The Yale expositor., 1895-08-02
CHAPTER vIIL-tContinueeD


friends, almost on sight. Mrs Blake
furnished Vivette with one of her own
maids to attend the room of her
,uest and act as personal attendant.
This colored girl" as Mrs. Blake had
)alled her, was a woman of near forty
7ears, an intelligent mulatto and a
slave. She took" to Nivette las she
old the other servants), because she
said please" when she wished any
hing done. Besides, she thought
Vivette mighty good lookin'," which
was in itself strong recommendation.
And then, like most negro servants
who have seen cultured and polite peo-
pie, she knew as by intuition that
'Miss Bivette was lady, an none o
your white trash" From this woman
Vivette learned many facts in the
history of Mrs. Blake, "Ole Mas'r Tom
Blake" and the whole family, past
and present. Mrs. Blake also COM
nunicated some facts of her personal
history.
At one time Vivctte said: what is
your name beside Eliza?" to her maid.
my names nothin' but Liza" was
The reply, "Cullud folks don't have
but one name. Does you b'long to a
free state, MISUSE"
81 live at Cincinnati" replied vi
vette.
"Must be mighty nice to have two
names, Missus. All de cullud folks
have two names in CINCINNATI"
Eyes. think so, Eliza. Names cost
nothing How long have you lived
here?"
Lived on de place ever since l was
bawn."
"Here in the hotel?"
"Fo' da' wasn't any hotel. l was
Ole Mas'r Tom Blakc's niger"
"Why, you are not black, Eliza; why
do you call yourself a negro?"
"All de same, Missus," said Liza
with a chuckle. "De black folk call me
white niger kaze da' so black dem
selves still dressing Vivette's hair .
"Who is that fine, tall gentleman
who appears to be at the head OF
affairs" asked Vivette.
Oats Mas'r Sam Blake. He don't
own nuthin' hisself. Ole Mas'r Tom
Blake own all de whole place; an he
lets Mas'r Sam run de hotel. Masr
Tom glib me to the Missus; and when
she die is to be free. But hope she
nebber die"
Your mistress appears to be an ex'
cellent lady, Eliza"
"Miss Myra-po' Jeff's wilder?
Shes-she's de bes' lady in de worr!"
GLOW long has her husband been
dead, Eliza?"
Don't know when he died; don't
know he am dead at all. Went away
twelve ye'rs ago an never come back.
Mas'r Sam want to marry de wilder.
Eli, chi" with a nasal exclamation
which defes photography. "Missus
keeps putin him off an putin him
off Oar now, look in de glass, young
Missus. Your ha'r almos' as purity as
you-kase 1 dun fix it dc lates' fash.
ion."
Vivette thanked the girl" without
looking in the glass, and the maid went
out.
A short time after, Mrs Blake called
on Vivette in kindly way, and after
some general conversation said:
~ suppose Liza has been giving you
the family history, including her own,
as she feels herself one of the Blake
family?"
"She has given me only few gen
eral facts" replied Vivette. "She has
not been indiscreet."
"Oh, no! / can trust Liza. But in
justice to myself l would like to make
a brief statement to avoid miscon.
struction."
81 do not seek to know your history,
Mrs. Blake. Butt indeed / am under
obligations to you for your kindness
to an entire stranger"
"But you came from a land of free.
dom-from city where there are no
slaves, and where it is not crime to
teach a colored child to read, and to
tell him he has an immortal SOUL
"And is that crime in Kentucky?"
"My husband was disinherited for
marrying a woman who, in the gross
language of the people here, had
taught "a niger school, My father
was n Christian minister, and taught
me to hate slavery, and to make no
difference between white and black,
bond and free"
"And your husband disappeared you
know not how or where? as Eliza
says"
A knock at the door interrupted the
conversation. Adolf Molier came in
and Mrs. Blake was about to leave.
M Molier is my cousin-my ia
tners nephew madam" said Vivette
earnestly; 'pray do not leave"
Adolf joined in the request, and Mrs.
Blake remained. Molier talked OF
nothing but cholera; his panic had not
subsidized.
81 have paper from Cincinnati; the
city is being decimated," he said.
"My poor father exclaimed Vivette.
would that l had remained despite
his protestsl