St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-03-15
HARRIET.
A Virginia slaves story.

/ '
sister than my servant. Her mother
died when she was born and my father
who was all beat out by her death, said
the baby should be brought into tn,
house and treated different from the
rest of the servants. My mother didn't
like it much ut first. but my father had
his way: SO Harriet and |, being neal
of an age, were brought up almost alike
until we were about twelve Years old
then, somehow, she got to he looked
upon us my maid. As far as being my
maid went, was hers just about a>
much Us she was mine. We were mighty
fond of each other, always playing to-
gethcr, taking each others part it'cithcl
got into IL scrape. learning the same
lessons only she was about twice as
smart as | was, and that's Il fact, and
being, as said. more like sisters than
anything else. 1t seems funny, too. for
we weren't Il bit alike in disposition.
was pretty even tempered always, and
she was just us spicy aS pepper until the
first trouble came upon her. | WAS an
only child, however, and my father was
Il good. easy -natured man, and when
said she shouldn't he whipped, he never
let her, you may he sure. People did
say that she looked something like me,
though You wouldn't believe ii now,
and that that was the reason he was
always so good to her. At any rate she
never came under the lash but once.
and that pretty nearly killed her and
me too, for the matter of that.
] was eighteen that summer, and had
Just come home from Charlottesville
academy, where I'd been finishing for
ii year; and my father being considered
IL rich man, and | being young and
pretty blooming, why, had plenty of
beauX, as YOU may imagine. Almost
the first person | saw when got back,
was Harriet. and declare to You. she
had altered so in one year that | didn't
know her. She knew that was coming
and had gone down to the great gate
about half a mile from the house to
meet the carriage and us she stood on
one side to let us pass, do think she
/ WAS the prettiest thing ever SAW III my
| life. She was so handsome aS she stood
there in her pink muslin dress, with her
straw hat i'll her hand, and her splendid
| hair blowing i'll short loose curls about
| her face and neck. that felt real .jcal
ous for ii minute, thinking wasn't GO
ing tn be the belle of the neighhorhood.
after all. if this great beauty WAS about
just then she swept me one of her grand
courtesies, exactly as she did to You Il
! little while ago, and hy that | knew
her. called to Ben. the driver, To
stop, and in Il minute more wa> beside
! her under the trees. with my hand
stretched out 10 say "Iiow d'N. when
what does she ii" hut fling herself down
on the grass beside me, and take to
sohhing and CRYING as though she WAS
crazy with grief.
| tried to comfort her the best WAY !
could: hut she waS i'll such Il storm nt
excitement. that | SAW the only thing
for me /" do WAS to let her have her cry
out, and after that find ont. if ! could.
what troubled her. for knew some
thing very unusual had happened.
My father had gone to the country
seat that day. and hadn't got home Vet !;
and not finding my mother in the par
lor. flew up To her room. while Hattie
followed me almost a> fast to the head
of the stairs. There she left me with Il
frightened look on her face that | bare
" noticed then. but remembered well
at1crward. had Just got through hug
ging and kissing my mother. Ii" hadn't
expected me So soon. and who was
dressing herself. when there wa, Il great
racket in the hall below: running down
stairs | found my father with SiN or
eight Ladies' and gentlemen that he had
brought home tn give me Il welcome. he
said. When | had been prttcd and
made much of To my heart : content. 10y
the whole of them. we all went To tea.
/ W hen IL WaS over and we We're going
awaN from the table. my father called
ont for Hattie. He never waS 50 well
satisfied as when We We're together.
Nv here's Hattie, Pu>s ;" he said.
"lIavcm't You seen her Yet , She ought
to he here" Aud then he called her two
or three times. but no Hattie came. |
told him that | had seen her. and that
she WAS waiting upstairs tu help dress
me for | wouldn't tell them that she
didn't want them to see her red eyes,
which thought was the truth.
Well. after telling the servants where
to put the company. | ran up to my
room, and there, sure enough. | found
Hattie Waiting for me. with the same
queer look on her face that | noticed at
the head of the stairs. only her eyes
were bigger and brighter than they
were then. But | was So glad to Ice at
home again, and so excited 10y the
praises I'd received. that | didn't pay
much attention to anything hut the new
blue silk dress and sash that Hattie had
laid on the bed for me. | felt sorry,
too. to see her so worried : but thought
that the best way to make her forget
her trouble. whatever it might he. was
to take no further notice of it. So
: +1.l oil | ,u
dressed. about school and the neighbors
and the servants at home, and about
how pretty she had grown. and how
, Jealous | was of her, and | don't know
how much more nonsense; but couldn't
| get smile or word out of her scarce
ly. After IL while | happened to tel
her that there were some of the country
| beaux down stairs, and that when
, went down | WIS going to play for then
and that | meant to have some dancing
| 'Who are the gentlemen, Miss Pus,
sic ?'-that was my nickname she ask
ed quietly.
, %, Mr.. Jack Mcguire, Charlie Isler
Major Snow and Col. Fred Castleworth,
| | said.
/ She was fastening some lilies in m,
Z hair remember it us well as if it ha,
4 happened yesterday, and its more thai
: twenty Years ago now. while
: was answering her, she went on pinnin,
e them in with the same don't-carish wa,
= she had shown from the time went up
e stairs to dress, till mentioned Col
Castleworth's name then she gave
: start, and dropped one of the lilies il
S my lap. This made me look up, and
II declare | never believed before tina
It any face could change so. From look