The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-01-24
From the Home Journal.
TIE NIGHT FUNERAL OF A SLAVE.

terror of Georgia, reached, just at sunset,
the mansion OF the proprietor, through whose
estate for the last half hour of my journey,
had pursued my way. My tired companion
pricked his ears, and with low wbinny in
dicaed bis pleasures, as turned up The broad
avenue leading 10 the house. Calling 10 a
black boy in view, bade him enquire of his
owner il could be accommodated vAtk lodg.
ings fol ,hs night.
! My request brought The proprietor himself
Eto the door, and from thence TO the gale,
when, alter a scruiinizing glance at my per.
son and equipments, he inquired my name,
business, and dissipation. promptly res
ponded 10 his questions, and he invited me
TO alighl and enter the house IN the true spir.
it Of Southern hospitality.
He was apparently thirty years of age, and
evidently man of education and refinement.
soon observed an air Of gloomy abstraction
| about him; he said but little, and even thai
little seemed the result of an effort TO obviae
the seeming wan, of the civlily to slran-
ger. AT supper, The mistress Of the mansion
| appeared, and did the honors of The table, IN
her particular department; she was exceed.
ingly lady.liks and beautiful, only as South.
ern women are, that is beyond comparison
with those of any other portion of this repub.
lie have ever seen. She retired inmedi.
| alely alter supper, and a servant handing
some splendid Havannas on silver tray, we
had just seated ourselves comfortably before
the enormous fire of oak wood, when a ser.
want appeared at the end of the door, near my
host, hal in hand, and, uttered in subdued
but disinc, tones, the, to me, startling words:
''Masler, de coffin hab come"
every well, was the only reply, and the
servant disappeared
My host remarked my gaze of inqnis,live
wonder, and replied 10 it
81 have been very sad, said he, 'io,day.
have had greater misfortune than have
experienced since my fathers death. I-osl
this morning The truest and most valuable
frie nd bad in the world-one whom have
been accustomed 10 honor and respect since
my earliest recollection he was the play
mate of my fathers youth, and the mentor of
mine a faithful servant, an honest man, and
sincere Christian. | stood by his bedside
to-day, and. with his hands clasped in mine.
heard the last wordsh5 uitered; they were,
Master, meet me in hsaven.'"
His voice falered q moment and he con-
tinued, after pause, with increased excite.
ment-
''His loss is melancholy one to me. IL
left my home, said 10 him, John, see that
all things are taken care of and knew that
my wife and ch..I, property and all, were as
safe as though they were guarded by a bund-
red soldiers. | never spoke harsh word 10
him in all my life, for he never meri,ed il.
have a hundred others, many of Them faith
ful and true, but his loss is irreparablen
come from section OF the Union where
slavery does not exist and brought with
me al! the preludices which so generally pre-
vail in the free States in regard 10 this 'ins,i-
! lu,ion." had already seen much to soften
these, but the observation of years would
have failed 10 give me SO clear an insight in
TO the relation between master and servant as
/ this SIMPLE incident 1t was not tbe naughty
planter, The lordly tyrant, talking of his dead
slave, as of his dead horse but the kind
hearted gentleman, lameniIng the loss, and
eulogizing the virtues OF his old friend
After an interval OF silence, my host re-
sumed:
"There are" said he. "many OF The old
mans relatives and friends who would wish
TO attend his funeral. To afford Them an op.
porlunity, several plantations have been no.
tilted that he will be buried 10 night; some,
presume, have already arrived and. .desir.
ing 10 see that all things are properly prepar.
ed for his interment, trust you will excuse
my absence for few momenls."
"Most certainly sir; but" added, "if
there is no improperly, would be pleased
10 accompany you."
"There is none," he replied and follow
ed him 10 long row oil cabins, situated at a
distance OF some three hundred yards from
the mansion. The house was crowded with
negroes, who all arose al our entrance, and
many Of them exchanged greetings with my
host, 10 tones that convinced me that they
felt that he was an object of sympathy from
them The corpse was deposited in the cof-
fin, altired in shroud of the finest cotton
materials, and the coffin itself painted black.
The master stopped at his head, andlay-
ing his hand upon the cold brow OF his faith
full bondsman, gazed long and intently upon
features with which he had been SO long ia.
miliar, and which he now looked upon tor
the last time on earth; raising his eyes at
length, and glancing al the serions counle.
nances now bent upon his, he said solsmnly
and with much feeling;
'.He was faithful servant and true Chris
tian; if you follow bis example, and live as
he lived, none of you need fear, when the
time comes for You TO lay here"
T A patriarch, with the snow Of eighty win
ters or his head, answered. -
'tMaster, il is true, and we will try 10 live
| like him.n
There was murmur Of general assent,
and after giving some instructions relative TO
the burial, we ventured 10 the dwelling.
About nine O'Clock servant appeared with