Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-05-05
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OLD VIOLET, THE PET SLAVE.

From the Memoirs of CHIEF Justice Parsons OF Massa
sachusetts, by his Son.
Fhe following episodical anecdote of an old
slave belonging to the Rev. Moses Parsons.
the father OF Judge Parsons, illustrates the BIZ
ographers felicity as story teller
She was, TO all appearance of pure African
descent. | think never knew any person
whose face was of darker hue. She came
into my grandfather's possession while she
was very young, and when she was visiting at
Gloucester, after his marriage When it was
generally believed that slavery was unlawful
In Massachusetts, he summoned his slaves in
to his sitting-room, and there in the presence
of his children, declared that they were free
The men accepted the gift, or rather the dec
laration, for gift it was not Not so Violet
mo, no, master" said she, 'if you please,
this must not be. You have had the best of
me, and you and yours must have the worst.
Where am L to go in sickness or old age?
No, master; your slave | am and always will
be, and will belong to your children when you
are gone; and by you and them | mean TO be
cared for" She was as good as her word
She lived in the family until she was nearly
ninety. remember her only as pet, per-
tectly privileged person. She lived with one
or another of my grandfather children as the
whims prompted; but during her last years
my uncle Williams house was her home She
was respectful, faithful and affectonate to my
father, and to my uncle and aunts, always
calling them, however, by their Christian
names; but to Others she could be, at least in
extreme old age, somewhat cross and petu-
liant. 1t was understood, however, that Vio-
let was to iberate her mind upon any topic,
and to any person, at her own pleasure, and
with almost entire impunity, flor my uncles
were very unwilling to rebuke her, and no
one else dared to-, and, on the whole she
used her privilege quite temporarily. She
had what money she chose to ask for and
spent it as she liked and as she was fond of
dress, few members of the family had more or
richer garments. 1t was touching to see
her, as | did more than once, cropping
her way when her eyesight became dim,
through large party in my uncles draw
ing room, to him, as he sat-younger but
almost as decrepit as she was-in his ac-
customed seat by the fireside She passed
among the guests, regardless of them, or gently
moving them out of her way and laid her
hand on his shoulder, with "Billy, how do you
find yourself tonight Are you going to get
a good sleep % And he would answer, swell
Violet, | am pretty comfortable tonight and
how is it with you!" And after few more
kind words, her errand was done, and off she
went to bed
She was extremely shrewd and observing
and the domestics did not like her, for pur-
blind as she was, no waste or negligence or
misconduct could escape her vigilance or her
tongue. 1t was not merely that she identified
her interests with those of the family; but she
believed that she was one of us. She remem-
bered nothing of parents or relations Of her
own blood; she grew up with my grandfather's
children, child with them-and somehow she
had fallen into an indefinite sort of notion that
she was of our kith and kin.
As she grew nfirm she had frequent and
severe rheumatism or what was called so, and
troubled our family physician, good old DR..
Rand, very much And let me say, as in q
parenthesis, how few of my readers will be
reminded, by this name, of one who was, in
his own day, a brilliant among the greater
lights of his own profession The good doc
tor, who had himself grown little testy, said
to her one day "Violet, there is no use in
calling on me so often l can do nothing for
you. Your pains are constitutional, and you
must learn to bear them" Oh, dear p said
she, 81 suppose | must. Master had the
rheumatism bad, and Susy had it, and Theop,
and Billy and Eben have it, though not so bad
as do; and suppose it runs in the family"
Master was the name she always gave my
grandfather; the other names were those of
my aunt, father, and uncles. And so Violet,
the slave the servant, the friend lived among
us and died. At her funeral President Kirk
land oiiiciated, and she was buried with every
circumstance Of expense or ceremony which
could have taken place had she been daugh-
ter of the house and her remains now rest in
the family tomb
Even as | write these words, l am well
aware that it may be only the garrulity of APP
preaching age which makes me record such
trides. But will let them stand for, trities
as they are, they are among the recollections
which | shall not lose