The Kidnapped And The Ransomed Part 7

FIRST FOUR YEARS IN THE SOUTH.

HERE a new world opened before the young slave. The brick-yards in which his boyhood was spent, the fields of corn, tobacco, and hemp, around Lexington, presented no picture that could equal this. Far away stretched the brown plain, covered with the frosted cotton shrubs. Here and there stood a girdled forest tree, leafless and grim, yet mighty in its very desolateness.

Gloomily its wasted shadow fell across the pathway trod by its destroyers, like the mysterious dread of ill that ever haunts the footsteps of the guilty.

The crop was now about half picked out. The business was all new to Peter, and though it did not look difficult, yet he worked diligently all day, and at night had only twelve pounds and a half.

The other boys were greatly amused at his awkwardness, and played many jokes upon him, telling him he must first break off the boll, and then pick out the cotton.

At night, when Master Andrew weighed the cotton, he told them he would give a new pair of shoes to the one who would pick fifty pounds the next day. Allison was nearly barefoot, and he worked hard for the prize, but in vain. Peter, however, had learned wisdom from one day's failure, and, to the surprise of all, he had at night, seventy-five pounds. After this, he was seldom excelled in the cotton field. His fingers were long and nimble, and he could pluck the fleecy treasure from the frost-browed boll almost without effort.

Bainbridge, though mainly settled by poor people, who gained a scanty subsistence by hunting and fis.h.i.+ng, was at that time surrounded by the estates of wealthy planters. Some of these were of good Virginia or Carolina families, but more were ignorant and vulgar men; overseers, or even negro traders, formerly, who had gained wealth in these refined pursuits, and were thereby ent.i.tled to stand in the ranks of the aristocracy of North Alabama.

The store of the Messrs. Gist was a favorite resort of these neighboring planters. It contained not only the usual a.s.sortment of dry goods, groceries, &c., with which country stores are usually supplied, but what was more essential to the social enjoyment of the gentlemen there congregated, excellent liquors of every kind.

There too, was the Post Office; and to the patriots of Bainbridge there was never lack of interest in the great subjects of politics, and--the cotton market. Upon these they conversed day after day, as they sat on the porch at the store door, and night after night the discussions warmed, as the brandied flush crept over cheek and brow of the staunch vindicators of their different party chiefs.

Sometimes, indeed the arguments ran so high that the disputants went home with visages slightly disfigured by contact with opposing fists; but these wounds soon healed, and over a bottle of good old wine, such trifling episodes were quite forgotten.

For two years, this little family quietly pursued the regular avocations of the farm. They made excellent crops in proportion to the number of hands employed; and the business of the store was at the same time very lucrative. The brothers bought and s.h.i.+pped cotton, corn, and bacon, and kept for sale, at a good profit, all kinds of goods that were required by their various customers.

During the winter the slaves had many opportunities of earning pocket money. Flat-boats loaded with cotton, while coming down the river, were frequently stove on the rocks in the Muscle Shoals, at the foot of which Bainbridge is situated. The cotton, becoming wet, was thus rendered unfit for market, unless the bales were opened and thoroughly dried. This furnished employment for the negroes on Sundays. Carefully they spread the damp cotton on boards or rocks in the suns.h.i.+ne, turning and shaking it frequently till it was perfectly dry, and fit to be repacked in bales for market.

For this labor, they sometimes received a dollar a day-- thus supplying themselves with the means of procuring many little comforts.

In the year 1821, Mr. Levi Gist bought a plantation of four hundred and eighty acres, about seven miles south of his home. He also built a large brick house in Bainbridge, the lower story of which he intended to occupy as a store. In the fall of this year, he removed all his servants, except Peter, to the new plantation. Him he retained to wait on himself, and on the beautiful young bride whom he brought home in December.

This lady, whose generous and uniform kindness to himself Peter still delights to remember, was Miss Thirmuthis Waters, formerly of Nashville. She had come out to Alabama the previous spring with her sister, Mrs. McKiernan, who, with her husband, had settled on a plantation near that recently purchased by Mr. Gist.

Peter had now to perform the duties of cook, housemaid, and waiter, there being no other servant in the house, except a little boy about twelve years old, that a.s.sisted him in performing some of the lighter labors.

These were the brightest days that had ever fallen to the lot of the young slave. His time was all occupied, but he succeeded in performing his various duties to the satisfaction of his mistress, and he felt not the want of leisure. Her approving smile shed suns.h.i.+ne on his lowly path and her gentle kindness filled his heart with grat.i.tude.

Now, but for the one cloud that shadowed his spirit, he would have enjoyed comparative content. But the thought of his mother far away, who could never hear from him, and whom now he might not hope to see, isolated him, in some sense, from his companions in bonds. It is true, that no intelligent slave can feel that his thraldom is just, because his mother was, perforce, a chattel; and yet, the knowledge that he was born a slave, like those he sees around him, and the total ignorance of a different structure of society, go far to reconcile the unfortunate bondman to his lot.

A few weeks after the wedding, Mr. Gist accompanied his bride and her sister, Mrs. McKiernan, on a visit to their friends in Nashville.

The journey--one hundred and twenty miles--was performed on horseback; and as the party rode away through the woods on a fine January morning, they formed a beautiful group. Mr. Gist--a well-formed Kentuckian--his fine brown features enlivened by splendid black eyes, and glowing with health and vigor, rode proudly at his lady's side. She was very beautiful. Her large, dark eyes sparkled with animation, and her tall, erect figure, and graceful dignity of carriage, rendered her, in her husband's eyes, an embodiment of womanly perfection.

Near the fair bride rode her sister--a graceful, matronly lady, several years her senior, whose slight delicate figure presented a marked contrast to her own queenly proportions.

At the distance of a few paces followed Peter, and while he gazed admiringly at the dear forms of his young master and mistress, he was far from being forgetful of his own fine points. He was now nearly twenty-one and his pleasant, lively face, and obliging manners, won him friends wherever he went. Then, his new suit was very becoming, and he rode as fine a horse as he could wish.

Not one of the party was better mounted.

He was proud, too, of his young master, and determined, in his own mind, that the Nashville folks should be impressed with the dignity, and consequence of the family into which Miss Thirmuthis had married.

Swiftly flew the two weeks of their stay in Nashville. Several parties were given to the young couple by the family and friends of the bride, and before the plans which their friends had formed for their pleasure were half accomplished, the time that they had allotted to the visit was spent, and they were obliged to set out upon their return.

At the age of twenty-one, Peter began to think more seriously than he had ever thought before, of establis.h.i.+ng a character for life. He saw the moral degradation that prevailed among those of his own color, and he could not but discover that many of their masters failed to keep themselves pure. The vulgar and blasphemous oath, the obscene jest, and the harsh tone of angry pa.s.sion, he often heard proceeding from the lips of gentlemen;--yes, even the low jargon of drunkenness was not seldom uttered by the lordly master of scores of crouching slaves.

All this the young man saw, and heard--and loathed; and now that he had reached the age of manhood, he resolved to shun the insidious advances of every vice. He abandoned the use of tobacco, which he had commenced when but a boy; and though he had sometimes taken a dram with his companions, he determined that he would thenceforth touch no intoxicating drink. Thereafter, profanity dwelt not upon his lips, and falsehood was a stranger to his tongue. His character for integrity and honesty became firmly established, and though but a slave, he won the entire confidence of all with whom he was connected.*

* Of Peter's integrity and honesty, the writer speaks from personal knowledge; having been acquainted with him for several years of his slave-life in Alabama.

With these n.o.ble resolves of his opening manhood, came ardent desires for freedom. He reviewed his past life--there was nothing there--in feeling, thought, or act--that proved him unfit for liberty.

The curse of slavery had embittered his heart, and with every power of his soul aroused, he resolved that he would struggle to escape it. By flight or purchase--some means must offer--he would yet win back his human birthright.

With this goal of all his hopes, somewhere in the hidden future, he pursued his daily round of humble duties--patiently waiting till he should perceive some opening in the dense, dark cloud that enveloped his fate.

In October, 1822, Mr. Gist relinquished his share in the store to his brother, who had been his partner; and removing to the plantation, devoted his whole attention to agricultural pursuits.

Here they lived in true Southern country style. The "great house"

on the plantation consisted of two cabins, built of hewn logs, and whitewashed within and without with lime. A covered pa.s.sage connected the rooms, over each of which was a small, low chamber. A log kitchen and smoke-house in the rear, with the usual potato-house, saddle-house, and other small, shed-like buildings, each appropriated to the shelter of a single article or cla.s.s, completed the establishment.

At dawn of day, the master was up and away with his hounds to the woods, and woe to the unlucky fox or rabbit whose trail they chanced to discover.

The overseer, meantime, marshalled his forces; and as there were so few hands on the plantation, he was, by his contract with the master, obliged to take his hoe and work with them.

The domestic arrangement of the household was perfect. The young mistress was fond of order and regularity; and, through her kind and constant discipline, those desirable qualities soon became manifest in the habits of her servants.

Thus, on the plantation of young master Levi, peace and happiness established their dominion. One acquainted with the neighborhood in which he lived, would have p.r.o.nounced his place an oasis in the desert-- a solitary star in a midnight sky.

CHAPTER IX.

LEVIN'S MARRIAGE.

IT is a pleasant Sabbath evening in early spring. The air is filled with perfume from hosts of new made flowers, and vocal with the merry notes of birds.

Master Levi rises from his seat on the porch, and walks slowly to and fro in the yard. He is stouter and handsomer than he was two years ago when he came out on the farm to live. Aye, and happier too; for the lovely little Mary, that stretches out her tiny hands towards her papa, and sweetly lisps his name, has unsealed a new fountain of joy in his bosom.

Yes, he is happy and prosperous. His crops all look well, and his negroes are healthy and obedient.

"O ma.s.s'r!" says a voice at his side. He turns. It is Levin. He has grown tall and manly since we remarked him last--of course, for he is now about twenty-five years old, and a fine stout follow.

"Well, Levin, what do you want?" responds the master. "What is the matter?"

"O, nuthin's the matter, sir; only I wanted to ax you if you's willin' I should get married, sir."

"Get married? Why, yes--you're old enough, I suppose--over twenty, aren't you?["]

"Yes, sir, I's twenty-five."

"Well, where's the girl you want to marry? You can have a wife as soon as you wish, if you will get one of the right sort."

"I wants f.a.n.n.y Hogun, sir; and ole Mars Jimmy, he say I may have her if you's willin', sir."

"f.a.n.n.y Hogun! Old Jimmy Hogun's f.a.n.n.y! The very worst place in the neighborhood for a fellow to be running! f.a.n.n.y--let me see--her mother's Linsey, old Jimmy's housekeeper--a regular she-devil. What put into your stupid head to go there to hunt for a wife? No, you can't have f.a.n.n.y. You may have a wife, and welcome; but no boy of mine shall be spending his nights and Sundays at old Jimmy Hogun's--d'ye hear?"

"But, ma.s.s'r, f.a.n.n.y's a good girl, and 'pears like 'twont do no hurt to go and see her, sir. I don't want nary nother wife, sir."