The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-28

and industrious as any white mechanic you
ever saw. / hired them out, and they brought
me their wages, high wages too, as honestly as
possible, never cent missing, but what they
were allowed for over-work. l never saw such
fellows. The times grew very hard :. i was
offered more than I'd paid for them, two or
three times; but hoped we should all man
age to struggle along through together, when
an abolitionist got hold of Tom, the carpenter.
He told him, / was informed afterwards, that a
promise made under such circumstances as
his was, to be faithful to me, wasn't binding.
Tom hung back at first, but the fellow clinched
the business by saying that had been talking
with man from Red River about selling him.
$50 had, and refusing to part with him.. He
ran away.
81 was in tearing fury. My wife cried.
She had Just been packing our Oldest sons trunk,
to send him to college; and after such a heavy
loss, didn't know which way to look to raise
the money to pay for his first term, or travelling
expenses, even. The boy was half beside himself
All the lads here are high-tempered and he took
after me. His mother pleaded for him, and
urged me, and said that if he could only get
his education, and make his way in the world,
nobody could calculate how much good he
might do; and at any rate, he could buy Black
smith Bill back again, if I'd only consent to
oOi hiu ior lew years, III Inc uueS were
better; and if wouldn't, he'd be very sure to
run after his brother. Another high offer had
just been made US for him I; and, in short, /
gave her leave to sell him.
went out of the way for day. was
pretty angry, but my rage is wont to be more
loud than lasting; and / couldn't trust myself
to see him before he was taken of. In two or
three weeks, his wife came to me in terrible
trouble. servant, who had been down the
river with his master, had seen Bill, and he was
poorly, and ill-psed. He had been laying up
his money for some time, and was to have been
allowed to buy himself, when he had enough,
if his master hadn't smashed up. Five hun
dred dollars of his went in that crash; and
since be came to me, he'd been laying up, to try
it again. never promised him, but shouldn't
have denied him. He had one hundred dol.
lars with him when he was sold, and his new
owner had taken it all away. What went to
my heart, though, was to hear from her that
the same representations which prevailed with
his brother had been made to him, but that he
had said he would trust me, and l might trust
him. had no ready money, but rushed out
into the streets after it, like beggar, and Mr..
Halifax lent me some. He sold some of his
books to do it, / found out afterwards.
would have, if I'd had any that would sell: /
took it, and went down in the irst boat. /
found them just shovelling in his grave"
And she2"
i" His wife? Oh, she went mad, sir Just as
if she'd been quite human being, very much
so indeed. She was luckier chan some human
beings l could name, who haven't that re-
source. She came down 70 the pier to meet
us, and stood; and when she saw me alone, and
my news in my face, suppose, she Just went
down into the river, head foremost, like pearl
diver ducked in after her, and clutched her
on the bottom and they 6shed Us out to-
gether, and we brought her to. But she had
fever after that, and never was quite right
what was to have been his purchase money,
and keep her, and will keep her, to my dying
day, if starve to feed her. But l can't let
her see me as often as she'd like, because she
always goes down on her knees, as she did
that day, and wrings her hands, and asks me
to buy back her husband sort of living
Skeleton in my house '-ha hal"
!, " How had he died ~
OF a fever-the place was, new end ua-
healthy; not otherwise murdered, thank God
so far as we could learn, only broken hearted
No one watched over his death bed, but hope
he went to heaven from it, Mine will be
haunted, perhaps, and from it | shall 60
where? No matter. He who dares serve the
devil, should at least be brave enough to face
the devil, and receive his wages" His whole
swarthy, strongly marked face assumed an ex-
preston of hard and haggard resolution.
"Where | am, my sons must follow. What /
am, they will be; and even my darling little
innocent daughters can find no husbands to
cherish and protect them, after have gone to
my own place, hut such as have grown up I'M
der the influences which have made me what
| am. Now, gentlemen" concluded he bring
ing himself up dryly, as quite enough of
your time has been taken up with the consid-
Grafton of my affairs, we will, if you please,
turn our attention to yours"
TO BE Continued