The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-02-10

NSthth0h N1MtEF 81 htAHttErs Ai& !
great deal Of benesolence. Phrenolo
ey Is my guide and it never misleadi
me.
Most people have fayorite hobby
and phrenology was Miss Priscilla's. :
When she had uttered these words
she believed that she had settled N,
argument completely, and nevel
dreamt that her niece would yentur,
10 contradict her What was her as
constituent, then, when that undutifa
damsel, with a loss Of her head, rclort
ed "tlow can a sensible women be.
lege in such a ridiculous humhua as
phrenology? Besides, il It were q
science, you have only q womanisI
smottering Of il, just enough to mis-
lead YOU, aud nothing moreY p
Miss Priscilla glanced at her niece
for a moment in utter aslonishmeR
and then, without q word Of warning,
lifted her right hand, and boxed both
the pink-tinted ears with an earnest
ness that made them crimson, march
ed or, locked herself in her own cham
her, while Miss viii, in a towering
passion, rode home, with the full deter
miuation of never crossing her aunfs
threshold again. She kept her reso-
luton for some time, long after her
heart had quite soitened towards the
quick tempered old lady. Indeed, she
longed for a reconciliation, bat dislik-
ed to make the first overtures. Her
aunt ought to have apologized for the
blow she had given her, she thought,
and she waited in vain for some over
ture from Miss Priscilla.
Meanwhile the spinster had had
her hands full with the plantation
Complaints from the overseer OF the
slaves, and complaints from the in
dulged slaves Of the oyerseer, follow
ed one another in quick su ccessiop.--
Mr. Doble insisted that the "niggers'
had been spoiled, and were lazy
and knavish, which was very true
and they ayerred, with equal yeraciiy,
that the oyerseer used them brutaly.
Ii was a hard case. but Miss Priscilla
had decided that Ezekiel Doble was the
man gifted by nature with the very
bumps necessary for an oyerseer, and
could not disabuse herself Of the idea.
Publicly, she refused to interfere, but
she commanded Ezekiel to
be as gentle with the slaves as posi-.
bic. Ezekiel Doble affirmed that he
was "as kind as it was possible 10 be
10 niggers without running them. -
And the lady could say nothing more
or wouldn't, which was much the
same thing. The most rebellious Of
all the field hands, according TO Eze-
Aiel Doble's account, was light null
alto known by the name Of Ralph
A constant succession of hoggings, be-
ginning with the first week of the new
Overseer's reign, had been bestowed
upon the unfortunate man without ei-
feet. The blows only made him more
savage and less easily controlled, and
be mu,tered threats against the over
seer, which made his fellow-scryants
shulder. One night, after an unusu-
llly troublesome day, Mr. Doble left
The field for the night, with the prom.
se that before breakfast on the next
lay. Ralph shoald receive such beat
ng as he never suffered before.
"I'll break your spirit you black
rascal he said, III | have to fay
you. I've mastered every dog and
horse ! ever tried my hand on, and ]
won't be defed by a niger And
he looked as he spoke, with his head
.urned over his shoulders towards the
mulalto, as though the words
came from bis heart.
That night Ralph came to the house
md asked to see his mistress. lie
old her Of the overseer's threat, and
prayed that she would interfere be.
.wecn them. "l'll promise to work
lard and DO all be tells me, if missus
,nly viii, he said. Use had so many
loggings, lately, and they make my
blood bile 50. Please, missus, don't
rt me be whipued Tomorrow