Year: 1859

BY MRS. F. D. GAGE.


Do you not suppose that many of the
slaves, whom you say are so well treated,
in the main, oftentimes meet with great
cruelty and wrong2"


"0h, yes" answered my fair-haired
friend; "of course they do, and so do
your poor laboring classes in the North.
| have known some very cruel things in
my day"


"Very likely; but suppose you tax
your memory little, and see if you can
find in all your experience in New Eng
land, which you say lasted twenty-five
years, anything that will match the first
scene of outrage that you remember as
having happened during the last four years
in which you have soiourned at the South"


The pleasant lady hesitated; a cloud
passed over her fair, smooth brow. Evi-
IDENTIFY, painful thought was tugging at
her heart. She bit her beautiful lip, and
twirled the crimson tassel of her double
gown round her fore finger.


"Come," said l, tell me what it is.
You have asserted that / do not under
stand the people of the South; that they
are misrepresented and belied; that the
slaves fare well and are happy. Now,
there is powerful memory asking for ut
terance, and"


Your question has put me to thinking"
she exclaimed, as she drew her delicately
slippered feet up on the sofa, and clasped
her arms about her knees, in an attitude of
easy confidence. "I was born and
brought up in Vermont AT fifteen years
of age, l grew dissatisfied with what
seemed the dull routine of housework, and
went to Lowell, and entered factory
Being a quick, ingenious hand, l made
good wages, and at eighteen had laid up
enough on interest to help me to go to
Mount Holyoke to school. Father was
not rich, but he did what he could for me,
and at twenty-five [ left the institution
with good name and pretty good edu-
cation. soon got a situation as teacher
in my native State, taught two years, and
then went to Brattleboro' to spend vaca-
ton. There | met Mr.. Warder, who was,
as you may guess, captivated. l became
his wife, and have spent four years in the
South, enjoying every luxury that wealth
can procure, and the highest degree of hap
piness that the most devoted affection can
bestow


"My husband is kind to his slaves to
fault; but he says he cannot bear to de-
prive them of anything that they wish,
because he feels that all they demand is
not an equivalent for their labor Still, he
does not see how he can better their con-
dition, and l try to think they are better
off than if free You see how it is; we
don't see how we can he p ourselves. But
all this is irrelevant to the question under
discussion.


Your question sent me back into the
past, and l do not remember anything
worse that ever happened in the neighbor-
hood where lived than the severe whip
ping of hired girl. My father was JUS
tice of the Peace, and the woman who
committed this offence against the peace
and majesty of the good State of Vermont
was brought before him, and was present
at the examination. The little sufferers
dress was removed, and, though but one
night had passed, only few red marks
were found upon the little body. The
child was taken from the inhuman wretch,
and fine imposed which was heavy to
bear, for the woman was poor. do not
recollect now that single person in the
town took sides with the woman; even her
own brothers censured her severely, and
said no child ought to be bound to her, for
it was sure to come out bad.


Now" said she, let me tell you tale
of horror. Hannah, put down those cur
tains, and shut out this beautiful spring
sunlight. feel as though | could not
talk with the glare of light in my face,
when such black deeds are to be told.


Just after l came South-(you may
60 to the kitchen, Hannah )-one of the
daughters of Col. Stress, who lived in a
splendid mansion just outside of our city,
and was counted the richest man in town,
lost diamond ring. The ring was of
great value, and of course its loss created
great excitement in the household. Miss
Julia remembered distinctly having laid it
in her casket on certain evening, after a
ball, and no one knew where she kept those
things but ker mother and sisters, and her
maid Myra, pretty mulatto girl of about
sixteen. Myra was very fond Of dress,
and had often spoken her praises, in most
lavish terms, of the sparkling gem on Miss
| Tu1;o3c 6nnar