The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-05-15
FORMER slave Life i'm washington.

Former Slave Life in WashingtoI.
A correspondent from the New York Eve,
Posi-, writing from Washington, describes IN
graphic vein, some of the incidents of life IN
that city that have come to light since the
question arose abolishing slavery in the Dis
trict. Here is well drawn sketch ~ rey-
mer slave girl:
Lizzie is stately; stylish woman.
Her cheeks ars tawny, but her features are
perfectly regular, her eyes dark and winning,
hair straight black, shining. A smile half sor
rowful and wholly sweet, makes you love her
face as soon as you look on it.
1t is face strong with intelect and heart, with
enough of beauty left to tell you that it was
more beautiful still before wrong and grief had
ahadowed it,
Lizzie's father was gentleman Of "the chiv-
airy" and in her mothers veins ran some of
the best blood of the old Dominion.
| cannot tell the wrongs of her childhood and
early youth; if were TO try my hands would
stiffen with horror, my heart in its strong in
dignation, would stife the words / might ut
ter
In her girlhood, she was sold to family who
took her TO the great city of the Northwest.
For years the gentleman" the gladly" and
their large family of children were supported
by the labors of this young slave. Lizzie's
great skill and taste made her the fashionable
UF6BeuIdhSC VI ILLS uO6COpOHSs Ou0 oAilkcu
thousands OF dollars, and il all went to the
support of her masters family. The young la
dies went into fashionable society and enjoyed
their fine costumes nonejthe less that they were
first earned and then made by the yonng slave,
who, thrice as intelligent and quite as hand
some as themselves. sat through the weeks and
months in chamber at home, spending
her life for them. They considered
it eninently proper that she should do go.
Was she not their SLAYER They owned her
of course they did In the meantime Lizzie
had married. The care of one family and the
support of another, seemed a little heavier bur
den than abe could bear. She had borne it to
be slave herself She would not be the
mother of slaves.
One day she surprised her master by asking
the privilege of paying twelve hundred dollars
for her liberty. He received the proposition
with great anger.
Lizzie" he said II am astonished that you
should talk about liberty. Haven't you al
WAYS had your liberty? Don't you go and
come as you please? Who restricts you you
might have run away long ago had you pleas
ed Who has more liberty than you have?"
It is true" said Lizzie that come and go as
please, because have always pleased to
come and 90 for your benefit and that of your
family. am tired Ishall never run away
but should like to earn the right to own my
self before die.
'Nonsence you might as well dismiss that
idea first as last. / shall not consider 1t Tor
moment" said this owner of most prohtabis
piece of human property.
Iiz=ie's integrity talent and true woman"
hood won her many influential friends.
Ladies' who thought slavery very pretty
and convenient institution, someway telt that
there was something homogeneous IN such
woman as Lizzie being slave. Inc
leading women of advanced twelve
hundred dollars to purchase Lizzles freedom,
and her master found out that ne must sell
her, as he was in very bad odor among inc
bon ton. Yet so reluctant was ne that thls
woman should belong to herself, that when ne
died, years after, her freedom papers were not
made, and she was subjected TO trials without
number before her claim to freedom was com
pleteIy established, She paid back the twelTe
hundred dollars with the work of her needle.
She paid large debts of her husbands She
gave her only son college education, Last
summer he was just graduated, when, wlth
thousands of other young men, ne rusheo lhto
| the ranks Of the Federal acmy. he fell in Oat-
tie with the brave Lyon. He died, and with
him the last earthly consolation of his mothers
| heart. Des0late she turned her face from the
West, and came here, sorrowfully, YEARLY,
TO begin life anew,
1t is Lizzie who fashioned those splendid
costumes of Mrs. Lincoln, whose artistic ele-
g8nco nave Oeen SO praised during tue pas"
winter 1t was she who dressed Mrs. lin
coin for the party, and for every grand oc
casiou. Stately carriages stand bsfor her
door, whose naughty owners sit before Lizzie,
docile as lambs while she tells them what TO
wear. Lizzie is an artist, and has such &c.
Mus for making women look pretty, that not
one thinks Of disputng her DEGREES. Thus
she forgets her sorrows, interesting herself to
serve each one who comes, as if to Gress neg
was the chief business of her existence. But
to the woman who stretched out her hand to
her as q sister, she broke into pass tomato tears,
saying: ~ am alone in the world. | have
nothing TO live for any longer. try to inter
est myself in these things but cannot"
Lizzie has her rooms in neatly furnished,
handsome brick house owned by colored
man. who first bought his own freedom then
that of his wife and children. This house and
several others III the city, which brings him ia
handsome rents, are the results Of his own in
dustry and economy.
A woman of thought and refinement. woni.
an Of deep aeffction and high aspiration, she
stands alone in her womanhood, alone in the
universe.