Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-09-19
Negro Traits.


suggested to the immature minds Of
servants and children by accu sing
them on speculation of some fancied
wrong doing, the manner in which they
are thus shown the practicability OF
acts winch they would otherwise sup.
pose impossible for them to accom-
plish, has seldom been better iIlustrot-
Ell Than In story, which still circulates
IN Virginia, concerning negro bov
which his name it was Bill. He was
owned by an eccentric old lady,
whose suspicious temper made life a
burden to herself and every one A.
/ round her. One DAY she sent Bill down
into the cellar TO draw cider for dinner
lhe cellar contained also some fres h
butter; and, as the boy failed to re-ap-
pear within a reasonable time, she be-
gan to fear for its safety. Going To
the heat Of the stairway, she called to
him.
Bill, what are you doing down there?
Know you are stealing that butter =
Law, mlssis, replied the bov; how
could | steal dc butter: Whar is | cot
to put it,
Why, you could hide it in your shirt
bosom, she lncautiously answered.
Bless your heart, Massa John, said
the ginnlng negro, as he afterwards
told the story 10 my grandfather: Il
never wanted for butter from that
day
The real, though. perhaps uncon-
scious creed of vast number of per-
sons IS well expressed in the advice
given hy an old black man To Wild
young Nirginian:
'MaSsa Richard, said thi, hoary evil.
doer, solemuly lifting Up his hands To
emphasize his admonition. If there is
hereafter, don't carry on-but. he
added suddenly breaking out into al
thnsiasm and broad gril. III there
am no hereafter, carry on powerful 7 |
am sorry To say that the younr
gentleman IA question adopted the /
latter half of his sable mentors in.
structlon with 4 readiness with which
advice Is seldom received, or. At least
acted upon.
lalklHg Of q future existence recalls /
the opinion pronounced upon his own
prospects, aud those OF his race. bv nm
elderly mullatO man, the dininp-room .
servant IN house on the banks Of thn |
kapahannock. He was overwhelming /
Sentetl; and 70 see him solemnly Ri /
treat TO his buffers pantry before Ill
loving himself the luxury Ola smile or
= cough, made one quite ashamed 10 |
indulge IN such demonstrations. lie /
scarcely ever spoke; but when he did /
~, y was - express some decided /
GfnAIieton IS TO the inevitable destiny \
It's no nsJ III" "jGif me. he x,5ntt, /
jerk out in short sentences, that white 4
folks and nlg@ers are going 10 the same |
placeln heaven. Sure as YOU are born |
thereIl be quarter built off for Us to /
live in. And they'll have something |
for rs 10 do; why, they'll set us to |
pushing along the clouds, if they can't /
ilnd anything else
Before the war, there lived on a |
plantation near Lynchburg an old col /
ored preacher, whose sermons were |
truly remarkable. One day his mas
ter, paused to listen to him as he dis
coursed TO his fellow-servants Ills
subject was hell and its horrors which
he described in terrible terms. declar-
ing that there was whipping and whal-
ing, and -natching out Of teeth He
then proceeded, with a touch of Dantes-
que viger, to tell his hearers that hell
was q region of fearful cold, where ice
and snow covered all things, and where
freezing was the lavoriCe punishment.
WHY, Caesar, -aid lis master the
next time they met, curious to learn
why the preacher differed so strongly
from he usually accepted theory Of the
Internal regions, what makes YOU tell
my servants that hell is a cold place.
Law, ma>sI. don't dare to tell them
people nothing else. Why, i was to
SAY that hell was warm, some of them
old rheumatic niggas would be wanting
to start down thar the vcry first lro-t!'
Mrs.. lSeemuHeT, IN OLp AND New tor
September.