Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-03-01

my earliest recollection: he was the playmate
OF my fathers youth, and the Mentor Of mine:
a faithful servant, an honest man, and de-
vout christian. l stood by his bedside to-
day, and, with his hand clasped in mine, |
heard the last words he uttered They were
these
Master, meet me in Heaven,
His loss is melancholy one to me- If
had to leave my home, | said to him, John
see that all things are taken care Of and /
knew that my wife and child, property and
all, were safe as though they were guarded by
a hundred soldiers. | never spoke harsh
word to him in all my life, for he never mer-
tied it, ] have hundred others, many of
them faithful and true, but his loss is irrepar
able.r
| came from section Of the Union where
slavery does not exist, and brought with
me all the preiudices which so generally pre-
vail in the free States in regard to this insti-
tuition. | had already seen much TO soften
these, but the observation of years would
have failed TO give me so clear an insight in
to the relations between master and servant
as this simple incident. 1t was not the
naughty planter, the lordly tyrant. talking Of
his dead slave as Of his dead horse, but the
kind-hearted gentleman, lamenting the loss
of and eulogzing the virtues of his good old
friend
After an interval Of silence my host re-
sumed:
There are many of the old mans rela-
tiyes and friends who would wish to attend
his funeral To afford them an opportunity
several plantations have been notified that he
will be buried tonight; some presume,
have already arrived: and desiring that all
things be properly prepared for his interment,
trust you will excuse my absence for few
Moments
Most certainly, sir; butt / added, If
there is no impropriety, ! would be pleased
to accompany you."
"There is none,v
i followed him to one of long row Of
cabins situated at the distance of three hun
dred yards from the mansion. The house
was crowded with negroes, who all arose on
our entrance, and many of them exchanged
greetings with my host, in tones that con-
yinced me that he was an object Of sympathy
from theml The corpse was deposited in
the coffin, attired in shroud Of the finest
cotton materials, and the coffin itself painted
black
The master stopped at its head, and lay
ing his hand upon the cold brow of his faith
full bondsman, gazed long and intently upon
the features with which he now looked upon
for the last time on earth, raising his eyes at
length, and glancing at the countenances now
bent upon his, he said solemnly and with
much feeling:
He was a faithful servant and true
christian; if you follow his example, and live
as he lived, none Of you need fear, when the
time comes for yon to lay herev
A patriarch with the snow of eighty win
ters on his head, answered:
Master, it is true, and we will try to live
like him.
There was q murmur of general assent
and after giving them some instructions rela-
tive to the burial, we returned TO the dwell
ing.
About Q o'clock, servant appeared with
the notice that they were ready to move, and
to know if further directions were necessary
My host remarked to me, that by stepping
into the piazza would probably witness, to
me, a novel scene The procession had NOV
ed and its route led within few yards of
the mansion. There were at least one hum
dred and fifty negroes, arranged four deep,
and following wagon in which was placed
the coffin; down the entire length of the
lane at intervals of a few feet, on each side,
were carried torches of the resinous pine, here
called light-wood About the centre was
stationed the black preacher, man Of ggan-
tic frame and stentorian lungs, who gave out
from memory the words Of hymn suitable to
the occasion The Southern negroes are pro-
verbal for the melody and compass Of their
voices, and | thought that hymn, me,lowed by
distance, the most solemn and yet the sweet
est music that had ever fallen upon my ear.
The stiffness Of the night, and strength of
their voices enabled me to distinguish the air
at the distance of half mile.
1t was to me strange and solemn scene,
and no incident of my life has impressed me
with more powerful emotions than the night
funeral of the poor negro For this reason,
have hastily and most imperfectly sketched
its leading features Previous to retireing to
my room, | saw, in the hands Of daughter
of the lady at whose house | stopped for the
night, number Of the Home Journal, and it
occurred to me to send this to your paper,
perfectly indifferent whether it be published
or not am but brief solourner here
hail from colder cline where it is our
proud bost that all men are free and equal
/ shall return to my Northen home, deeply
impressed with the belief, that, dispensing
with the name Of freedom, the negroes Of the
South are the happiest and most contented
people on the face of the earth.--Homc Jour
nal
IT,. u mol. N.,,p nova what ehalI ha