Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-09-15

oo"O OhdliIy lOi lAC ohhOSo ahu euCii
absurdities and he slipped his lemon
ade. Young Brusle taking his cigar
from his lips to say:
They should ask the niggers them
selves whether we are bad masters =
Hark to that ! You don't bear anything
like it in a Yankee factory.
And in the pause great chorus of
laughter swept across tie courtyard
from the kitchen.
just then. certainly, it would have
been a safe question to put. Ole Missus
seemed to her slaves piece Of pure
perfection Massa Charles the best
master on earth Work was light,
food good, nobody had been sold for
years-and here was a wedding and a
feast, and dancing and fiddle!
Honey thought of nothing further /;
Sam had a kind of vague troubled re-.
membrance that Honey was not as en-
tirely his as freeman's wife would
have been, but he danced it off in a
double shuttle, and refused to believe
that be was not perfectly content.
'As happy as clam, Massa, tank
you = he said. when questioned by that
gentleman. 'Nebber spec to be no
happier toder side O. Jordon Jes wish
one ting, Massa Charlie p
what is it, Sam p
Sam was two years Massa Charlie s
senior, and, as his own man, privileged.
4 wish,' he said, brushing his mas
ter's hair artistically, and stepping back
to get better view of the general eff
feet, dat young Massa would find out
some purity young lady fur to be his
lady, and be jes as happy as me-wid
all respec to the difference OBJ de per-
sition
Perhaps I shall some day, s,am,'
said Massa Charlie, if your connubial
bliss continues, and you assure me of
the fact
And Sam, still brushing, made bis
best bow, and treasured the expression,
'counubial bliss, as very fine one, to
be repeated on the first suitable occasion.
Meanwhile Massa Charlie had his
own little affair under consideration.
It was troublesome one, too. There
were rivals to fear, and parents to win
over. Grace Gordon was an heiress
and a beauty-such a beauty as one
does not often meet; and though the
BRUSHES were rich in land and 'niggers,'
the Gordons boasted far more bank
stock, and were altogether better off,
Then, years before, two grand
fathers had quarreled, and the quarrel
had flung its shadow down even to the
present day; so that young Oakum had
actually booked bet, laid with young
Carman, that Brusle would have to give
up marrying Grace Gordon; while
Charlie's mother, between her pride
and her love for her son, outwardly op-
posed and secret y abetted the union
But Charlie had one important per-
sonage in his favor-the girl herself
His great black eyes and brown cheek,
where flush of scarlet lay when he
spoke to her; his voice, very musical
and mellow, and a certain frank way,
all his own, had won the blonde bellies
heart. She tormented him while
then, seeing him grieve relented then
coquetted again; and finally, entrapped
into moonlight walk and sentiment
al mood, yielded to Charles wooing,
and promised to be his-his, as a free
mans wife may be, owned so entirely
that only God has any greater right
than he to the woman on whose finger
be has placed the wedding-ring.
And at last, after some opposition,
the course of true love began to run as
smoothly as possible. Mrs. Brusle
called on Mrs. Gordon, and the two
families dined together. The betrothal
was settled thing.
A great difference, of course, between
a well-bred gentleman of good old fam
lily and an exauisitely lovely lady fitted
for his mate and "a couple of niggers.'
But when Honey in the idle time of
twilight, found herself with Sam, his
arm about her waist, his eyes looking
into hers, she used to ask:
Sam, do you reckon Master Charlie
and Miss Grace is just as happy as we
is?'
And Sam would say Il reckon keep
ing to himself that thought, She be-
longs to him. He owns himself and
her. There's no danger But there
even the thought stopped. Sam would
not allow it to 60 farther. Love, Hon
ey? No; that couldn't be-
Ten months his wife, and he loved
her better than ever. She was lovelier
more bewitching. She grew fonder and
fonder of him. A CLINT, jewel-bright,
came into her eye when it rested on him.
She thought of him night and day
She talked less, and fell into quiet,
gentle brooding over her work when he
was not near her.
Grace Gordon called her the prettiest
creature the BRUSHES owned, though, in
dulgent as they were, their well-fed,
well-dressed slaves were all good-look-
ing.
1t never entered Massa Charles mind
that Sans love was anything like his.
Perhaps be was not quite sure how near
'nigger' came to being man. They
were doubtful of it once down South.
But he humored his piece of ebony,
gave him lots of time, and handfuls of
small silver. So he tossed bones to his
dog, and sugar to his mothers pet ca
nary. He never whipped horse or mig
ger unnecessarily, and prided himself
on his oood nature esneciallv tn Sam |