The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-10

"Why, / really have no choice and, besides
thank you very heartily for telling me these
stories, for there might have been something in
them important to me to know and you could
not judge beforehand whether there was or not
but, do they not strike you, yourself, as little
improbable, or at least improved? ?"
Well, / dom know, sir. Isle says so; and
I'd be sorry to think I'd been talkin scandal
but I'll tell you one thing, may say do know,
that he amt good to his people for if ever they
can get sent to this town on an errand, they'll
come here to me, like mad, for something to
put into their poor mouths; an many an many
the time I've filled their stomachs pockets
an Almost cried to see EN- eat an anybody thatl
starve poor helpless niger amt no Christian
in my opinion, not if / was Knocked, an bufeted,
an spit upon for sayin so ; an anybody round
here, that chose, could tell yon that he'll cuss
an swar, an drink, an play for money; an il
you was brother of mine, I'd Almost sooner
see you on your way to the Cemetery than to
his place. You know best, but we can't never
tell what we'll be left to do, l dar' say you
mean well but evil communications corrupts
good manners" Herman took up his hat.
Anyhow" continued the sandy woman, color
ing, and budding and jangling the cups and
saucers together with an expression OF annoy
ance and modification, give said my say an
cl'ared nay conscience now, SO tain'tno business
of mine; an l dar' say you think I'm med
din goose"
"Shall l tell you what l do think? that it
was most amiable and womanly in you to take
SO sisterly an interest in the safety of young
stranger. shall be on my guard, and thank
you heartily for putting me upon my guard,
against this man (; but what you have now told
me makes it only the more necessary that
should see him; for my business with him is,
TO buy back from him poor slave for a friend
Of mine, who sold him out of thoughtlessness,
and was very sorry for it afterwards"
"You don't say SO Poor creatur Well,
1 hope to gracious you'll get him! But sup
pose st. Dominique wants to tempt you to drink
and gambler"
az shall be obliged to disoblige him." said
Herman, laughing and out he hurried, and
into the wagon. 4" So here goes" continued he,
" for the ogre's den. Perhaps out of this | shall
still get an adventure to tell the girls. 1t would
hardly do to end my quest without so much as
one. Making all allowances for the title tattle
of Rumor, and a seaman's and a woman's Gre
dulity, the little stories have just been enter
tanned with are hardly of the kind most likely
TO attach themselves to the character of a
Christian, a scholar, and a gentleman. If there
are such things as thorough-going miscreants
in this world, should like to have just one
come in my way, to see how he'd look; / am
not satisfied that | have ever met with one
yet, though l did see nearer approaches to it
at some of the slave-pens than / had supposed
possible. l hope, though, poor Sam Taliaferro
hasn't Jared the worse for st. Dominique's &C.
centricities; but if he has, he'll be all the more
pleased to see me. How cold blooded all this
is How calmly accustomed I've become al
ready to human tyranny and human misery
Pleasing effect upon ones moral sense, of a
residence of a few weeks in our slave States
What must the effect be of few years, or OF
many?"
Herman had not, perhaps grown SO callous
be- w hfffKe ed 1 tSs directions Of "Turn to the
right, and then to the left" &C., to his own re
Elections, the idea of the possible situation O.
the poor captive returned again and again &c
him, and finally took so full possession of his
mind, that his horse was all in foam when he
drew rein at st. Dominique's gate. As he
alighted to open it, a huge gunpowder-and-sanc
colored mongre chained to a post, few yard:
within it, made a roaring rush at him, head
foremost, to the full length of his tether, which
| Jerking him backwards as he rose for spring
pulled him over, making him execute sprawl
ing somersault, and fall wrong side up, anC
hind legs before, which performance he contin
| ued to repeat de cdpO, as if he could not havt
too much of it. The yelling bark of this faith
full and engaging quadruped aroused sundr,
| canine echoes in different directions, until the
gamut terminated in the fine falsetto of LITTLE
| grisly rough terrier dancing on tiptoe on th'
door-steps, in an the ecstacy wounded feeling.
FlTjThe house was square and high, with piazza
around the second story, and an observatory OF
the top. 1t might not be old, but it looked blacl
and weather beaten, from the absence of pain
and from a recent shower. 1t stood at tn,
meeting Of four weedy private crossroads o.
avenues, about a sixteenth of a mile from tn,
gate, on the topof a rising ground, dotted every
where with burnt stumps, like the dark grave
stones of an army Of murdered trees. Not one
had been left, except in little grove lately
planted, apparently, around the chapel, within
the enclosure but the wild-howers, and the ma
ture of such shrubs as still dared to lift the
scrubby heads above the turf, seemed to show
that the native forest had been but lately dis
possessed. If the sun had shone, the aspect o
the place in the wide light might have beer
cheerful, though solitary. In the shadow of thu
wet, lead-colored, pale-lipped, thunder-cloud
that now broode3 with dropping wings over it
It looked neither cheerful nor hospitable, blu
sullen, ill-omened, black, blighted, and blasted
The Watchdog continuing to bay and bray
until Herman began to fancy that showing him
self to him was equivalent to blowing a magi
horn for admission, an Unlocking negro cam,
out of the house, advanced to reconnoitre, and
after brief scrutiny and colloquy, took a Ike,
from his pocket, unlocked the gate, dragged tn
yelling dog back by his chain, and kept hole
of him by it, while Herman, with some difficulty
led and coaxed his horse past. The negro thel
let go and followed, and the alternate jump
and somersaults were renewed behind them
| A. fha tho farr
evaporation increased; but the negro, prece
ding him, seized it adroitly by its peg like tail
T" everything depends" it has been very judi
ciously remarked, "upon taking hold of thin
by the right handle"-and steered it into tn
house, when it Indignantly, and in hot haste
scrambled up stairs, and he followed, to tn
next story.
"Ho, mas'r!"
"Halloo!" answered voice higher yet.
Gen'l'man below"
What gentleman, you-rascal ;" rejoine
an ore rotundo voice, evidently in good praC
tice, with much execution, beginning with
deep roce di petto, and ending with rising in
Election, in which Herman imagined a whims
, cal resemblance to the canine gamut aforemen
toned.
Dunno, mas'r-a strange young gen'rman.
couldn't you say SO, then, you-yillain
resumed the sweet chernb, that sat up aloft {
the same chant as before, which, though Gel
tainly not Gregorian, was not without certai
rude, harsh, military, or naval music in it
Certain there's only one coming?"
"No, masr, amt but one, sure"
"I'n get up. Come up here and give me m
things, and be Ito you" IN a moment, tn
shutters of an upper room were unbarred an
thrown open; and Herman, who was still holC
ing his horse, looking up involuntarily at tn
sound, saw rather stout elderly man, in
dark-green coat, looking down at him over tn
| H. &c xLa hoIoouv He INSTANTLY Withdraw