The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-11-17
VICLSSTTUDFS OF
LIFE.
BY MISS c. A. BLoDoErT.
CONTINUED.

There was one heart that gave the
orphans an unconditional welcome,
and that was Dinah's, the Cook. Poor
old Dinah, she had never known any
other home, nor any other love than
that which was connected with her
masters family. She had taken care
of him when a baby, and had always
been a sort of mOther-superiOr over
the young slaves, and regarded as an
indispensable manager in the culinary
department. When Mr.. LaZelle, issu-
ed freedom papers to all the slaves,
Dinah refused to accept hers, saying
she had served them all her life and
she could not leave them now that
she was old and homeless, and friend
less, and if they should send her away
would be forsaken indeed. She and
old Ben, the Ostler declared that they
should both be wretched If left there
in the South where "they'd have no
body but de niggers and poor white
trash to soeiate with, and what would
poor Master and Eissus do way up
North with noslaves at all to work for
1 them9 Mrs. Lazelle replied that she
should work herself when they reach
ed their new home, and that she was
going to train her little daughter to
work also.
"Oh, laws! Missus, this viii break
poor Dinah's heart all to pieces if you
don't stop talkin' So" and she clasped
Mrs. LaZelle's soft hand between her
own broad palms, and, almost crush
| ing it by her Recommendations, exclaim-
ed, "Surely, this hand was never
made to work. See how soft and
white and small it is; and look at
mine, how hard and broad and strong,
made on purpose to mold de bread
and roll de pastry and wiring de
clothes, Please, Missus, do let poor
Dinah go Wid you and work for you
and little Clara, dat she may be a
( lady. And ole Ben, too, Masss kin
nebber manage dem ar colts in de
world. Dey amt afeared Of nobody
under de sun but ole Ben, an pears
like / nebber kin see poor Massa 90
off wild dem big hosses jist on purpose
to be killed." and Ben looked as if
contemplating the funeral obsequies
that very moment
Mr.. and Mrs. Lazelle finally agreed
that if they would accept their free
dom papers they might 20 with them
to their new home in the North and
work for them, on the principle that
the "laborer is worthy of his hire"
They finally consented to accept the
papers though Dinah declared she
didn't care q cent for hers, and would
take it to Hstart de kitchen fire, only
she was afeared Massa wouldn't let
her go if she did.P
Dinah and Ben were each delighted
with the expectation Of removing to
land where, as they expressed it,
"niggers were as good as white folks"
but on reaching their new home it
was rather a difficult problem to
solve, whether the improvement was
all on their part, OF, if the white peO-
pie had really come down to the level
of the slave, for they saw women
washing their own dishes, and cooking
their own dinners, and making their
own dresses, and white women dug
their own potatoes, and hoed their
own corn, and Ben declared that no
spectacle" people would 10 such
things. He and Dinah had many a
private conference on the subject, but
they never could quite bring their
minds to believe in the respectability
of the white people who labored, cat
any rate dey couldn't had no
broughten up.n
When poor Miss Fannie, Miss Mary
and Master Benny came to their
house, they felt there was genuine
aristoeratie blood in their veins, and !
they would have respected them for |
that if nothing else. But Colonel |
Granger was one of their neighbors |
in the South, their plantations join
ing, and their homes not being more /
than five miles apart; they had fire.
quently seen these children riding /
their pretty ponies or visiting at their
masters house, with plenty of ser
wants to wait on them, and il always |
inspires a feeling of respect on the /
part of a servant to see his master
wear his honors regally.
When Dinah heard of the sad fate
of their family, she and old Ben could
not repress violent Outbursts OF grief,
but they declared they should never
have any more trouble, for they
should never work, that's certain,
while they each had two hands. But
that was not quite in accordance with
Mrs. Iazelle's plans, for she had seen
enough of the consequences of idle
HC56s mAlCu ID q
the crimes that grow out of it, to con-
clude, that as for herself and her
they should always have
some useful employment, and now
that the helm had changed hands she
hoped to guide the domestic ship a
little more wisely; at least she would
shun the shoGl that had dashed many
a family barque TO atoms, and sent
the broken fragments widespread
over the land. Her husband was now
out in the broad field of strife, endur-
ing patient, uneeasing toll; asfOr her
self, she, too, would do whatever her
hands found to do, and do it with her
might. And truly the labor was man
fold, for the war ragged fiercely, and
fields of carnage and suffering every
where called loudly for sympathy and
for help. She was among the first to
the Sanitary Commission
in her own community, and during
the protracted struggle her hands or
her mind seldom rested. There was
such field for labor, and the laborers,
compared to the work, seemed so few,
that it enlisted her warmest energies
to bring laborers into the field, and
many hearts and willing hands were
enabled to render efficient aid under
her wise management.
One evening after retuaning from a
day of unusual toll and anxiety, Fan
Rie said to her, "I wish there was
that could do, this life of
idleness is such burden, but there is
not thing in the world that I can
do and do well;" and she drew a de- /
spairing sigh. HDon't you think it a |
great mistake to bring I'D children .