The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-12-24
The Fairfield Herald.
fCo rcspondchcoN Courier. J ournal.I

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fcor respondchooN Courier JournalJ
A RacY Joke.
INV TOM EWING, OF KANSAS, A RAW.
ING ABoLlrloNisr, WAS FORCED TO
BUY A NEGRO GIRL.
Y. b. Y. Esq, Of Eastern
'Ken'uoky, is responsible ! for %lrat
follows -. 49,. 4" i
During the troubles of bleeding
Kansas, in tho year IS57, I moved to
Ieavenworth, :, taking with mo . negro
boy and girl, the latter sprightly
nurse about fifteen years Of age.
There formed the, acquaintance .Uf,
Col. Tom ESing, then Il Joung 'iaa@-
yer like myself, and fired with pa.
'triotio ardor to make Kansas n free
State as was bent GU accomplishing
the contrary result. The line, ,l>e,
tween the pro slavery men aud the
ubolitionis,s was closely drawn as re-
spected both our social and political
relations. Tom at that time took a
lively and active interest in behalf OF
Wv - w k,lNlV SahNC l.C nus CHaHECu
since then, ond may be it is wrong to-
visit the sins of his younger manhood
on his maturer years, but the anec-
dote IS too good to keep. Colonel
Ewing had two or three little chill
'dren, one an infant at the breast his
wife was in very delicate health, and
the servant girls question drove him
almost to despair lIe approached
income mrrning with a worn out woe
'begoue look
"Mr. "" he began, "I am in
a deal Of t.ouble. Wy wife is con-
fined to her bed, the baby has lungs
like young j'ckass and can't find
nurse worch "a hr-n rvc tried
the Yankee, the Dutch and the Irish
girls, and Iwonhm't give ten cents
Sor every devil Of 'em put together.
Twas up all last night: the night be-
fore, and the night before that, walk
tng that baby of mine over the house,
living it paragoric, putting cold
cloths to its head, and can't stand
1t any longer. My dear fellow tell
me w here [ can get nurse that will
wv w u uS', tl'N II YOU
to the day OF my death !"
"l have the very girl you want,'
replied. My wife is off on visit to
kentucky for a month or two, and
meanwhile L will lend you my negro
girl. You will inh her the best YOU
ever saw, and | have 10 need Of her
at present.
lie accepted the proposition crate.
fully, and [ went home and ordered
Betty to go at once as Il nurse for
ncighbor Tom. Next, day lie seem
ed different man entirely, and his
gratitude was boundless "I wouldn't
give that nigger," hc remarked, for
al: the white trash in the world as n
nurse. last night was the first
nights sleep have had for a
month"
During this time scarcely met him
without hearing him repeat his prais.
'cs Of his negro nurse. | think he fat
tened ten pounds under tho soaud
sleep her watchfulnoss garantoed
him and even the baby grew strong,
both in its attachment to the nurse
and in its physical proportions. At
the time appointed, Mrs. Y. returned
to hcavcnworth my "bachclorhocd"
was suspended, so We returned to
housck ceping and sent over for Bet
ty.
In three days time Ewing was q
changed man. He Sworc by all that
was good and had he would 90 COM
plctely mad unless I would let him
have my girl again. lie kept her just
long enough to spoil him, he said, and
was rclapsing into lypochondria and
despair. lie thought it most barha-
rous treatment to take her from him,
and proposed to pay any sum might
ask as hire. lie wouldn't be put Off,
but time and again ,'lcadcd and bo..
sought me to let bin have her for few
weeks longer on any terms. Finally,
beckoncd him to one side and laid
down my ultimatum: :.
"Tom," said |, 81 am sorry not to
be able to accommodate you, but you
can have my girl only on one condi
tlon, and that is, | will sell her to
you as your slave for life -
Inc luca or prOmlnont freGSOli er
';dealng in human flesh !" But tho
tcmptat ion was a severe one. He
dropped his eyes quickly to the
ground and blushed to the roots Of
his hair. r..
sThat is too bad" lie at length
replied "youkn, rs we'll as l do
that can't buy n slave why do you
wish to annoy me For Gods sake
let me have her for three months Ion
ger, and I'll -"
"i'll be ilabbcrgastcd if I do" I
put in. "You can got her by purs
chase not otherwise, if you have to
keep awake the balance Of the year.
You arc willing enough, no doubt, for
me to own her, and you got the use,
of her but If It's n sin in Won it's n