Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-04-02

what can | do In order to niuce some IN
veterate runaway to return, give out that if
they would come back and @ 10 work they
would not be punished. Some Of themreturned,
and staid about till the grinding season COM
menced and then they were OFT to the woods
again. They are of'no advants5eto the estate
and We are better off without them. The
Count hearing Of my leniency gave orders that
every runaway should wear ir7as, aud you see
| cannot dsobey orders. Formiy the women
were all worked in the field 3be same as the
men; insisted upon reform IN this and now
the delicate women and theif Infants at the
breast have no out Of doors week at all to do )
while those having young chidrcn are allowed
an hour longer in the MORNINGS and an hour
earlier at noon and At night come in and
prepare food f.r tieirszlnsstaA -oi''l 'lv'''s's
and none Of the women on this estate now
work in the field / established superannua-
ted corps of women and old men they are en-
ployed about the MILL feeding the carriers,
spreading out the bagaza and sdch light work.
But there is much yet to be done as you have
seen.'
We agreed fully with Mr. C.--in his
view " the back of a man was epl made for the
whip,' and we also thought "a it was pretty
clearly proved that men were not made for
slavery wheu he said g but t,ey are so un-
principled and ungratefu do ,Qr them as much
as you please, and you can nrer do enough
they are always wanting their trccdom,' We
, thought it moi STANCE that they should be we
found, however, that in the mi q Mr.. C-'s
views were correct, and that lc pt ssessed hu'
f. name and benevolent heart, and W. wished, for
r the sake of the poor negroes, that there were
q more like him in Cuba.
8 Al the able.boded men ami women on this
: estate work sixteen hours out of every twenty
IS four during the grinding season. excepting on
$ Sundays and some of the holy days. Here we
n saw another Of Mr.. C--'s reforms. While
1t all of his ncighbois (and it is the same all over
c the island) take no account Of Sundays, but
= keep their sugar mills going the same as on
umns of smoke rising from their chimnies -
n the mill on the Aguica stops grinding at ten
u O'Clock on Saturday night, and ceases until sun
ID rise on Monday morning; teas allowing two
Is good nights rest and II whole or part of IA day
re to take care Of their gardens ana refresh them
selves for Monday toll, To he sure the cane
al carts are kept hauling till ten or eIaven o'clock
ID on Sunday morning in order to accumulate a
Or pile of cane to begin with the next morning
ce but after that the work asnes the aoise O
V wheels is haahed th4- saav4l ~ shss le7A ~
rt the chatter of irons is qnietei and the cattlt
II are staked out to feed, and tho negroes 60 home
as to their quarters. and Sabbath of repose, vel
to come to the weary, worn odtseilers reigns owe
hit all. Mr.. C---thinks ha loses nothing b,
it, this observance of Sunday sinee the hands ant
ge oxen work all the better for it, and an oppor
to tunity is afforded for making repairs, clearing
DO out lues tightening up bols and ss forth =
en- the engines and machinery which baeeme yer.
b- crazy by long running without any scessa ton
ch This short rest is not enough however to coun
est teract the wearing effects of spch long and al
'rd duous toll as they have to endure during tn
llt grinding season consequently the sad, tire
er,, look which habtually pervades the asntenance
md of these ma aturally gay and eheeffal people
On Another reform which does MT honor to tn
as humanity Of our kind host ia his restoratio
to among his people of the insiiiuti6n Of ma
the riage. Instead of keeping thim I'll huddle
ex indiscrimately together us on fac other estate
but like pigs or cattle, he compeb each man
to live with his own wife, and, rs far as slave
de- can be, they are married. Ae is thus intr'
in ducing the domestic relationt amongst his n
low groes, which by and by will work wonderf'
the humanizing influence over tlem. But TO 81
no the gang of little negroes and.,.gresses in flu
hey tering rags or primeval nakedllss, scamperr
or hither and thit1er on the batt(s md around ii
it. sugar mill, gathering bagaza Z; scattered cal
un- stalks, with such long, woe btt6ne faces, dri
ned en- like a flock of frightened iheep BY an o
us tartar of q negro, with grey lead, bony arm
to "a long whip and a cracked voica, shouting al
hey yelling the whole day long to the little imp
our who run about crying at theirwork, smartil
k it from the frequent inAiction Of his lash '
ing could not but think there was com for great
y to reform. We often wished TINT We could z
are hold of the whip of the old Ha - snd let hi
M fee, the weigh Of the la2a s own sho
ken ders,-rascal
en- But we promised you other sights and pet
troll anter themes Than these, and SO we must lea
ish the precincts of the sugar mill, where the
lone dies never venture to walk, anG join their so
all ETY. in the parlor, First, however, we IN,
cy tell you how we pass our time here every da
each for each day is alike. In the morning
'ty rise at day light, perform our ablutions and
he'd, range our toilet take cup of coffee or q;
e to OF fresh milk, which is handed us by serval
e to and then bow our best " good morning." to t
had ladies and gentlemen who are to accompany
will ON our ride We then mount our ponies, viii
they have been saddled and ready for us since I
then first Growing of the cock and we dash off
shed ter round Of four or FIVE miles tie cot
more try, VIC return and retire to our rooms to re
state or take another nap, and then re-arrange c
rons. toilet for breaklas which is at 10 o'co,
they Breakfast is "a fine meal, and we have pre-
ould good appetites for it, From the number
irons the dishes, meats, &c, we almost imagine
their are at dinner. Coffee and segars 1--WE gener
d, to ly eschew them both) are handed at the end
'orn the meal and we sit and talk at the table 10
oller after the ladies have vanished to their ana
more ments. We now devote an hour or two