a ceoesettentatinensintamsmstnasnpasineiiaaiiniscanitiuitessalisainmiteiaisisiniastias
NEGRO LIFE IN AMERIOA. 71

“Why do you ask that? I have lost a little one.”

“Then you will feel for me. I have lost two, one after an-
other—left ’em buried there when I came away; and I had only
this one left. I never slept a night without him; he was all I
had. He was my comfort and pride, day and night ; and, ma'am,
they were going to take him away from me—to sell him—sell

* him down south, ma’am, to go all alone—a baby that had never
been away from his mother in his life! I couldn't stand it,
mav’am. I knew I never should be good for anything if they did;
and when I knew the papers were signed, and he was sold, I took
him and came off in the night; and they chased me—the man
that bought him, and some of masr’s folks—and they were coming
down right behind me, and I heard em. I jumped right on to
the ice, and how I got across I don’t know ; ‘but, first I knew, a
man was helping me up the bank.”

The woman did not sob nor weep. She had gone to a place
where tears are dry; but everyone around her was, in some way
characteristic of themselves, showing signs of hearty sympathy.

The two little boys, after a desperate rummaging in their
pockets, in search of those pocket-handkerchiefs which mothers
know are never to be found there, had thrown themselves discon-
solately into the skirts of their mother’s gown, where they were
sobbing, and wiping their eyes and noses, to their heart’s content ;
Mrs. Bird had her face fairly hidden in her pocket-handkerchief ;
and old Dinah, with tears streaming down her black, honest face,
was ejaculating, ‘“‘ Lord have mercy on us!” with all the fervour
of a camp-meeting; while old Cudjoe, rubbing his eyes very hard
with his cuffs, and making a most uncommon variety of wry faces,
occasionally responded in the same key, with great fervour. Our
senator was a statesman, and of course could not be expected to
cry, like other mortals; and so he turned his back to the com-
pany, and looked out of the window, and seemed particularly busy
in clearing his throat and wiping his spectacle-glasses, occasion-

~ ally blowing his nose in a manner that was calculated to excite
suspicion, had anyone been in a state to observe critically.

**How came you to tell me that you had a kind master?” he
suddenly exclaimed, gulping down very resolutely some kind of
rising in his throat, and turning suddenly round upon the woman.

‘* Because he was a kind master—I'll say that of him, any way ;
and my mistress was kind; but they couldn't help themselves.
They were owing money; and there was some way, I can’t tell
how, that a man had a hold on them, and they were obliged to
give him his will. I listened, and heard him telling mistress
that, and she begging and pleading for me, and he told her he
couldn't help himself, and that the papers were all drawn; and
then it was I took him and left my home, and came away. I
knew ’t was no use me tryin’ to live, if they did it; for 't ‘pears
like this child is all I have.”

 

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