The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-31

black hair and eyebrows, were his clear. light
blue, Saxon eyes! One who understands sci
entificaly, or feels intuitivey, the nature of
such fearful combination of antagonistic and
never-tobe humanized elements of character,
fated, without the saving grace of God to be-
come the elements of insanity and crime, can
not look upon its external outward signs with
out shudderingL
Think of it; and wonder, if you can, at any
thing in his after life Think of boy com
bining in his own nature the ardent passions
and impulsive temperament Of the African
negro, the tameless love of freedom of the North
American Indian, and the intellectual power
and domineering pride of the Anglo-Saxon.
Place him in the condition of slave-a net
slave, if you will leave him without moral and
Christian instruction; alternately praise and
pamper or condemn and punish him-not as
his merit, but as your caprice decides let him
grow up In that manner, and, as it seems to
me, the result is so sure that it might be dem
onstrated in advance.
Both the boys were great favorites with the
visiters who frequented the house. Oswald, as
the son of their host, and also for his bright,
Joyous, frohcsome nature and Valentine, for
his beauty, wit, and piquant sauciness. Will
ingly would Phedra nave kept the lad away
from the "white folks" to whom she bore no
very great love, but Oswald would not suffer
his playmate to be separated from himself
Nor when the visitors had once discovered Val
entine's value as an entertainer, would they
have spared him.
The lads did not seem in the least to under
stand their relations as young master and SER
want but behaved in all respects. towards each
other, as peers-the quicker and more mpul-
sive nature taking the lead, as matter of
course. And that leading nature happened to
belong to the Mestizzas son.
Valentine had the keenest appreciation of
pleasure, and the quickest intelligence in dis
covering the way to it. In all their boyish
amusements, Valentine was the purveyor in
all their adventures, he was the lead-Oswald
entering into all his plans, and following all his
suggestions, with the heartiest good will. And,
IN all their childish misdemeanors, he was the
tempter, and always, also, the willing scape-
goat-that Is to say, when in a fit of generosi-
ty, to shield Oswald, he voluntarily assumed all
the blame, he was perfectly willing to take all
the punishment; but, on the contrary, if both
were discovered an fagranh delictd, and he
only punished, then, at such injustice, he would
fly into the most ungovernable fury that would
sometimes end in phrensy and congestion of
the brain. 1t was those maniacal fits of passion
that procured for him the soubriquet of Little
Demon, conferred upon him by the negroes of
the plantation, in opposition to that of Little
Prince, given him by the visitors at the house.
Often, too, the boy gave evidence of rehec-
ton and of feeling, beyond his years; as, for
instance, once, when he was but nine years old,
a lady, who delighted in his childish beauty.
grace, and wit, allowed him frequently to ride
in the carriage with her, and accompany her.
when making visits or going to places of amuse-
ment. One day, when she was gently strokng
his silky curls, he suddenly dropped his head
into his hands, and burst into tears.
"Why, Valley what is the matter? she
asked, again caressing his beautiful head
But, at the gentle caress and the gentle tone
he wept more passionately than ever. "Why,
Valley! what is the matter? Have hurt your
feelings? Have any of us hurt your feelings?"
she asked, knowing his sensitive nature, and
imagining that some thoughtlessness on her
part, or some one else's, might have wounded
it. Have any of us hurt your feelings, Val
ley?"
Yes, you have! all of you have! and you
do, all the time!"
The lady laughed, for it struck her az very
droll to hear such charge from the spoiled
and petted boy. But the boy went on to speak
with warmth and vehemence-
" You all treat me like little poodle dog, or
like monkey; for you feed me, and you dress
me up and pet me, and laugh at me, and by
Another time, he was sitting in the parlor
with a lady who had diverted herself good
deal with his precocious wit and intelligence,
and had allowed him to play with the rings on
her fingers, the bracelets on her wrists. and the
pearls that bound her dark tresses, and then to
follow her to the piano, and stand close by her
side while she played and sang, until suddenly
down dropped his head upon his hands, and he
burst into passion of tears. The lady broke
off in establishment, turned around, drew him
up to her. took his hands from his face, and
looked kindly at him, without saying a word.
But the boy dropped upon the floor, and,
crouching, wept more vehemently than before. |
The lady stopped and raised his head, and laid |
1t on her lap, and laid her hand soothingly upon
his silken curls, but spoke no word. When his |
passion Of tears had passed, and he had sobbed |
himself into something like composure, he |.
looked up into her face and said
You did not laugh at me, airs. Hewitt, and |
you didn't ask me what l was crying for; but |
couldn't help it, because-because know this |
good time will go away; and shall get taller, !
and then you won't let me stay and hear YOU
talk, and hear you sing, and ride out with you.
and-and-I wish i never could grow any tall |
er. l wish / may die before grow older"
All! poor, fated boy would indeed that he
had died before he grew taller before those
evil days his childhood's prophet heart foretoldl
But they came on apace.
The first trial that he suffered might seem
light enough to an outside locker on, but it was
heavy enough to Valentine. | said that he had
quicker and keener intellect than Oswald he
had also greater thirst for knowledge. Yet.
when ne was eleven years of age, and Oswald
nine, Oswald was sent to school, and he re-
NAMED at home
Up to this time they had been playmates and
companions, faring alike in all respects, and
sharing equally all pleasures, even the favor of
the visitera.
Now, therefore, Valentine keenly felt the new
state OF things, which in more than one way
deeply grieved his heart; first in the separa-
ton from his friend and playmate, whom he
dearly loved; and then in the denial of knowl-
edge to his thirsng intellect, for there existed
a statute law against educating slave-a law,
100, that was OF late very strictly enforced, ex-
sept IN the case of children, who frequently {
it, and always with impunity for
slaves are often taught to read and write by I
heir musings, the masters children. g
Valentine vas thus lar kin 10 as all, that he t
vas lineal descendant of Eve, and inherited
III her longing desire for forbidden knowledge. I
And, in like manner, Oswald had reo.:voj
,oodlt portion of that Adam:c propensity to do '
ust precisalvV Lat he was commanded mot 70 t
10.
No grief of Valentine could long be hid
rom Oswald, and it followed, of course, that
shen he discovered the great trouble of his
laymate to be his desire for education, all
hat Oswald learned at school by day was
sught to Valentine at home by night And
eace and good will was once more restored
D the boys.
Thus the time went on till the lads were four.
zen and sixteen, respectively a