Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-04-03

was inviting her lady friends 10 take Tea
with her-and often and often was her old
mistress, between whom and herself there
existed a strong attachment, happy to visit
hcr=-and no coffee was stronger, no bread
| lighter, no cake richer, than Mary served
up to her honored guests.
So went by year after year, bringing its
appointed sorrows TO you .and me, it may
be but to the Kits only an increase Of COM
fort, and honest, and we are sire, excusa-
Bile pride. But at last the visitor, who
sooner or later enters every dwelling, came
to Kitvile. Its master was seized with the
cholera, and after a few hours of anguish
and agony, died.
Poor Mary was perfectly appalled, with
terror at the fearful disease, and not until
the breath fIad left the poor body, over
which she had hung with unayailing ex-
ertions for relief did she once think of her.
SELF Then as her fearful eyes went ling
eringly over the many household comforts
which their mutual love and labor had col.
lected. and on which they were no mofe
to look together, sudden thought arrested,
as it were, the very life in her veins, caus-
ed her fresh grief to sink into nothingness
and forced such a cry from her lips as
| might have walked to life again the dead
sleeper at her side. Kit had neuer made
her free. He had always intended doing SO,
but as the necessary steps involved con-
siderable trouble, he had put it off from
time to time, supposing always tina, he
should have at least the warning of sick
bed before his death. But now he was
gone, and supposing the law should take
its course, whose and what was she! She
covered up her face, and b.de the miser-
able thought be far from her. After all
these years of freedom and responsibility,
she must live out the remainder of her life
free woman, mistress of herself and her
own house.
-, - Poor Mary! alas! poor, poor Mary! Well
might you think, wher your true situation
was forced home upon you, that it were
better had you never been born. God for
give you, that for little while you almost
hated the memory of your husband for his
fatal neglect. You are not free-your child
is not free--this house, these comforts are
not yours. The law gives them all to your
husbands nearest heir, and a slave, were
she the truest and faithfullest wife that was
ever helpmeet to a husband, can be no
heir. All these treasures which you have
been so long gathering up, the sweeter
treasure which you vainly imagined yours,
your liberty, the treasure far sweeter than
oil, yosr child, pass to year husbands
sister, a free woman Of color; and be you
sure. that what the law allows and court
awards, she will claim.
And now CAME changed days, for grief
stricken, half crazed Mary. The new own
er moved into the valuable little dwelling,
and shiltess and lazy, she looked to her
servant for support. So Mary is hired out;
the salt tears falling unchecked and un-
restrained, und at night she must tell her
earnings into the hard hand of her hated
mistress-for need we say that the bondage
which binds her to ,one Of her own color
seems doubly accursed to Mary! All that
is wicked in her nature, would not be SO
reused up to chafe her spirit into almost
uncomfortable impatience of her lot, were
she now owned by her former kind old
mistress. But to sit captive, where she
had reigned queen, to work all day for one
to whom she could ia no way look up--to
feel herself as asurely slave as though
owned by the richest lady in the land ,,this
was indeed to drain the dregs from the Bit
ter cup.
What wonder that the sympathy felt and
expressed for her seemed an empty mock
cry! What wonder that from being ore of
the most active workers when dJing for
herself and family, she became, to use her
mstress's own phrase, "a most Urinary mig
ger.' Every day her wages became less g.
less--every day the enmity between her
and the woman who calls herself her owner
grew more and more bitter, until at length
the dreaded threat Of selling to the South
was lifted up against poor Mary. Only one
natural affection seems left to this wretch
ed, fevered heart--she loves her child-she
loves too the scene Of her former glory
narrowing as the contrast between that time
and the present is-and there are moments
when her love for her husband, and her
longing to be with him, outrdes and over
whelms all her other miseries, and at such
times it comforts her to think, that she can
look upon his grave
So she tolls through the long, long hours
of the weary days, and feeds her soul
through the watches OF her wakeful nights
with memories o: what has been--looking
forward no longer Ito humble paradise on
earth, which she may .beautify and adorn
as the abode of her happy family--hope-
less as to any relief this side ,of the grave
but trusting with her broken heart, that
since in her life.time, her good things
have been taken from her, there is appro-
aching an eternity, throughout the endless
ages of which she shall be comforted.
A WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAvEs.-The fol-
lowing eloquent passage Is from the pen Of
Albert Barnes:
"A Whole Family in Heaven! Who can
| niGtIIre or descriha the evarastina inyl No