Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-12-23
From the New Yosk Hoas Jossasl.
TOUCHING "REMINISCENCES.
ThE NIGHT FUNERAL or A SLAVE

Travelling recently on business, in tho in.
terror Of Georgia, ] reached, just st sunset,
the mansion Of proprietor, through whose
estate for tho last half hour Of my journey,
I had ntrsued my way, Ny tired ..cothpsh'
ion pricled his esrA and with a 10y Whitney
indicated his pleasure a. ! turncd up the
broad avenue leading to The house. Calling
to black 10y in view, / bade him inquire
Of his owner If I could be Accommodated for
the night.
My request brought tho proprietor him.
self to tho door, from thence after scruti.
mixing glance at my own person and equip
ments, he inquired my name, business and
destination. promptly responded to his
questions, and he invited me to alight and
enter the house in the true split Of South.
era hospitality.
lie was apparently thirty years Of age,
and evidently man Of education and re-
6nemcnt. soon observed an air Of gloomy
abstraction about him; be said but little,
and even that little seemed the result Of nm
effort to obviatc tho seeming want Of civil.
" to stranger. At supper the mistress Of
the mansion appeared, and did the honors
Of the table in her particular department
She was exceedingly lady.like and beautiful,
only ~ Southern women hre, that is beyond
comparison with those Of any other portion
IL this republic I have tc3ar Seen. she re.
tired immediately after supper, and servant
handed some splendid Habannas on a small
silver tray, we had just seated ourselves com.
tortably before the enormous fire Of oak
wood, when scrvent appeared at the end
door near my host, hat il hand, and uttered
in subdued but distinct tones the startling
words.
Master, dc coffin hab come" Y
"very well," was the only reply, and the
servaut disappeared.
My host marked my gaze " inquisi,ive
wondcr and replied to il, 100 4
II have been very sod" said he, to-day.
have had greater misfortune than have
experienced since my fathers death. Il6st
this morning the truest and most reliable
friend had in the world-one whom l had
been accustomed to honor and respect since
my earliest recollection. He was the play.
mate Of my fathers youth, and the mentor
Of mine; i faithful servant, an honest man
and sincere christian, stood BY his bed.
side to-day, and, with his hands clasped in
mine, heard the last words ho utsercd.-
They were master meet me in Heaven"
Lis voice faltered moment, and he con-
.inued, after pause, with incrcarcd excite
lnent:
Ills loss is melancholy ono to- me. If
I left my home, said to him, John, see
that all things are taken care Of and l
knew that my wife and child, property and
all were a. safe as though they were garded
by hundred soldiers. l never spoke
harsh word to him in oil my life, for he new
er deserved it. have q hundred Others,
many Of them faithful and true, but his loss
is irrcrarable.'
came from section Of the Union where
slavery does not exist, aud l brought with
me all the prejudiccs which 80 generally pre-.
vail in the Northern States in regard to this
institution" l had already seen much to
soften these, but the observation Of years
would have failed to give me 80 clear an iu-
sight into tho relation between master and
servant us this simple incident. 1t was not
the naughty planter, the lordly tyrant, talk.
ing Of his dead slave as Of his dead horse
but the kind. hearted gentleman lamenting
the loss and eulogizing tho virtues Of hi,
good old Jriead.
After an interval Of silence my host re-
sumed:
There arc many Of the old mans rcla.
tions and friends that would like to attend
the funeral. To afford them an opportunity
several plantations have been notified that
he will be buried tonight Some, pre-
sumo, have already arrived and desiriHg tt
sec that all things are properly prepared for
his intcrment. trust you will excuse my
absence for q few moments"
Most certainly, sir, but" l added, "if
there is no impropriety; ! would be pleased
to accompany you"
There is none," he replied, and I follow.
cd him to a long row Of cabins situated ut
a distance Of some three hundred yards
from the mansion. The house was crowd.
cd with negroes, who oil arose on our en-
trance. and many Of them exchanged greet.
ings with mine host 10 terms that convinced
that they felt that he was IN object Of sym.
pathy from them The corpse was deposit.
cd in the coffin, attired in sllroud Of the
finest cotton materials, and the coffin itself
painted black.
The master stopped dt its head, and lay.
ing bis hand tipon the cola brow Of bis faith.
ful bondsman, gassd long and iutently upon
features with which no had been 30 long
familiar, and which he looked now upon for
tho last timc raising bis eyes at length,
and glancing at the serious countenances
now bent upon his, he said solemnly and
with much feeling;
"He wns fnithTnl servnnt nntf n true