving
beautiful impressions of lilies and roses and sweet,
smelling posies, doomed to be as evanescent as
the flowers whose similitude they assume. (.
We wish Mrs. Stowe could see aunt Easter
churning in that little porch. In her neat check
ed apron, her sleeves rolled up above her plump
elbows, she would afford that lady true and
noble representation of slave life in the South.
While the industrious, smiling, and happy mo-
Their works and spats and stamps her butter Easter
Junior looks up from her rich clover bed, reclining
her ebony head on her chubby elbow, while she
pulls butter cups and losses to her little bro
ther, who is vigorously plying the churn-dash by
it's mothers side, or rolling over on the grass.
kicking up its chubby feet and growing with all its
might. This little fellow-who seems literally to
live in clover-is named after Andrew Jackson,
and Easter exhibits him with as much pride as the
mother of the GO Gracchi." @
Upon her marrage--some six years ago-to her
master s coachman, he presented her with a little
plat of ground to cultivate for her own especial
use Casters garden is a perfect horticultural
rem. Not weed defaces the smooth, square-cut
parsley-margincd beds where long, regular rows
of vegetables in beautiful and well-ordered fami-
lies grow side by side. There is the beet, with
it's red-vened, richly variegated leaves and Grim
son roots, half hosting from the soil The orange
colorcd carrot and parsnips with luxuriant green
tufts Then there is the huge water melon, which
she cuts to show the firmness and freshness OF
their quality, with that beautiful combination Of
colors, the dark green rind, the rosy pulp, and
shining let black seeds. Precious looking toma-
toes; Indian corn like strings of Roman pearl;
the purple, polished eggplant, and the cucumber
patch the vines surrounded by slender hoops, over
which they wanton and curl, and mingle their
tendrils in spite of all restraint
Along the fence savory herbs and medicinal
shrubs appear in harmonious brotherhood. ms
part of the garden is Casters peculiar province,
and through its fundamentally she becomes a
benefactress to the visitors who frequent this wa
terng place
Does any feverish sufferer sigh for decoction
of soothing balm, Easter always has some of the
leaves dried and preserved ready for relief:
Does any anxious mother sigh for handful OF
i catn;p 10 relieve a fretful infant, Easter always
has supply of the odorferous medicine. She
has chamomiIe, NORWOOD, and rue for tonics,
tansy for poultices, and peppermint and catnp tor
i infants. .rr.
Nor is she without her floral ornaments for
Easter loves flowers Directly facing the entrance
there is large circle, divided into various parts
by flowers economically arranged, though our
ebony friend is no pupil of Euclid, The equator
is represented by row of yellow marigolds, the
axis by the deep blue larkspur and vnriegated