River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-03
JUDY.

porch) ushered iato the privacy Of on
room, dimly lighted by a siaolderjna
wood fire, colored women, viii
strongly mar1ed African atures.
Iwtthed he. curiously from my pill
low as she stopped over rhe em1ers,
warming her dark, misshlpen hands,
hardened and toilworn by field laeor
Her face indicated kindness, bat wore
subdued expression which touched
my heart; aud when my little Lucy
awoke and needed attention. ali tho
mother IN her heart blossomed iaeo win
ming smiles on hsr home y fee and
warmed it into a glow Of gentleness and
love.
So, before I had risen, | had mentally
appropriated her to my own use and
comfort, if that appropriation accorded
with my husbands views and plans for
his sable protege. We were passing
through an experience on the servant
question. even under the old reg me in
> slaSe State. quail to the present day oil
freedom aud equality.
Our Trustworthy Susan had g:Ckeued
and died q say ours, but only ours IS
We hired from year to year.. NhGe We
required the assistance they gave is, We
we're too thoroughly northern 10 deaf 81
humanity ny rarter and sale; and So Tfe
availed ourselves, each succeeding New
Years day, Of the public hiring OK slaves
and provided ourselves with the help
we needed.
Susan had proven such treasure that
this was her third year, and the only
temptation | ever felt "to own Niger"
was to take her out Of the hands OF q
cruel rapacious mistress and give her
such q home for life as she deserved /;
but Azrael ciaiaed her a5 his own. and
doubt not size found home IN THAT
house" not made with hands eternal in
the heavens"
The next was Cynthia; who proved 81
tLIet and sue an a-gTaT,is ou that we
sent Der To her mistress IN l,~p pair. iivH
for time Nancy Bell, white girl, ruled
IA tie culinary department.. / soon
tired Of her and determined to take ad-
vantage Of my early training I'D be my
own cook. For a ti.ue tue novelty
pleased ME, but by the time Of the ny STE
rlons ADVENT OF the dark stranger into my
bedroom | was II re than willing 10 re-
sign my posjtio9. After heavy break
last Silas said: Now s..aii tl4e Jud3y
down town and pUs heI into the hands
of the sheriff 10 be hired, ana il vou
wish Il my dear, viii hire her fer YOU
he graciOusly yOuCbsaed me: 'tthat l.,
he continued, IF Juddy thinks she can
stand your wretched temper" she
looked from one 10 the other Of Us as
We stood smiling before her, an uer
sad e. es Frightened with a sesnblance o.
humor as she eaid iacoueally: II risk
1t MASTER" SIlas merely explaining;
She il a slave suing for her freedom,
and | have consented 10 defeaI her"
the hiring took place nccordiagto law
IN such cases, and III a few hou judy
was snug!Y enscouced IN ,ny Kitchen.
Her story Has one Of thousands OIL the
dark ages of human slavery Of WHICH no
note has ever been taken.
Il impressed itself strongly on my
memory and row, att: third of a
century 1t all CONES back to me, and
feel compelled To give ii utteTance.
"Feil me your story, judy [ said to
her ono day, as | WAS assisting her to
make some garments for herself, aS she
Sat in my room.
"Dar amt much to tell, n;5sus' said
she; "Ieastyays what white folks would
care te hear" sine added, shyly.
Il should like to hear i very inzch, )"
! said, and, rs near as possible will give
1t IN her own language.
'Well, Missus, Mr. Dpgan bought me
70 years ago, q ter my ole mastsr died,
an | KEEP house Tor him, an he o9en
tole me | was good woman, an ef
would work ior him an take care of him
rs iong as he wanted me, dIt he'd set
me free. You SEQ he hadn'. any family,
and seemed sort o. lonesome like.
II did de bes' | O)u!u iur lie 0.e man,
to make hIm coml'able. Tie had one
great failin, nisSUs. an dat was drink
Tit seemed ike he couldn't help IT, \
many time he'd come a-reeiu' home,
an Ia put him to bed an take care o
him. | know dere Wer sn't many w0m-
en- as would do fur him what [ did, an
he knOwed Il too, fur one day he Ctme
lSome, an 81 me ms sons ptpers in =
big yalier kiyer; uu' he says 10 me;
Take care of dem, indy; dey's your
free papers, an don't let anyU0 "
fool yuu out OBJ EN-: fur I tel! you
dey is oil right, no nlattah who sen dey
isn't"
dat was two yeah ago come nez'
Christmas. Hit seemed ike hit vas
too good to las. spec I was too proud
'kase was q free woman, dat de Lord
tux me down de wa he did.
Ode ole man KEEP driukin' mo- an
mo; an at las got feared sumdl' Quit
happea, so jes' got him to let me 20 To
SEQ daddy an nanny, an I TUX de
papers wild me, TO make shura OF dem,
an hid 'eIn, missus, wtar it was hard
TO fin EN-" and smile lighted up
her sad eyes for moment, as she
paused retiectiveiy-''yes nis5u5, hia
'em."
"Where and how could you hide q
paper so saiely2" | asked. She pointed
to tuit Of wool which formed kGot or
the back of her head, with only the
word Thar" in reply, aal [ sonpre-
hended that her free. papers, as she
journeynd on foot over the rough ruad
between Salem and Ter parents cabin,
were twisted in her hair, klnky rs it
was.
1.-The night after got dar three men
cum; an said MIstah DuIan had sold me
to 'em, an wanted 10 see my papers hut
could tell 'em truly dat | didn't have
EN- CIV 'era, for had civ 'em TO man
my, an she had hid 'em in sack o
meal"
''De men searched me good fur 'cTn.
an swore awfsl, an threatened 10 whop
me, eff wouldn't give IN up. l to!e
'eG:
"If I've got any free papers That you
want You better fin m D."
'At last dey give w sarchin', an SAID
dey dIdn't believe | hal any papeSs bIt
dat dey would take me t. Louisville an
sell me. papers or no papers. said;
Gentlemen, it's agin de law TO sell
free pussun, an I'm as free as any
of yvH."
"But they drug me aut-night as ii
was au' pore daddy and ma'nmy trem
bling an erwin. Eebbrr DARN to say
a word, an put me IL wagon, an by
Inornin' We was to de 'EfiO R.ber, an
tux de iust boat dat cum up.
''Dey tried to sell me on &c fast boat,
but dey coEdu't' lur toIe every body ]
was free woman, an it was de same
when we Cos to LouiSvillC.
"Dey got awful mad, and tux me out
in de country but was no use. NOBODY
wanted jst SIGH a woman, AMI someho%
dey couldn't make sale aud a curl
Gus expression settled over her sable
features, AS she recalled the futile ei-
forts of her kiduBppers.
"Weil, miSsus, when dey found dey
couldn't turn me into money IN KAN.
tues, dey TUX GOAT iur Memphis, an
ayin' they try dar hes 10 sell NE, Out
somehow dey couldn't. Sc It Vas slttiu'
crap time. M,Curdy ewure ct Uey
couldn't get money or me / sho III
raise crap q corr fur hin, an' he give
up a-travetlin an uk me home with him.
"He had nice farm, wife. an two
little chiiens.
''He KEEP his oath missus, fur
worked in de .iel' al dat season. | got
dc breakfusts, an den wen, ont I'LL leo
en- clock. Wien De missus 'ouid blow
.H.-