The moon in solemn majesty was rising from the woods; the plantation-dog was barking at the voices of the negroes pursuing their nightly revels on the road; while the mocking songster mimicked the note of every bird that had sung during the day. A skilful chymist will endeavour to extract good from every substance, and I declined not the conversation of a man because his face differed in colour from my own. Old Dick, the negro whom I had met on the road, never failed to visit my cell in the evening, and the purpose of his visit was to obtain a dram of whiskey. Dick said that it comforted him, and I never withheld my comfort from him. As I considered old Dick a much greater philosopher than many of his white brethren who have written volumes on resignation under misfortunes, but could never bear the tooth-ache patiently; I always put him upon talking about himself, and one evening when he came to see me, I desired he would relate to me the story of his life. 66 STORY OF DICK THE NEGRO. "I was born at a plantation on the Rappahannoc River. It was the pulling of corn time, "when 'Squire Musgrove was Governor of Vir 66 ginia. I have no mixed blood in my veins; I "am no half and half brced; no chesnut-sorrel "of a mulatto; but my father and mother both "came over from Guinea, "When I was old enough to work, I was put "to look after the horses; and, when a boy, I "would not have turned my back against the "best negur at catching or backing the most "vicious beast that ever grazed in a pasture. 'Squire Sutherland had a son who rode every "fall to look at a plantation on James River, which "was under the care of an overseer. Young mas"ter could not go without somebody on another "horse to carry his saddle-bags, and I was made "his groom. 66 66 "This young chap, Sir, (here Dick winked his "left eye,) was a trimmer. The first thing he "did on getting out of bed was to call for a Julep ;* and I honestly date my own love of whiskey, from mixing and tasting my young "master's Juleps. But this was not all. He was always upon the scent after game, and mighty ficious when he got among the negur "wenches. He used to say that a likely negur "wench was fit to be a Queen; and I forget how many Queens he had among the girls on the "two plantations. 66 66 My young master was a mighty one for mu"sic, and he made me learn to play the Banger.t "I could soon tune it sweetly, and of a moonlight night he would set me to play, and the "wenches to dance. My young master him * A dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it, taken by Virginians of a morning. +A kind of rude Guitar. "self could shake a desperate foot at the fiddle; "there was nobody that could face him at a 66 Congo Minuet; but Pat Hickory could tire him. "at a Virginia Jig. 66 "The young 'Squire did not live long. He was for a short life and a merry one. He was "killed by a drunken negur man, who found "him over-ficious with his wife. The negur man was hanged alive upon a gibbet. It was "the middle of summer; the sun was full upon "him; the negur lolled out his tongue, his eyes "seemed starting from their sockets, and for "three long days his only cry was Water! Wa"ter! Water! "The old Gentleman took on to grieve migh"tily at the death of his son; he wished that he "had sent him to Britain for his education; but "after-wit is of no use; and he followed his son "to that place where master and man, planter "and slave, must all at last lie down together. "The plantation and negurs now fell to the "lot of a second son, who had gone to Edin burgh to learn the trade of a Doctor. He was not "like 'Squire Tommy; he seemed to be carved "out of different wood. The first thing he did " on his return from Britain, was to free all the "old negur people on the plantation, and settle "each on a patch of land. He tended the sick "himself, gave them medicine, healed their "wounds, and encouraged every man, woman "and child to go to a Meeting-house, that every Sunday was opened between our plantation "and Fredericksburgh. Every thing took a change. The young wenches, who, in Master 66 66 Tommy's time, used to put on their drops, and "their bracelets, and ogle their eyes, now looked "down like modest young women, and carried "their gewgaws in their pockets till they got "clear out of the woods. He encouraged matrimony on the plantation by settling each couple " in a log-house, on a wholesome patch of land ; "hired a schoolmaster to teach the children, "and to every one that could say his letters. gave Testament with cuts. This made me bold to marry, and I looked out sharp for a wife. I "had before quenched my thirst at any dirty 66 puddle; but a stream that I was to drink at "constant, I thought should be pure,—and I "made my court to a wholesome girl, who had "never bored her ears, and went constantly to "Meeting. "She was daughter to old Solomon the Carter, "and by moon-light I used to play my banger "under her window, and sing a Guinea Love song that my mother had taught me. But I "found there was another besides myself whose "mouth watered after the fruit. Cuffey, one of "the Crop Hands, came one night upon the same "errand. I am but a little man, and Cuffey was "above my pitch; for he was six foot two inches high, with a chew of tobacco clapped above "that. But I was not to be scared because he I "was a big man, and I was a little one ; I car"ried a good heart, and a good heart is every "thing in love, 66 Cuffey, says I, what part of the play is you "acting? Does you come after Sall? May be, says "he, I does. Then, says I, here's have at you "boy; and I reckoned to fix him by getting the finger of one hand into his ear, and the knuckles " of the other into his eye.* But the whore-son τσ was too strong for me, and after knocking me "down upon the grass, he began to stomp upon "me, and ax me if I had yet got enough. But "Dick was not to be scared; and getting his 66 great toe into my mouth, I bit it off and swal"lowed it. Cuffey now let go his hold, and it "was my turn to ax Cuffey if he had got enough. Cuffey told me he had, and I walked away to the "Quarter.+ 66 My master the next day heard of my battle "with Cuffey. He said that I ought to live 66 66 among painters and wolves, and sold me to a Georgia man for two hundred dollars. My "new master, was the devil. He made me travel "with him hand-cuffed to Savannah; where he 66 disposed of me to a tavern-keeper for three "hundred dollars. "I was the only man-servant in the tavern, " and I did the work of half a dozen. I went to "bed at midnight, and was up an hour before *This is what is called Gouging. + The place of abode for the negroes. |