Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-25

| mere, went up from the crowd oil CnlyaIrOus
| Southern gcntl, men.
At last the auctrncer obtained n hearing long
enough to sny that there was attempt to practice
anydeccpton in the case, the parties were not to be
wrongcd in any way ; he had no desire to palm
| on OH them an inferior article, but the truth oi
tn matter was that Daphncy had been confined
only hiteen days ago. and he thought that on that
account she was entitled to the slight indulgence
| OF blanket, to keep from herself and child the
chill air and the driving rain.
| VIII your lady readers look Mt TIC crcum-
stances in this case? The day was the ID day Of
Mirch. Daphney's baby was boz into the world
on st. Valentines happy day, the l4th of Fcbru-
ary. Since her confinement, Daphney had travell-
ed from the plantation to the Savannah, where
| she had been kept for six days. On the sixth OF
seventh day after her sickness, she had left her
bed, taking n railroad journey the country
| to the shambles, was there exposed for six days
to the questonings and insults of tho negro specu.
| lators, and then on the fifteenth day after her
confinement, was put up On the block with her
husband and her other child, and with her new
born baby in her arms, sold to the highest
bidder.
1t was very consderntc in Dnphncy to be sick
before the sale, fer her wailing baby was worth
to Mr.. Butler all Of u hundred dollars. The ia
mily sold for SG25 piece, $4,000 Tor the four"
BY the conditions of the sale, families
were to be sold together. This arrangement
saved anguish to many, for time at least.
"Thcrc were some thirty babies in the 'o'; they
are esteemed worth to the master hundred dollars
the day they born,and to increase in value at the
rate of a hundred dollars year till they six
teen or seventeen years old, at which age they
bring the best prices.
jeffrey chattcl No. 2lo. marked as prime
cotton hand,' aged % years, was put up jeffrey
being likely lad, the competition was high. The
first bid was 81, 100, and he was finally sold for
5 800. jeffrey was sold alone; he had no incum-
braDcc in the shnD n n n pcl fail or mothor
who must necessarily be sold with him; nor had he
any children, for jeffrey was not married. But
jeffrey, chattel No. 2l9. being human in his af-
fcctions, had dared to cherish love for Dorcas
chattcl No. 27S and Dorcas, not having the fear
of her master before her eyes, had . her heart
to jeffrey.
jeffrey was sold He finds out his new master ;
and hat in hand the big tears standing in his eyes
and his voice trembling with emotion he stands
before that master and tells his simple story, pray
ing that his bctrothcd may be bought with him.
Though his voice trcmbes there is no cmbarrnss-
mcnt in his manner; his fears have killed all tho
bishfulness that would naturally attend such n re-
cital to n stranger and before unsympathising wit
ncsses he feels at he is pleading 10 the happ-
ness of her he loves well as for his own, and his
tale is told in frank and manly way
Z" loves Dorcas, young mas'r; | loves her well
an truc she says she loves me, and / know she
docs; dc good Lord knows that L loves her better
than | loves any one in dc wide world-never can
love another woman half SO well. Please buy
Dorcas, masr. We're be good sarvants as long as
we live. We're be married right soon, young masr,
and dc chillun will be healthy and strong, masr,
and dcy'll be good sarvants, too. Please buy Dor
cas-, Young mas'r. We loves each other n 6enn-
d, lea ~, ,ruc, mnsr."
Jcfey then remembers that no loves and hopes
of his to enter into the bargain at ALL but in
tho earncstness of his love he las FORGOTTEN To- base
his plen on uther pround till now when he b.thnks
him and continue with his voice NOT trembling
nov save with earcrness to prove how wo thy OF
many dollar, is the maiden OF his heart -
"Youu. mas'r. Dorcns prime woman-A wo.
man sIU rnll rall so. Ion, arms strong healthy
ami can do n h.p a wort, In .jny She i. one of
d.. best rice hand, On dc whole pinntati. n worth
81 900 easy nasr an fust rate bargain at that -
The man seems touched by Ielircy's last lcmar.s s.
and bids him fetch out his gal, and let's see what
she looks like"
jeffrey goes into the long room and presently
returns with Dorcas, looking very sad and SELF
possessed, without particle "f cmoarrassment ut
the trying position in which she is placed. She
makes the accustomed curt,y and stands Ineeklv
with hol hand, claspcd across her bosom waitin,,
the result The buyer regards her with n critical
eve and growls, in Il low voice that the .,al has
good hints" Then he coes on t, "A more minute
and careful examination of her working abiiities.
| He turns her round make. ter ,toou aud walk g.
AMI then he takes oft her tuIban t.. look at her
head that no wound or disease lee concealed bv the
CAV handkerchief he looks at her teeth and fee :
OF her arms and a; last n, uounccs hmsclf pleased
with the result of his observations. yurrcat JEFF
rev, who has stood near. trcubiiu. with cprcr
| hone /, ovcriuvcd he .iniirs .tr ttr fi,st tin,c
The buvor thcn cro,yns Jrtr,c,, ;, Lnn,j,ess h ,.
| kin, n ,,romi.c ,tot he will bu,. birr ;f tL ;
| isn'1 run mn too bi.,h.
| stcp: nm ON the stand.
| In, now n most uncN npr,cd feature in ,he dr,.
ma is untnaskcd; Dorcas is not to be sold alone.
| hut with a family of four others. FulI dismnv
| Jeffrey looks IN hi. master who shnkos hi. boad
Gr oi,houTh he mi.bt bc indnccd ~ Inv Dnroo!
| alone he h1s no use for tho rest of the family
| JcFrcv roads his doom in his masters lool orrd
,urns nwov the tears strco,nir, dow, HE borns,
| fcc
| So Dorcas is sold and hcr toiIipc life ;s IN be
sncnt in the cotton fields of Sou,b Coroiino Will
Jeffrey goes to The rice nlnnt,tion NJ The Creo,
| Swamn.
And Tomorrow Jeffrey and Dorcos ore n saw their
fearful fnrcwelI and 90 ,be;r sonaro,o -, :;
| life To- meet M morc ne mortal ho;pas ""'' ~
| But didn't Mr. Pierce Butler ciSc them , sill
YER dollar nnicceP Who shall saw there i. nn
magnaninity in slave owners?
| In an other hour see Dorcas in tho lang room
sittino motionlessnso statue with bcr ben5 go
ed with n shawl. And sec Jctfrev. who VOC. 10
| his new master mills off his hat and saws .rso
yery much OBLIGED. masr. 10 Won for irwin Ia
| holm me Iknows Won wouid have done il If Won
| cnuid-,hank Won mos,r-tbank vou-but-;
| berry-hard"-and here the moor fellow breaks
| down entirely and walks away. COVERING his face
| with his battered hat and sobbing ike n vorv
ebiId wy
| lie is soon surrounded by n rroup of his coIored
| riends, who, with an instructive delicacy most
unlocked for, stanI quiet, and with uncovered
| heads about him.
|
| And so the great sale went on for two lon, days
during which time there were sold429 men. VIC
men and children. There were 43G nnnou need Ia
| be sold but few were detained on the plantation
| by sickness
AT the close of tho sale, on the last dav. snndry
| baskets of ehampapnc were produced. and ali were
| ~