The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-03
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Judy

n =.
\ JUDY. g.. =.
A low, timid knock at our door one
lblesk November morning, just be ore
Mewn aroused us from our siumbers.
Silas sprany up, and hurried!y meas
ting himselfin some garments, soon (uf-
Ger whispered conference on the
Tporch) ushered into the privacy Of our
boom, dilnly lighted by smolderjng
wood FIRE, q colored women, with
ktNpgy marked African features.
f&atthed hec curiously from my pill
as she stopped over the embers,
Iwarming her dark, misshapen hands,
hardened and toilworn by field laror.
Ter face indicated kindness, but Wore
a subdued expression which touched
~ Yheart; and when my little Lucy
Mwoke and needed attention. all the
mother in her heart blos5omsd into VIM
hing smiles on her home y fee and
wa, med it into a glow of gentlencss and
hove.
80, before had risen, had mentally
appropriated her to my own use and
comfort, il that appropriation accorded
with my husbands views and plans for
his sable prolege: We were passing
Through an experience on the servant
Auesti6k,. even under the old regime in
Ia slaCe5State. equal to the present day OF
treedeka, and equality.
. Our trustworthy Susan had s;ckened
and died Il say ours, but only ours as
hx.fa ea1 tNy ~ "k,,l,>
required the assistance they gave Us, We
were too thoroughly northern to deal in
h1snanity ny barter and sale; and 80 we
lavailed ourselves, each succeeding New
Years day, of the public hiring OF sayes
and provided. ourselves with the help
We needed.
Susan had proven such treasure that
thiSEas her Third year, and the only
prkf:ation ever felt ''to own Niger"
5as to take her out of the hands Of
rapacious mistress and give her
Euch home for lite as she deserved;
put Azraei cai.ned her as his own. and
Houbt not she found home in ''that
blouse" not made With hands eternal in
nhe heavens"
The next was Cynthia; who proved
Dhlef and suci al u.yravatipn that we
Vent her to her mistress III dt'spair. Then
pr Vine Nancy Bell, a white gill, ruled
-: Il culinary department. l soon
EtH-her and determined to take adj
n Se Of my early training Ind be my
( cook. For u time the novelty
ed ME, but by the time of the mystic
as advent OF the dark stranger into my
Groom Was mJre than willing to re-.
ksmy position. Alter heavy break
fiias said: "Now shalt take JuI'!y
- In town aud put her into the hand,
tne sheriff 10 be hired, and ii You
Nit my dear. will hire her for you,"
I! &aciously vouchsated me; "liat is"
fl.l eontinued, ''if Juddy thinks stle,can
5hthd your wretched temper" She
Vo1bked from one to the other of us as
!sk stood smiling befure her, AMI her
1vlmor as she said laconically:' II risk
MASTER" Sllas merely explaining:
'"SSe is a slave suing for her freedom,
n have consented to deleul her"
Inc hiring took place according to law
p such cases, and in few hou Judy
US snugly ensconced III my kitchen.
* story was one of thousands OF the
<ayes OF human slavery OF which no
ssx5 ever been taken.
Impressed itself strongly on my
'tGtnory and row, aftor third of
khlIitury it all comes back to me, and I
teeIl compelled to give it utterance.
AOA u1O yOul olOi 0uhy, SalNt W
helt ono day, as l was assisting her to
1naLke some garments for herself, as she
satRii. my room.
'1tDar amt much to toll. missus." said
1sldi; '1eastways what white folks would
tTe To hear" she added, shyly.
VA should like to hear ii very mxch,"
I s1fis, and, as near as possible, will give
ft lvh her own language.
''NWell, Missus, Mr.. Dngan bought me
TO- Years ago, after my ole master died,
ln' "a KEEP house tor him, an he oIen
Et VI work Tor him an take care of him
rs hhg as he wanted me, dat he'd set
t'eHfree. You see he hadn't any family,
|Nlf seemed sort o. lonesome like.
81 did de- bes' ooulu fur de ole man,
IKE him comt'able. He had one
$tailtn, m1ssus. an dat was drink.
iosm'Ii like he couldn't help it. A
"a time -ae'd come a-reel,n' home,
put him to bed an take care o
know dere wersn't many wom-
would do fur him what 1 did. an
;;'ffRed It too, fur one day he came
asgi' me me soma p.pers in
.sller kiver; an he says to me:
AXE care Of dem, judy; dey's your
] papers, an don't lot any bo ly
Z you out OBJ 'em: fur tell you
is all right, no mattah who seq dey
as was two yeah ago como nez'
Sstmas. Hit seemed like hit was
FOOD to las. l spec Was too proud
II was, a free woman, dat de Lord
Fue down de way he did.
F)e ole man KEEP drlnkin' mo- an
I; AM at las got feared sumhn' 'ouii
pen, 80 jes' got him to lot me 20 to
daddy an nanny, an / TUX de
Pa wild me, to make shure of dem,
xEhid 'etn, n,lssus, wi,ar it was hard
Nm Fem" and smile lighted up
sad eyes for a moment, as she
fssed refsctively-"yes mis.lls, HID
Shere and how could you hide a
.stuft Of wool which formed knot on
- shack of her head, with only the
1r" in reply, and sompre-
.s.t,sstSlat her free paners, as she
lsrneysd on loot over the rough road
&seGn Salem aud her parents cabin,
{, twisted in her hair, kinky rs it
The night after got dar three men
FAN said Mistah Duyan had sold me
-,5n, an wanted to see my papers, bu'
s,uld tell 'em truly dat ! didn't have
I. a1 she had hid 'em in sack O.
t'De men searched me good fur 'em,
=. j. swore awfal. an threatened to whop
A-ef I wouldn't give m up tole
IfI've got any free papers that you
it you better fin mn
y last dey give up sarchin', an said
4 didn't believe had any papeSs but
: dey would take me to Louisville an
me, papers or no papers. l said:
Gentlemen, it's agin de law to sell
| pussun, an I'm Us ires as any
;3ut they drug me eut-night as it
-, an pore daddy and mamrny trtna
ling an cryin', nebber DARN to say a
evOrd. an put me in a wagon. an by
bornin' we was to de lilo Rlber, an
SS.k de 1ust boat dat cum up.
''Dey tried to sell me On de fust boat,
dy so.dn ur i9's x syst Sa SAM
got to Louisville.
lot awful mad, and TUX me out
{. raInny; but was no use. Nobody