The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-05
A STORY OF A SLAVE.
"EDY ADKINS" A NEGRESS WITH A
TEEimiPER OF IER OWN.
A TALE WRITTEN BY R. N. JOHNSTON.
A Description of n Phase of Life in the
South Before the War, by the Author
of "Old Marks Langston," THE
Dukesborough Tales" Etc.
[Copyrghted.1

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'"Thine eyes are upon me and l am
not. Job.
As class the overseers upon plan
tations at the South in slavery times
were not regarded as specially desirable
as hirers of the negroes of others.
Habitual arbitrary rule over all sorts of
servants led many of them to appear
too inconsiderate of what was felt by
most humane and thoughtful persons
to be due to beings wholly dependent
upon the superior race. Perhaps the
wives among this class were yet more
Objectionable in this respect. As a
rule, therefore, negroes thus situated
were of shabby appearance and quail
ties below the average, whom their ow-
ners had let go at inconsiderable wages.
Edy, woman belonging to Mr..
John Adkins, a prosperous, rather par
simonious planter on Rocky Comfort
creek, was hired to Beverly Sheals, his
overseer. She had been purchased
only year before from a Virginia
negro trader. She Was small, grum in
looks, sullen in department, and
though reserved in speech, regarded
very resentful of wrong, real or imag-
mary. Yet, unattractive as she was,
she had gotten husband, a tall, pow
erful African named Shade, the prop
erty of Mr.. Elias Gage, who dwelt
some sfour miles further down the
creek. The husband was much priced
by his master, and bore in the neigh
borhood a good name for honesty and
industry. If he sometimes went off to
his wlfe's house on other nights than
Saturdays, this was known to be not
uncommon among negro men of good
repute otherwise, and he was seldom
molested by "paterollers," as were
called small squads of white men who
occasionally went out at night on pa
troll.
Sheals stood well in the community,
not only as a good manager, but as
man of uncommon thrift in the care of
his own means. Now at IS he had
some three thousand dollars at an
terest, and it was known that his ex-
pectation was to purchase a planta-
ton after year or SO longer, and re-
nouncing his present occupation, be-
gin planting on his own account. His
wife was thought to be hard to please.
Once pretty. she was so no longer,
and besides was untidy in dress and
slouched in gait. Many women in
her condition kept no servants, easily
doing their own domestic work. But
Mr.. Sheals thought he could not afford
to go with his meals often uncertain,
habitually late, and sometimes be
pressed for clothes suitable to be put
on Sunday mornings. A mild man
nered man, he had never quarreled
with his wife except whea challenged
by her provoking complainings. He
quietly hired for her a woman every
year. l say every year, for the rule in
such cases was that at the end of any
one year Mrs. Sheals could not endure
the help, or the help could not endure
Mrs. Sheals longer; change had to
be made, the last when Eddy Adkins
came.
As usual, the relations between mis-
tress and maid were rather disagree
able. Edy was not specially neglect
full of her work, and in neatness, con-
sidering their difference in opportuni-
ties and obligations, may have been
said to be more than equal to her mis-