Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-03-25

He cries with sternest mien;
"Please SIR" she cried, 'twixt hope and fear,
"I'm only just sixteen"
"Enough!" the hoary guardian said,
And the gate wide open threw;
''That is the age when every maid
Is girl and angel too"
Twenty Years Ago.
Mr.. B. was great merchant in Bal
timore. One morning as he was pass
ing over the vessels that lay at the
wharf, he stepped upon the deck of one,
at the stern of which he saw a negro,
whose detected countenance gave sure
indications of distress. He accosted
him with:
"Hey my man, what is the matter ?"
The negro lifted up his eyes and,
looking at Mr.. B. replied:
"Ah! massa, Use in great trouble"
"What about ?"
'Kase Use fetched up here to be sold"
"What for? What have you been do
ing! Have you been stealing? or did
you run away ? or what?"
mo, no, massa. none O'dat. It's be-
kase don't mind de audes ?"
"What kind of orders ?"
"Well, massa stranger, will tell you.
Massa Willum VERY strict man, and
VERY nice man, too, and ebryDody on
de place got to mind him, and brake
frew de rule, but didn't tend to brake
frew de rule, doe forgot myself and I
got too high"
"It is for getting Dunk, then, is it ?''
"Oh, no, sab, not dat MOTHER"
'Then tell me what you are to be
sold for?"
For praying. sah."
For praying! That's strange tale.
Will not your master permit you to
pray?"
''Oh, yes, sab, he let me pray easy !;
but hollers too loud"
"And why do you hollow in your
prayers?"
''Kase the spirit comes on me and
gets happy fore knows it den gone.
kant 'trol myself; den know nuttin'
bout massas rule"
"And do you suppose your master
will really sell you for that?'
"Oh, yes; no help for me now. All
de men in de world couldn't help me
now-kase when Massa Willum say one
thing he no do anoder."
what is your name?''
"Moses."
"What your masters name ?"
"Massa's name is Colonel William
c."
"Where does he live ?"
"Down on the Easin Shoah "
rs he a good master and does he
treat you well ?"
"Oh, yes no better man in de wuld."
"Stand up and let me look at you"
And Moses stood up and presented a
robust frame and as Mr.. B. stripped up
his sleeve, his arm gave evidence of I'M
usual muscular strength.
Where is your master ?"
"Yander he is, jes' comm to de warf. !"
AS Mr.. B. started for the shore he
heard Moses give heavy sigh. follow
ed by deep grOan. Moses was not at
all pleased with the present phase of af
fairs. He was strongly impressed with
the idea that Mr.. B. was trader, and
intended to buy him, and it was this
that made him so unwilling to commu
nicate to Mr.. B. the desired informa-
ton. Mr.. B. reached the wharf just as
Colone ell G.. did. He introduced himself
and said:
81 understand that you want to sell
that negro man yonder, on board the
schooner
Colonel G. replied that he did.
"What do you ask for him ?"
II expect to get $780,"
"How old do you reckon him to be ?"
Somewhere about thirty.n
rs he healthy?"
Every he never had any sickness in
his life, except two spells of the ague."
SIS he hearty?
Eyes, sir; he will eat as much as any
man ought, and it will do him as much
good"
us he good hanj?"
Yes, sir he is the best hand on my
place. He is steady, honest and indus
trious. He has been my foreman for
the last ten years, and more trusty ne
gro [ never knew"
why do you wish to sell him ?"
Because he disobeys my orders. AS
I said, he is my foreman; and that he
might be available at any moment l
might want him, I built his hut within
hundred yards of my own house, and
have never rung the bell at any time
in the night or morning that his horn
did not answer in five minutes after.
But two years ago he got religion, and
commenced what he terms family prayer
that is, praying in his hut every night
and morning. and when he began his
prayer it was impossible to tell when he
woul dstop, especially if las he termed it)
he got happy. Then he would sing and,
pray and halloo for an hour or two to-
gether, that you might hear him nearly
mile off. And he would pray for me
and my wife and my children, and our
whole family conn actions to the third
generation, and sometimes, when we
would have visitors, Moses's prayers
would interrupt the conversation and
destroy the enjoyment of the whole
company. The women would cry and
the children would cry, and it would
get me almost frantic, and even af
ter I had retired, it would sometimes
be almost daylight before could 60 to
sleep, for it appeared to me that could
hear Moses pray for three hours after he
had finished. 1 bore it as long as /
could, and then forbid his praying any
more-and Moses promised obedience,
but he soon transgressed, and my rule
is never to whip, but, whenever negro
proves incorrigible, I sell him. This
keeps them in better subsection, and is
less trouble than whipping. And par
doned Moses twice for disobedience in
praying so loud, but the third time |
knew | must sell him, or every negro
on the place would soon be perfectly re-
CARELESS of all my orders"
''You spoke of Moses's hut. 1 sup
pose from that he has family ?"
"Yes; he has woman and three chill
dren, or wife, Isuppose he calls her now
for soon after he got religion, he asked
me if they might be married, and pre-
sumo they WERE"
"What will you take for her and the
children"