Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-09-18
now, my husband, Oh 4! my husband"
And poor Hetty's bowed head and shud-

And poor Hetty's bowed head and shud-
dering frame bare testimony Of her agony.
"But l can not see," returned her mis-
tress, "what there is to distress you so
much in David being free. Why can not
he stay here?'
"Oh ma'am, he is not allowed to stay.
You do not know anything about our cruel
laws. If he stays in Virginia, one year
after he has been freed, he will be sold
back into slavery. No, be can not stay,
and what shall do without David? When
the children were dragged away, one after
another, he comforted me; he told me
never to grieve while We we're allowed to
see each other We can talk about the few
happy hours we have spent today. He is
sorry for me when am sick. He saves
the triAe of money lie gets to buy little
presents that he thinks will please me
David is one of the kindest aud best hus.
bands, that ever lived. What have done,
what have l done, that all this misery
should be pu. upon me!"
And as if iu this enumeration, discon.
nected as it was, she had comprised every.
thing, even an acknowledgement that the
iron which had entered their souls formed
living link that time never could break
between them, Hetty, exhausted by her
emotions, leaned back in the chair, while
her face wore that fixed and stony express
sion of despair, great grief is apt to assume.
"Do not take on So" said Mrs. Smith,
whose warm heart was stirred within her
at the sight of all this distress. ave will
try and devise something for you and
David. feel for you both from the very
bottom of my heart. can imagine how
hard these separations are, and We will
try aud assist you in some way" The
sympathy of her mistress was SO grateful
to Hetty, that she was encouraged again
to speak Of her grievances.
"Oh, ma'am," she said, "you can not
know what it is to be slave. Not to be
able to call even your very husband and
children your own. 1t vas like death to
me to part with the boys, but my daugh-
ter, my poor little Flora, they sold her
when she was only six years old, aud if
you could have seen her clingiug around
her ma'my's neck when the driver came
to take her, you would have pitied us. l
tried to hold her, but they tore US apart,
aud then Ps.yea 80 dc h-.- I would
never see her face again, that she would
suffer cold, and hunger, and be sick, and
beat, and abused, and no one near to CON-
fort her, or take her part. often think
Of this, aud then what the great gentleman
from the North, who was visiting at Mr..
Baily's, said to me one time, when took
him in water to shave. well, Hetty,'
said be, If all the slaves appear as happy
and contented as you are, our Northern
brethren give themselves vast deal of
unnecessary trouble These were his very
words, ma'am."
"But where is your daughter, now ?"
enquiree Mrs. Smith.
ain Georgia. have heard Of her twice
from the colored folks At Col. SIS. The
Col. goes down there to visit his relations,
and Jim, bis man, tells me that my daugh-
ter is very handsome, and that she was
married for several years to colored man
who had tradc"-and then Aunt Hetty
went on to tell, how, notwithstanding the
large sums he gave his master, how com
Portable be kept his family, and how reli-
gious be was, and how he and Flora loved
each other, and how happy they were toge-
tier, until he got the consumption, and
then, instead Of being allowed to stay with
her husband, and nurse him, as both the
laws of God aud man would seem to en-.
Join, how Flora's master had commanded
her to separate from him, for fear her chill
dren rould be diseased and when she re-
fused, he had whipped her in order to
compel her to do it; aud when that was
of no avail, how her husband had been sold
for a triae in order to get rid of him
and now either her master, or his overseer,
Hetty did not know which, bad taken
Flora into his own house At this shock.
ing story was concluded, the slave hung
her head, and looked as though she had
committed some great crime.
"And the rest Of your children ?" in-
terrogated Mrs. Smith.
GAS l told you, ma'am, do not know
where one of them are. 1t was only acci-
dental like that heard of her."
"Here Hetty turned her head so reso-
lutely away, that Mrs. Smith, respecting
her sorrow, could not bear to continue the
conversation, but proceeded Immediately
to the parlor, to hold consultation as to
what was to be done. After devisiug and
rejecting various schemes, it was finally
concluded, as she was superior baker,