The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-05

was worthless, otherwise she would
not have gotten her, and OF course
such foresight must be realized. There
were perhaps few conditions Of social
life less happy in daily details than
that in which these women lived. In
one respect the negro had the advan-
tage. She was only negro, and dull
or presumed to be dull in sensibility,
and beyond all possibility of loss in
the matter of social position. What
suferings she had endured in the flesh
were from the light aoggings that
Sheals, at the instigation of his wife,
had inflicted. These chastisements,
administered with reluctance by one
who believed that for the most part
they were not deserved, were declared
| by the wife to be such as made the
wretch more and more worthless. The
declaration was made with special as
perity one morning to the husband, as
he was about leaving the house for the
field after an injunction to do, if he
pleased, take that hussy out and give
her COW hiding that she would re-
member, unless he cared more for a
mean nigger's feelings than that of his
own lawful wife.
"Sally, said Sheals, putting on his
hat, "accordin' to your own statement,
L don't see whar that nigger's to
blame. You an she may fight it out
betwix' yourselves
This enr. ged her beyond endurance.
No sooner was her husband gone than,
seizing the cowhide, she rushed to the
kitchen, and before Edy was aware of
her intentions, struck her violently
over her shoulders, which, being bare,
bled freely under the keen whip. Edy
at the moment had in her hands the
fire tongs. For moment she glared
like demon as she raised the instru-
ment. Her assailant unappalled said
"Put them tongs down, you heifer,
if you don't want to die before your
time comes
Edy dropped the tongs, crossed her
arms, and without a word or quiver
took the rest of the chastisement.
When it y as over she silently resumed
her work.
81 jes' found out what the mean
thing needed" said Mrs. Sheals to
her husband two days afterwards. "It
was good whippin', an which give
her. Them po' little titteravations |
call 'em you give her made her worse
std o better. She's ateard O. me
now, an which it were allays strange
to me the thing weren't never afeard
O. you.'
"Sally," said Mr.. Sheals, when she
had related the whole occurrence, 81
advise you to mind how you treat that
niger; my 'pini0s is, they's right
smart O. devil in her, little as she is
"There amt no doubt about that.
Beverly Sheals but it can be whipped
out 18th cowhide, an which look like
you, a bein' decent woman's hus-
band, might be expected to be the
one, which you never has been, to
save his own lawful wife from such
necessity. Eff has to perfect myself
agin' niggers Pm goin' to do it, an
you know well enough that sech talk,
a-tryin' to make me fraid O. niggers,
specially such as this here miserable
scrap that you let ole Jack Adkins palm
off on you, amt a'goin' to make me do
any different from what | been a'doin'.
When a oman finds herself onbe-
knownst married to a man that can't
er won't perfect her"
"She have to 60 it on her own hook,
haye she?" Mr.. Sheals filled the SELL
tence when she paused. "All right"
Indeed Edy did seem, even to her
exacting mistress, to improve, rising
yet earlier in the morning, lying down
yet later at night, and taking yet
shorter recesses for her meals. Mrs.
Sheals havRg known always that there
was great distance between herself
and the man whom she had married,
unaccountably to herself hozr, now re-
volved inwardly upon how strange it
was that she should not have been the
man and Mr.. Sheals the woman, in
which event, however, the distance
would have been too vast, perhaps.
So never mind, let it all go as it is.
On Wednesday night not long after
wards Shade Gage came and remained
until morning. This visit was not
known to the white people, as he had
come late. After making the kitchen
fire next morning and helping to start
the getting of breakfast, he left for his
home, his wife accompanying him
about couple of hundreds of yards.
Mr.. Sheals having risen meanwhile,
and called her without response from
the back door, went INTO the kitchen,
whence emerging few moments af-
terwards, he was about to call loudly
when Edy came hurrying back.
"Make haste with your breakfast
Edy, | got to go to town today"
The meal was sent in shortly after
wards. Sheal being occupied in dress
ing himself suitably for visit to town,
his wife sat down alone. This was
done in somewhat of a pet, as she had
already waited fully ten minutes be-
yond her usual time.
"Ef you ruther have cold coffee n
hot coffee, Mr.. Sheals, you can take
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