The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-10-17
The Slaves Experience.

ion tawny yellow, her features good, and an
indescribable air of sweetness in face and
manner. Her dress was neat blue check,
quite scant, and swelled out by no hoops of
steel. 1t was short, also, scarcely reaching
to the toes of her heavy shoes. She had on
white apron, and folded about her neck a
coarse, white handkerchief. Her bonnet was
an ordinary one of straw, and her white hair,
bleached by time, stood out, imposingly, on
either sce of her withered temples. She
made me low courtesy, and seemed for
moment keenly reading my face.
My name is Katy Morrison, man, said
she, as beckoned her to be seated. They
called me Aunty Kate at my old home
'And where was your old home, aunty?'
'Up in Virginia, dear child long ways up,
tell ye.'
'And you were a slave, suppose
Deed, was so, miss but now Is out o.
bondage-Hallelujah Praise be to God -
and she held up her withered hands, while
the large tears gathered in her eyes.
did you run away?'
'Ah, sweet child, you better bleeve l did,
honey. Me an my old man, (he's most sew
enty-four,) we toted it all de way, 'cept now
an den we git lift in some baggage wagon.
Twas putty hard, deed it were.'
4 have heard it said, Aunt Katy, that most
of the slaves love their homes and their mas
ters too we'll to run away. How is that .
Don't you bleeve the halt, honey said the
old negress, with an emphatic wave of the
hand. Yves bad enuff, but not so bad as to
hate liberty. People what tells you dat dun
no, child, dey dunno, she added with strong
emphasis. ''Pears to me if dey was slaves
for little while, dey'd change der tune Nigh
ty quick, deed would dey.'
Did you have kind master, aunty?'
why, as dey goes, yes She sat looking
down and crimping up her apron at one cor
ner. He were we'll enuf; but missus, dear
her temper was tarrible. Shed hit right and
lef when she were out O. sorts; an she were
dat often. She had kind heart, too, if we
we're sick, but she upset ye kittle of milk too
often deed she did. Massa he never looked
much after his niggers- had hard over
seer, he had-mighty cruel to de field hands,
mighty cruel but Is house sarvant, an he
never notice memo, 'twatn't me he noticed,
Is too old an ugly
The strange look that accompanied this
speech, the sigh and sudden inclination OF
the head, led me to suspect there was more
meant in what she said than appeared on the
surface.
Didn't he raise you, aunty?' asked.
Laws, no, child. was sold to him, me an
my old man, and lilly. Poor Tilly.'
who is Tilly?'
She's my grandfather, nam: and would
God had died for her; deed, nam, l coulc
say so with old king David
why, have you left her behind p
'Oh, sweet miss, that's what troubles me,
she said, beginning to rock her body back
and forth.
4 has no sorrow now, pears to me, bu
dat. But Tilly, miss, were the blessing of m.
old heart. Missus, it's hard to tell, but SUR
we poor black folks can't help ourselves. w
feels it as bad as anybody, y,though folks laugh
and thinks We don't. But, miss, lilly Wa
my darter's child, and my old massa is he
father. OATS Gospel truth, miss, and VIII
should deny it never could git over
some way, specially as Susan, dat's my chic
{ kind o'pined away; for you see she like
one of the house servants, an he liked hel
but massa wouldn't hab it, nohow. So poo
Susan, she died soon after lilly was born
an Is 10th to tell ye dat blessed de Lor
It for it deed did. But o, miss, Tilly sh
II growed up ever so beautiful, much NOR
J. beautifuller dan my own Susan, who wa
l. right peart dat way, and it made my heal
IL tremble, sure. She was so sweet little cree
Il ter, too, dat everybody took to her, and d
L. young mistresses dey teached her heap
l. tings, an she's almost lady true is She
n O, miss, when l thinks of her, my heart ache
l. deed it does
And why didn't she come with you?'
q Aunt Katy heaved long, deep sigh as 81
10 e said,
n 20, if de blessed Lord had lowed it, I'd |
ss willing to 60 in peace but has sad stol
= to tell ye, miss, and may be ye won't blee'
old aunty.'
ri 4 should be very unwilling to believe tn
,e at your age you would tell an untruth,' sa
10 l.
o NO, miss, as Jesus died to save me,
.+ wouldn't she said, solemaly. rs very pe
no ticker bout my word, for Gods eye is up
~ me. Well, miss, telled ye Tilly was bea
~ tiful. She's as white as you are, sweet mi
Il every whit an her hair curls, an her ey
:, are blue. o, deed, she's too pretty, g.
~ help her! You see, Tilly's fifteen now, a
oh very tall of her age. She knows, poor chi
who her father is, for l told her myself, al
~ it almost took the life out Of her. But,
- Gear. miss, you wouldn't bleeve it, perha
bs but it's de trufTve hid her many time wh
49, dat mans come to my cabin drunk. O,mi
~ we poor slaves, nobody don't know but
,,r Almighty and Eternal Heavenly Father,wl