The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-07

dlyIdual responsibility 50 confirmed as to make
a deep IMPRESSION upon his mind, and trouble
his lie for a long time afterwards. Mr.. Waring
had reached New York, on his return from
Canada, and making a short stay in that
city, previous 10 embarking for his European
travel, when he received a letter from his ia
ther's attorney, Mr.. Pettigrew, announcing the
death Of old Madame Waring, and the extreme
illness OF Colonel Waring, and pressing for the
Immediate return of his son. Mr. Waring lost
no time IA commencing his homeward journey,
and, attended by his fayorite u less than a fort
night from the day of leaving New York, he
reached the city near 10 which was his fathers
plantation. But there fatal news met him.
He Was too late. The virulent fever of that
latitude bad quickly done It's work and Col.
Waripgs funeral had taken place the week pre-
viOus. ~ this result had been dreaded by
Oswald, the shock Of hearing Of it lost half its
force. There was nothing to do but to hasten
10 the plantation, TO examine into the confused
condition Of affairs there. Leaving a note for
Mr. Pettigrew to meet him there the next day,
Oswald took carriage, and with Valentine by
his side, drove rapidly out TO the plantation
They were met by Phedra, who had been tacit
ly left u sole charge OF the house. and who sa
luted her Young master with grave respect aud
greeted her long absent son with a silent pres
sure OF the hand, deierring all expression of
Interest In or affection for Valentine until
they should be alone together.
The nett morning Mr.. Pettigrew arrived
aud the examination of the condition Of the
estate of the deceased began. The lawyer ex-
pressed his opinion that there was no will of
his late client In existence and, further, that
none had ever been made by him. Colonel
Waring had never spoken to him, as his legal
adviser, upon the subject, as he would have
been likely to have done, had he contemplated
making one. Colonel Warning was hale, san
guine man. in the prime Of life, and not likely to
entertain the thought Of the contingency of his
own death. And the fever that terminated his
existence had been too sudden in its attack
and delirium, insensblity and death had fol-
lowed with too fatal rapidity, to admit of Such
a possibility As his executing his will. How
ever, search for a possible was instituted;
the library, secretaries, bureaus strong boxes
in fact, the whole house was ransacked for a
will, OF some memento of one but neither will
nor sign of will could be discovered Perhaps
the person most deeply interested in the search
WIS Phsdra. As soon as her quick intelligence
dicOgere4 that there doubt relative to the
existence OF ii will, her interest became intense
When coming into the house To attend her
young master or the LAWYER, she paused, loiter-
ed near them and whenever she was allowed
10 do so, she assisted in the search with IA zeal
not eaualed bv either of the others And when
at last the search abandoned a. Ruthless,
she looked so unuiieraby wretched, as she hur
ried from the room, that both gentlemen gazed
after her in astonshment.
Whe ,xlat ~ he rnattar with pta-1ro
inquired Mr.. Waring, looking interrogatiyelv
at the lawyer.
She is disappointed, most probably"
But Ia what respect? | do not under
stand
She "A favorite slave. was she not?p
"ies-that IS to say, she was a very faithful
servant to my late father and WAS very well
treated. But what has that to do with it? ,"
Why, that she probably expected to be left
free by your fathers will
"And that accounts for her anxiety that the
viii should be found"
II think So"
" hat "A fool that woman must be- Free
indeed! Why should she want TO be free?-at her
age, too. What can be her object? What
would she do If she ,Cere free? How in the
word came she to get such an idea into her
head? Who could have put it there do you
think"
g No one, suppose"
" Bat how should she ever think of such non
sens6 as her irsecom?"
I" It il notion they all have, believe"
- A notion should think ii was notion,
and very foolish one, on her part; I really
an halt nssPfsan t. gFaa HI her r. try her freedom
on, to see how it fits. Nothing bat experience
viii teach ignorant creatures ike herself"
Hem, hem I've noticed, in the course of
my practice, GOOD many such instances of
folly hers"
p" laey are, the best of them, a set of the
dulles 2I2 most ungratetul -- Now, want
TO know !. there are not hundreds of white
women who would jump at such situation a.
Phadra's?"
Quite likely" said the LAWYER dryly.
Why where could the fool be better off or
.freer, if that's her whim? She is mistress of
the honse-absolutely, to all intents and purpo-
SEES, mistress OF the house. All the money for
domestic expenses passes through her hands /;
she carries the keys, governs the maids and ar
ranges everything TO suit herself"
" And her master, too, let us hope, sir"
Yes, yes; ! do not complain of her good
management or her fidelity. In fact, should
be very unjust to do So for she is everything
that j could desire in these respects And to
render exact justice in this tribute, may say
that,
Il would be impossible, TO replace her. 1t is
these considerations, you see, that vex me so.
when hear of her hankering after her freedom.
Freedom from Chat, | should like to know ?
La what respect does her position nOio differ
from til OF any respectable white woman, fill
lng the situation of bousekeeper?
In nothing material perhaps except that
IRE latter commands salary in proportion to
her value, aud can lay up money for her old
age to retire upon. She can also change her
situation at will, when her interest or her con-
yemence require it she can educate her chill.
dren, If she has any, and she and they are
exempt IRON certain contingencies that might
possibly befall Phedra and her ofspring. but
these are slight differences, that you doubtless
consider iantastical, and counterbalanced by
great and real advantages
"As, for instance --?"
"The advantages, you mean?"
mo, know what Meg are, we'll enough
most comfortable home considerable power
without much care ample provision in sick
ness and old age, as we'll as in health and
strength; no anxiety about the future-these
are some of the advantages, and only some OF
them. But the contingencies you speak off,
I" / beg your pardon-the possibility of being
seized 10y an execution for their owners debts
and being sold and separated, with all the ev
chances that attend such unpleasant occur
rences."
"Preposterous The possibility Of being
blown up in a steamboat or broken up In
railroad crash; for one is as likely and as fire.
auent as the other, and no creature is exempt
from the chance Of calamity; al have TO run
risks"
I" With this difference trihiug one, Ger
tainly-that the casualties you have named are
of a general nature, such as NAV happen 10