sun. I looked after the horses, waited at table, "and worked like a new negur. But I got "plenty of spirits, and that I believe helped me. "The war now broke out, and in one single 66 66 year I changed masters a dozen times. But I "knowed I had to work, and one master to me was “just as good as another. When the war ended, "I was slave to 'Squire Fielding, at Annapolis, in Maryland. I was grown quite steady, and I "married a house-servant, who brought me a "child every year. I have altogether had three "wives, and am the father of twelve children; "begot in lawful wedlock: but this you shall hear. "My wife dying of a flux, I was left to the management of my children; but my master "soon saved me that trouble, for directly they "were strong enough to handle a hoe, he sold "the boys to Mr. Randolph of Fairfax, and the << girls to 'Squire Barclay of Port, Tobacco. It "was a hard trial to part with my little ones, for "I loved them like a father; but there was no "help for it, and it was the case of thousands be"sides myself. "When a man has been used to a wife, he "finds it mighty lonesome to be without one; so I married a young girl who lived house"servant to a tavern-keeper at Elk Ridge Landing. It is a good twenty-five miles from Annapolis to the Landing-place; but a negur "never tire when he go to see his sweetheart, and "after work on Saturday night I would start for "Elk Ridge, and get to my wife before the sup 56 per was put away. Dinah was a dead hand "at making of mush ;* but she could not love "it better than I. Dinah, says I, to her one night, if you was a Queen what would you "have for supper? Why milk and mush, Dick, 66 66 says she. Concern it, Dinah, says I, why if you was to eat all the good things what would "there be left for me? "I was not perfectly satisfied with my new "wife; I had some suspection that she gave her 66 company, when I was away, to a young mu"latto fellow; but as her children were right "black, I was not much troubled. I never could "bear the sight of a mulatto; they are made up "of craft. They are full of impudence, and "will tell a black man that the Devil is a negur; " but I believe one colour is as much akin to him "as another. "I did not keep to my second wife long; she "was a giddy young goose, fond of dress. She "wore a ruffled smock; and on a Sunday put on "such sharp-toed shoes, that the points of them "would have knocked out a mosquito's eye. If "her children had not been right black and right 66 ugly like myself, I should have suspected her "vartue long before I had a real cause. "I had made Dinah a present of a little lap"foist; a right handsome dog as you would * Food resembling hasty-pudding. 66 see; and one Saturday, at negur day-time,* a "mile before I got to Elk Ridge, the little foist came running up to me. Hie! thought I, "Dinab must be out gadding, and looking for"ward I saw a man and a woman run across the "main-road into the woods. I made after them, " but I was getting in years, and a walk of twenty "miles had made my legs a little stiff. So after "cursing till my blood boiled like a pitch-pot, I "walked on to the tavern. "I found Dinah in the kitchen; but the mu"latto fellow was not there. She ran to me, " and fell on my neck. I hove her off. Begone girl, says I; no tricks upon Travellers. Dick in "his old age is not to be made a fool of. Did "not I see you, with Paris, Mr. Jackson's mu"latto? Lack a daisey, Dick, says she, I have not "stirred out of the house. I swear point blank I ❝ have not. I would kiss the bible, and take my "blessed oath of it !-Nor the foist either! says "I. Get you gone, you hussey, I will seek a new "wife. And so saying I went up stairs, made "her gowns, and her coats and her smocks into "a bundle, took the drops out of her ears, and "the shoes off her feet, and walked out of the "kitchen. "I trudged home the same night. It troubled me to be tricked by a young girl, but it was "some satisfaction to know that I had stripped * A cant term among the negroes for night;, they being then at leisure. "her of all her cloathing. Fine feathers makes "fine birds; and I laughed to think how she "would look next Sunday; for I had left her nothing but a home-spun suit that she had put "on when she got back. 66 "I now said to myself that it was right foolish "for an old man to expect constancy from a young girl, and I wished that my first wife had "not got her mouth full of yellow clay. Half "a mile from Annapolis, by the road-side, is a "grave-yard. It was here my poor wife was "buried. I had often heard tell of ghosts, and "wanted to see if there was any truth in it. I "stole softly to the hedge that skirted the road. 66 66 ་ Hoga, says I, does you rest quiet? Hoga does you rest quiet? Say, Hoga! and quiet old "Dick! I had hardly said the words when the leaves began to stir. I trembled as though I "had an ague. Hoga, says I, don't scare me. "But in a less than a minute I saw a black head "look over the hedge, with a pair of goggle eyes "that flamed worse than the branches of a pine "tree on fire. Faith, says I, that cant be Hoga's head, for Hoga had little pee pee eyes. I took heels and run for it. The ghost followed quick. As luck would have it there was a gate "to my across the road. I jumped the gate, and crawl"ed into a hedge. The ghost did not follow. "The gate had stopped him. But I heard him bel"low mightily, and when I peeped over the hedge, "I saw it was 'Squire Hamilton's black bull. "My master at Annapolis being made a bankrupt, there was an execution lodged against his negurs. I was sent to Alexander,* and knock"ed down at vendue to old 'Squire Kegworth. I 66 was put to work at the hoe, I was up an hour "before sun, and worked naked till after dark. "I had no food but Homony, and for fifteen months "did not put a morsel of any meat in my mouth, "but the flesh of a possum or a racoon that I killed "in the woods. This was rather hard for an old 66 man, but I knowed there was no help for it. 66 'Squire Kegworth was a wicked one; he beat Master Tommy. He would talk of setting us "free; you are not, he would say, Slaves for life, but only for ninety-nine years. The 66 'Squire was never married; but an old negur"woman kept house, who governed both him "and the plantation. "Hard work would not have hurt me, but I could never get any liquor. This was despe"rate, and my only comfort was the stump of an "old pipe that belonged to my first wife. This "was a poor comfort without a little drap of whiskey now and dan; and I was laying a plan "to run away, and travel through the wilderness "of Kentucky, when the old 'Squire died. 66 "I was now once more put up at vendue, and "as good luck would have it, I was bid for by 'Squire Ball. Nobody would bid against him. * Alexandria. |