University of California Berkeley UPTtt S ^"^ ( ,< ^ n ft . BOND m FKEE; A TRUE TALE OF SLAVE TIMES. BY JAS. H. W. HOWARD, Late Editor of the State Journal. HA.RRISBUKG: EDWIN K. MEYERS, PBINTEB AND BINDEB. 1886. Copyrighted by JAS. H. W. HOWARD, Electrotyped by EDWIN K. MEYERS. CONTENTS. I. THE MAXWELL FAMILY, 5 II. ANOTHER FAMILY, 15 III. THE BARGAIN, 28 IV. THE WEDDING, 47 V. A BAD START, 52 VI. THE ESCAPE, 61 VII. ATTACKED, ' . 73 VIII. Two HAPPY FATHERS, 84 IX. A NOVEL STAKE, 95 X. THE WIFE'S EETURN, ....... 104 XL THE SEPARATION, ..Ill XII. ANOTHER CLASS OF SLAVES, . . . .124 XIII. THE FUGITIVES, 134 XIV. PUPIL AND TEACHER, 146 XV. THE JUDGE'S SISTER, 171 XVI. A MOTHER'S SACRIFICE, 200 XVII. THE TEACHER AND PUPIL CROSS THE LINE, 221 XVIII. WILLIAM'S STRIKE FOR FREEDOM, . . 240 XIX. UNITED IN FREEDOM, 265 PREFACE. In presenting this, my first book, to the public, I crave indulgence for whatever errors it may contain. The incidents related are true, while the adventures of the fugitives, in their escape from slavery, are ac- tual facts related by persons well known to me, some of them closely related, and for whose veracity I can safely vouch. Many of the events of this tale will recall to the minds of not a few some of their own experiences, or the experience of relatives or friends as often rehearsed to them. I have no desire to cre- ate or revive any animosity on the part of those who have survived the cruelties of slavery, but as one of that race, now struggling for a position in the Nation which once refused to recognize their manhood, I trust I shall not be harshly censured for depicting a few of the milder forms of treatment to which the negro was subjected while enslaved. In commenting upon the cruelties of slavery, I have endeavored to suppress all rancorous feeling which would naturally arise in the bosom of one so closely identified with the race, remembering that this PREFACE. book is for the reading public, and not intended to offend any one. Should I, therefore, at any time, ap- pear hypercritical, attribute it to the over-powering sympathy which might possibly have guided my pen. Hoping that you may be amply compensated for the moments spent in perusing these lines, I remain, yours gratefully, The AUTHOR. BOND AND FREE A TRUE TALE OF SLAVE DAYS. CHAPTER L 4 THE MAXWELL FAMILY. Harwood Maxwell was one of that class of men common in his day, but perhaps differing, in many essential particulars, from his surrounding neigh- bors. There was not a better known man in county , Virginia, than Harwood Maxwell. To say that he was eccentric, would, perhaps, be tak ing too great a liberty with the acquaintance I had with him ; but to say he was not peculiar, would not give an accurate or truthful description of him. His peculiarities, however, were not of a disagreeable nature, but were those of a man who saw fit to differ in many respects from a long line of antecedents. Harwood Maxwell was a true Virginian in every sense of the word ; his grandfather was among its earliest settlers, and was one of those who infused much of the spirit of independence into the colonies, and battled so strongly against the iron rule of his mother-country. Notwithstanding the princi- ples of his forefathers, Harwood Maxwell soon became distinguished for his favoritism to King [5] 6 BOND AND FREE George. Nor did the fact of his settlement in this, one among the first colonies to oppose the tyrannical rule of His Majesty, and to sever all allegiance to the crown, interfere in the least with his love for his sovereign. This colony is dear to the American heart because of having rendered so invaluable a service in the cause of American Independence, through its illustrious son. When I assert that Harwood Maxwell was a true Virginian, perhaps I ought to make an exception upon this one point, but having already said that he was peculiar, let his peculiarities answer for any apparent inconsistencies his nature may have betrayed. The name of Maxwell was an old one, and great pride was taken in this fact. Harwood's father had possessed a large estate, which had been transmitted to his son, not without some incumbrance nor with as many acres as when it came into the father's possession, for as generation followed generation, so followed a de- crease in the vast acres. This, of course, primarily depreciated the value of the estate as it was handed from father to son. The sons evidently were not as successful in their management as were their fathers ; nevertheless, the estate still abounded in good stock, consisting of men, women, and other beasts of burden ; and the acres that were left were fertile and well cultivated. Mr. Maxwell was married several years before he had an heir. Fortune at last favored him with a son on whom he lavished all the attention a kind, indulgent, and wealthy father could lavish THE MAXWELL FAMILY. 7 upon his only offspring. His son, Jonathan, grew to be a bright, intelligent man, such a man as a father could feel justly proud of, such a son as Ear wood Maxwell wished for, hoped for, and prayed for. At last, the impartial sickle of death came along and relentlessly removed Harwood Maxwell from this mundane sphere, and Jonathan became sole possessor of all the Maxwell estate, including men, women, and all other goods and chattels. Jonathan was a man, in many respects, similar to his father ; he had been fondly indulged, always having numerous servants to attend his every wish, and as he sat and reflected upon what he must do in the future, his fine, handsome face was lighted up with a smile of satisfaction, for he realized that he had under his entire control hundreds of acres of richly cultivated soil, a great number of human beings, whose sweat and labor, as well as their blood, had been the means of enriching the very soil which he now possessed. He was im- bued with all of those ideas characteristic of the true Southern gentlemen, whose education taught them that labor was degrading, and who did not believe in that part of his country's law which declared " all men were born free and equal." He had married into one of those aristocratic Southern families more noted for their family respectability than their wealth, and who, being the possessors of a small estate with only a few human beings as subjects, made life a veritable hell for those few, and extracted from them all the labor they were capable of performing. A 8 BOND AND FREE. man reared as Jonathan Maxwell, being the worthy son of a sire noted for his peculiarities, while he pos- sessed some of the same traits of his father, was strong in his own individuality. He had reached an age when liberty of thought took a wide range with him, and the points in his character were clearly displayed. He believed that all men had distinctive relations; that inordinate principles decreed that white was born to rule and black to be ruled. He believed that his betters were unborn and his equals were few. ^Having been over-indulged, he was, of course, greatly spoiled. So assertive was he in his views that he almost denied himself that contact with the world, which draws men out. He was almost absolutely wrapped up in himself, being entirely unanimous upon the infallibility of his own conceptions. He hated the world because concession was not generally given to his haughty ideas, and because he realized his inability to flog the world into agreement ; he never hesitated to crack the whip of authority over the heads and upon the backs of those around him. His society was much sought for because it was ex- clusive, and it afforded him great pleasure when he beheld his fellow-man writhing in the throes of dis- tress. Some people said that he was a cruel master; others said that he was very exacting, but not cruel. His wife was one of those handsome Southern beau- ties, indolent to a fault, and whose ideas regarding our unfortunate race were strictly in accord with those of her husband, and yet, if anything, far worse. Jona- THE MAXWELL FAMILY. 9 than had one thing in his nature that none of the long line of Maxwells was ever known to possess; that was an inordinate desire to increase his posses- sions. He was a man with few scruples, consequently, nothing stood in the way of his acquiring more wealth. His plantations were all in good condition, his human cattle fat and sleek. The latter, though worked hard, were well quartered and well fed. This, of course, made them prolific, and, in fact, many of them were kept upon the estate on account of their breeding- qualities. Things worked along upon the Maxwell estate with an evenness never before known; but the master became more and more exacting, and the poor subjects more and more depressed. The field hands, of course, felt none of this hard grinding, be- cause their lot was unchanged. Bill Lewis, the over- seer, still held his position under his new master, and, as he was evidently a reader of human nature, as- sisted, no doubt, by his long service with the Max- wells, he knew that no matter how hard he drove nor how severely he whipped, his employer would be satisfied, so long as good returns were the result. Over the house servants Lewis had no control, but he had often compelled many of them to submit to his hellish and brutish designs, and the features of several pick- ininnies about the plantation bore a striking resem- blance to his low, ill-bred countenance. Among Jonathan Maxwell's house servants was a woman who, had she not have had the traces of Afri- 10 BOND AND FREE. can blood in her veins, and had she been reared with half the care with which Mrs. Maxwell, her mistress, I had, would have been an ornament to any society, and '. put to blush many so-called Southern beauties. She was a woman about two or three and twenty years of age, beautiful in form, her features were as delicate and chaste as a lady bred in luxury and refinement; her long black tresses were of silken glossiness ; her car- riage and bearing were characterized by both dignity and grace. This woman, possessed of all the attractive- ness which nature could bestow, was what? No more than a mere thing, apiece of goods, a mere chattel, with a price upon her head, a commodity that could be bought or sold, with no protection for her virtue, and whose beauty only made her the more valuable in the eyes of some brute whose lust urged him to bid a higher price for her possession. This woman by na- ture, whatever else by law, bore a marked resemblance to Jonathan Maxwell. He knew it ; his wife did not fail to notice it, and Purcey, for such was the name she bore, also recognized the likeness herself. She not only resembled her young master in countenance, but there were many things about her which showed unmistakable evidence of Maxwell blood, Maxwell pride, and Maxwell cleverness. Before the death of Harwood Maxwell, Purcey had enjoyed many liberties denied the other servants. She was petted, cajoled, well dressed, even richly so at times, and, except addressing her master as ^'massa" and her mistress as " missa," she hardly realized her ig- THE MAXWELL FAMILY. 11 nominious position. By some means, she had hoarded up quite a little sum of money, and had been shrewd enough to pick up a smattering of learning from hear- ing Jonathan going over his lessons with his tutor. She increased her little savings of money, and improved her learning, all of which she concealed from every one. Purcey's mother was, and had been for years, the cook of the Maxwell family. She was a woman with traces of Indian blood in her veins, but how she became a slave, history does not record. History does record, however, how Harwood Maxwell bought a very beau- tiful negress at a sale while on a trip to the New Orleans slave market, brought her home to his inva- lid wife, and how, in a short time, this beautiful slave woman gave birth to a child which was more beauti- ful than the mother. Owing to its fair complexion and its close resemblance to Mars Harwood, there was no room to doubt nor was it difficult to trace the father. There was an unusual amount of human feeling evinced by Harwood Maxwell for this woman and child. He was unlike thousands of his kind, who ill-treated and sold their flesh and blood a sin he did not have to answer for. He neither abused, nor allowed to be abused, the mother or the daughter. This is why Purcey grew up into womanhood with all of the spirit of one born a free being. Whenever Jonathan's mother, for years an invalid, demanded her husband to sell or dispose in some way of this child and its mother, an eye-sore to her, she was met with such a response from him as invariably brought 12 BOND AND FKEE. on convulsions, "her request never being complied with. Before her death, she called her son to her bed- side and taught him to hate Elva and her daughter, Purcey, without revealing to him his father's perfidy. Jonathan had not forgotten his mother's death- bed instructions, though he had given her no intimation that he would follow them. In fact, while he could consistently hate his half-sister, nothing could in- duce him to dispose of his property, except the pros- pect of pecuniary gain. Elva was also the mother of four other children, two boys and two girls. They were of a type entirely different from Purcey, their father being a full-blooded Negro. Consequently, their features bore all the marks of the race. Elo, whom I will hereafter describe, was the youngest of the four. Emeline was of a brown-skin hue, with thick lips, stubborn hair, and very coarse features. The boys were both sturdy, manly fellows, each worth fifteen hundred dollars to his master. With that feeling born of slavery, Emeline cordially hated Purcey ; first, because, as she termed it, " she was half white and stuck up ; " second, because of the natural animosity borne by all field hands toward all house servants. Jonathan Maxwell did not want to sell Purcey, as she was his wife's maid, and that lady, with that attachment a mistress has for a pet dog, or bird, did not want her removed. Purcey's beauty never made her foolish. She had a natural pride, but never forgot her duty to her mistress. Ever THE MAXWELL FAMILY. 13 ready and willing to obey the slightest command, yet her sensitive nature secretly resisted imposition. Mrs. Maxwell had exceedingly aggravating ways, and, on one occasion, her overbearing manner incurred open resentment from Purcey, which that lady never forgot. Mrs. Maxwell had, in this instance, upon going out for a ride, directed Purcey to perform some duties in her absence. Upon her return, being much fatigued with her exercise, she seated herself in an easy chair. Looking about the room, she discovered that the work left for Purcey had not been properly attended to. Immediately there was a display of passion, and she directed her husband to ring the maid's bell. Purcey was somewhat slow in obeying the summons, as she was dressing to go riding herself, a privilege she had always enjoyed. When she entered the room, her mistress was almost struck dumb by her appearance. She was robed in a purple silk riding-habit; her rid- ing hat sat jauntily upon her shapely head ; while at her well formed throat was fastened a bunch of violets, which made a happy contrast with her beautiful face ; her petite feet were encased in the daintiest of boots^ and could just be seen as they peeped out beneath the bottom of her skirts. Mrs. Maxwell flew into a rage, sprang from her chair, and raised her riding whip, which she still held in her hand, and exclaimed : " How dare you, you wench, enter my presence in this manner?" Purcey drew herself up proudly, and said : " Missa, don't strike me with that whip, or I'll die for you." 14 BOND AND FREE. Mrs. Maxwell was a handsome woman, and she had no cause to fear any rival, but where on earth did one woman who was handsome, and knew it, ever meet another handsomer than herself that the seeds of jealousy did not take root ? There was a wfde chasm between Mrs. Maxwell and her servant, but Purcey appearing in such a costume at such a time, was really exasperating and outrageous to her bias views of the duty of an underling, and she had determined to stop it at once. But meeting so defi- ant an air from her intended victim, she wisely con eluded, though still angry, to adopt a less summary mode of punishment. Her hand fell to her side, and, dropping into her easy chair, she said, imperatively : "Disrobe me." Purcey immediately obeyed with that submissiveness characteristic of her race. Mrs. Max- well never again attempted to administer corporal punishment to her. CHAPTEE II. ANOTHER FAMILY. The adjoining plantation to Jonathan Maxwell's belonged to Abraham Biggers, Mr. Biggers was a characteristic Southerner, the owner of a plantation of over five hundred acres, upon which he had fifty or a hundred human beings, besides other stock. The latter received better treatment and better care than the former. Among this goodly number of Mr. Biggers' goods and chattels, was a family of McCul- lars, consisting of father, mother, and a prolific off- spring of some twenty odd children. John McCul- lar was a man about sixty years of age, and was a freeman, while his wife was the alleged property of Mr. Biggers, as were all of the children who bore the name of McCullar. For in those halcyon days of traffic in human stock, if the husband and father was born a freeman, bought his freedom, or was set free, by marrying a woman in bondage, all of his offspring became the property of the woman's master. It will at once be seen that, as John McCullar was a freeman, and could not be bought, to secure one of his boys upon a plantation and marry him to a healthy woman, or turn him loose if of a licentious nature would be a profitable investment for any man possessing such ideas as those possessed by Jonathan (15) 16 BOXD AND FREE. Maxwell. A marriage between one of Biggers' boys of the McCullar breed to Purcey would be to him a continual source of profit. Well may it be said that the ways of Providence are beyond under- standing. Here was a man who had no master, who was what was called a free man, yet deprived of the full enjoyment of all the privileges belonging to other freemen because his skin was black. This man, in his ignorance, connects himself to a woman in bondage, and adds fuel to the already burning flame of slavery. Poor, deluded creature ! What did he know of the wrong he was doing his race? What did he know of the untold suffering which awaited every child of which he was the father ? And this was only a single instance of how this blot upon a nation's honor was fed, was kept alive, and prospered. Better had John McCullar died in embryo than to have been born, to be the means of bringing into the world so many human beings to become the common property of a soulless huckster in humanity. Among the McCullar boys was William, a fellow of good address, who could follow a cradle in a harvest field from sunrise until sunset, walk five miles to a neighboring plantation, dance all night, and hold his own the following day without a crack from the over- seer's whip. He had frequently been hired by Jonathan Maxwell from his master, and had attracted the at- tention of everybody about the place by his steadi- ness and his pride. William had considerable pride for a slave , he was entirely oblivious of his own ANOTHER FAMILY. 17 situation, but appeared fully to realize that the most despicable thing to come in contact with was a black man. He was not white himself, being of a dark- brown complexion, with lips slightly inclined to thick- ness, a high intelligent forehead, and with a speech quite free from the " dis " and " dat " of the plan- tation hands. A distinguishable feature about Wil- liam was the use of words of which he seldom knew the meaning, but, by some unaccountable manner, succeeded in getting them in the proper place. The fact of his using language in advance of himself made him the beau ideal of all the females for miles around. This superior recognition led him to look with contempt upon his fellow male-associates. Now there were plenty of female servants upon Mr. Biggers' plantation, healthy, buxom women, and of a varied assortment of complexions, from the whiteness of an Anglo-Saxon to the deepest black ; but there is an open secret which existed in the accursed days of slavery, and which exists among the race to-day. That secret is, that a real black man is generally ex- tremely partial to very light women. William was no exception to this rule, as will be readily perceived, and when at one of those regular plantation midnight gatherings, where an old uncle sat up in the corner of the room with his legs crossed, a banjo resting upon his knee, head thrown back, keeping time with his foot, and calling figures to the time of the music, music which seemed to inspire every living thing, music unwritten and unsung, music which to those 18 BOND AND FREE. untutored minds was as sweet as the music of a Strauss or a Verdi to the most cultivated, every- body was dancing, feet were shuffling in regular order, the ladies moving with all the imaginable grace they could assume, while the gents were as gallant as the most attentive chevalier, he noticed among the throng of amusement seekers a beautiful, sylph-like form, whose grace of motion, lovely countenance, and evi- dent superiority over her more unfortunate sisters completely captivated him. Her every movement was closely watched by him, and there were few of his associates who did not per- ceive a radical change in his manner. He did not enter into the enjoyment of the dance with the same zest as on other occasions. In fact, William's mind was wholly engrossed with this unknown beauty. It was known that he was of a taciturn disposition, and the fact of his not entering fully into the enjoyments of the evening did not attract the attention of those present so much as his actions, whenever this par- ticular female came near him. He. would gaze after her intently and longingly. He seemed to have no words for anybody, but glutted and feasted his eyes upon the beautiful form of the woman who moved so gracefully from place to place. Those unfamiliar with slavery, and unaccus- tomed to seeing men ' and women so fair in their complexions as to raise doubts whether they were white or black, would have thought the woman who so attracted William's attention was out of her ele- ANOTHER FAMILY. 19 ment, it being a difficult matter to discover evidences of negro blood in her. William could no longer re- strain his admiration, and prevailed upon a friend for an introduction. He was presented to her, and met for the first time the woman who afterwards became his wife. William's brilliant conversational powers and gentlemanly deportment favorably impressed Purcey. There are various kinds of dancing indulged in by persons who enjoy that amusing pastime, but for original, amusing, and active dancing one should see a select gathering of negro house-servants on a plantation as they glide through a regular old Vir- ginia reel, with their aptness for copying after the style and grace of their mistresses, combined with an admixture of original jigging, not of a vulgar, but of a quiet, decent character. There is a very great difference between an old Virginia break-down, as indulged in by the field hands, or what they com- monly called "common niggers," and a select dance, as indulged in by the house-servants, or " upper crust darkeys. " In the latter, there is an entire absence of the coarse, vulgar, noisy break-downs and jigs which were so common in the former. When the servants who lived in the " big house" held their social gather- ings, the lines of social distinction were closely drawn. Even among these poor unfortunates, all deprived of their liberty alike, there existed those social ties which both bind and separate the coarse and vulgar from the more refined and genteel. 20 BOND AND FREE. Purcey's beauty and lady-like bearing could not help but command considerable attention from the colored beaux. Every young man in the county knew her, and every young man in the county would have sacrificed his eye teeth, or committed some other bodily infliction, to have had the pleasure of basking in the sunshine of Miss Purce}^'s smiles. Several had made strenuous efforts to gain favor from her, but in vain. Her dignified, yet lady-like, bearing proved too great a barrier for any continued advances on their part. She became commonly and mutually re- spected, if not almost revered, by all the young men without being bored by any of them. She was called the beauty of the county, and, whenever present at any kind of a gathering, was the queen of the hour. It need not be said that a vague suspicion existed among these sons of bondage that Purcey thought herself too good for many of them, and the suspicion was well founded. Among the most determined of Purcey's suit- ors, was a young man who was the property of a once very wealthy widow lady, who kept about her only a few servants of her own, hiring what- ever other help she needed to work her plantation. James Seabury was the young man in question, and he was the Widow Dean's favorite servant. He was given much liberty, managed the other servants, and was trusted beyond limit. He was commonly called the " Widow Dean's Jim." Jim was of a copper- colored complexion, with straight hair, clear cut fea- ANOTHER FAMILY. 21 tures, and a fine physique. He dressed with great taste and neatness, and sported a handsome gold watch a gift of his mistress, who took great pride in him. Jim was naturally quick withal, and possessed a splendid mind which only needed cultivation. Here, however, was the level upon which he stood with the most stunted and ignorant field hand. With all his natural acquirements, without freedom, without the letter, his condition was a regretful one, and his ex- cellent qualities were stunted by a cruel, unjust op- pression. Jim had vainly struggled to force his at- tentions upon Purcey ; he spared neither money nor wit to win her affection, and while, at times, his soul was delighted by a few hours in her society, yet all of his advances were met with a dignified but posi- tive check. He was, of course, without those traits of winsomeness so common to men of a more intel- lectual mind, and had to content himself with his simple knowledge of wooing, as he had been taught by Uncle Oscar. Every plantation had some old uncle or aunty who set up business as instructor in love affairs. Their stock of information was very limited, and partook much of a sameness, but to the poor, untutored minds of those who received instructions from them, they were regarded as prophetical, and great confidence was placed in them. The instruc- tions in love-making, as imparted by Uncle Oscar, were of that character of information which makes a man better off without it. He could get so far and 22 BOND AND FREE. no farther ; then the pupil was left to talk for himself. Jim had called on Uncle Oscar for instructions as to how to make love, and had been addressed something like this : " Now, chile, when yer heart is set on a young lady, and you wants ter 'splain to her de amors affecshun of yer heart, you goes in. She says, 'Hab a seat ? ' You says, ' Don't car if do.' She says, 'Best yer hat?' You says, 'Don't car if I do.' Den, when you'se seated, you cross yer legs, puts yer hand up in yer serspender, dis way, fro back yer head, and say : ' Miss, dar has been sumpfin' on my mind dat I hab sought prebious opportunites befor the present 'cassion to give unlimited scope to my 'spressions. Should dar be no 'jections, I desire to 'splain what hab been to me de unhappy moments when I'se absent from yer presence.' After yer hab said dis, den wait for 'feet" This is as far as Uncle Oscar's instructions extended. What was to be done after the effect, James was left to decide for himself. With this meager information, arrant knight never went forth to meet his lady fair with more boldness than the Widow Dean's Jim. As he sallied forth to call upon Miss Purcey, over and over in his mind did he turn the words of his tutor, until he could repeat them almost verbatim. Having reached the presence of his fair Dulcina, being invited to a seat, Jim, without any further conversation, began to recite Uncle Oscar's love piece. When he came to the end of his speech ANOTHER FAMILY. 23 he stopped, as a matter of course, and waited for the effect. Purcej waited for him to proceed until the pause became embarrassing, when she said, "Pro ceed, Mr. Seaburj." Jim looked at her in a dazed sort of manner, appearing completely puzzled. That word was more than he could digest. He did not know whether it meant to go or remain, whether it was encouraging or discouraging ; consequently, Jim did the most- natural thing imaginable: he looked straight at Purcey with a puzzled air and grinned. This ended the love-making, but did not dampen Jim's ardor, for he continued to press his attentions upon Purcey to such an extent that the girl grew alarmed at hisdoggeddetermination. He began to grow desperate, and finding that he could not summon sufficient manly courage to declare his love, he de- cided to fill his bosom with the stuff that cheers, and which is supposed to urge men to deeds of valor as well as crime. Opportunity soon presented itself a camp- meeting was to be held a few miles from the village, and, as was the custom when camp-meetings were held, everybody for miles around attended them. Jim selected one of the widow's best horses, and provided himself with plenty of spending money. Dressed with his usual neatness, his gold watch-fob dangling from his pocket, he set out for the camp, intending to seek Purcey, whom he knew would be there. Now had Jim been possessed with the cour- age or the forethought of the average young man, he would have engaged his lover's company for the 24 BOND AND FREE. entire journey, and thus shut out the possibility of any rival out-generaling him. But not attending to these details, he was doomed to a disappointment and humiliation that day which ended forever his affec- tions for Purcey, and shook his confidence in the en- couraging influence of the wine when it is red, or corn juice after it is distilled. The camp-meeting was a large one, conducted by Brother Uncle Belden, of Baptist faith. Brother Bel- den was a gifted man ; he was blessed or gifted with a stentorian pair of lungs, a very active and original imagination, and could read the Bible with the lids closed, with as much satisfaction to himself as he could when open, because Brother Belden could not read at all. He had, however, been called to preach, and with an ever-ready obedience shown by those only who have received the call, he responded. Uncle Belden was one of that vast army of called laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, who have never stopped to measure their fitness. Fitness was con- sidered hardly necessary as a qualification to their labor: So nearly on an equality were the preacher and the hearer, that he who announced that he had been called by the Lord to labor in His moral vine- yard was looked upon with holy reverence. They were all equallv deprived, both the called and the uncalled. The privilege of obtaining any better knowledge of the Word of God was denied them, except through the medium of such men as Uncle Belden. ANOTHER FAMILY 25 In him they confided ; him they honored ; in him they saw the messenger of the Lord bearing the only consolation which was like balm to their hearts in their deepest sufferings. From this source they learned, after all the sufferings of this life, that a brighter and more peaceful one awaited them in the life to come. It was the true camp-meeting of ye olden times, when the people were inspired with the earnestness of their work, and worshiped beneath the green trees and the bright heavens, the sweet songsters of na- ture responding to their earnestness. The soft, green turf upon which they kneeled and poured forth prayers, such as only their simple souls could give utterance to, was quite in place, and far superior to their houses of worship. The hymns they sang were original and quaint, the music was unwritten and in- imitable, the pathos exciting them to high but ear- nest demonstration. What a contrast between ye camp -meeting of ye good old slave-days and the Sabbath -breaking, speculative gatherings of to-day! It was one of these camps Jim attended, and as he had expected, met Purcey Upon discovering her, he carried out with avidity his determination to bol- ster up his courage with the stuff that cheers. From the well-filled bottle with which he had provided himself, he took frequent potations, until his courage was up to the point of boldness sufficient to ap- proach her. Purcey, dressed in the riding habit which had so incensed her mistress, resting against a tree, 26 BOXD AND FREE. and deeply engrossed with Brother Belden's disserta- tion upon the unknown future, looked the picture of beauty. Jim approached her, touching her gently on the arm. Purcey turned suddenly, and discovered from his dilating eyes and the unpleasant aroma which emanated from his mouth that he had been drinking. Her first impulse was to reprimand him then arid there, but fearing to attract attention, she said : "Well, Mr. Seabury, you here?" Jim said, " Yes, Miss Purcey, will you walk with me?" This invitation, coming from a young man in his cups, would doubtless have been refused by most young women, but Purcey, knowing Jim's sticking qualities, assented. The two left the vicinity of the pulpit, which was a rude structure erected out of rough boards and set upon four logs, and proceeded a short distance toward the open road. When they had gone, as Purcey thought, far enough, she stopped, and, in a very polite manner, asked her escort what he desired. By this time. Jim had become pretty well confused, and had been lost in a maze of thought as to what to say to Purcey ; now that they were alone, after a moment's silence, having apparently col- lected his scattered thoughts, he said : "Miss Purcey, I love you, 'deed I do, and, if your master will let me, I want to marry you. Will you have me? " At this, he fell on his knees and seized her hand with both of his, covering it with kisses. ANOTHER FAMILY. 27 Purcey was almost dying with laughter, for, from amidst the crowded camp, she saw William McCullar looking uneasily around, and knew that it was she whom he sought. He finally caught a glimpse of her standing in the road, a man upon his knees before her, and she struggling to free her hand from his grasp. With a sudden bound, almost like a flash, he was at her side; taking in the situation at a glance, he saw no harm was meant Purcey ; so he gently re- leased Jim's grasp, and, taking Purcey by the arm, stood between the girl and his arduous rival. With a graceful sweep of his arm and a look of contempt, William said, " Young man, you's entirely too pre- vious," when he quietly led her away. Poor Jim, finding himself alone in the road and his rich black broadcloth pants covered with dust, arose shyly, sought his horse, returned home, and banished all love for Purcev from his bosom. CHAPTER III. THE BARGAIN. Jonathan Maxwell was anxious that Purcey should marry one of the McCullar breed, which one, he did not care. So he betook himself to the Biggers plantation for the purpose of bringing about the de- sired union. Jonathan was always a welcome visitor at the Biggers mansion, and, when announced, Mr. Biggers was just turning over in his mind the pro ject of "putting a few niggers into his pocket," as he always termed the bartering away of human flesh and blood. For some time Mr. Biggers had been grow- ing financially embarrassed; he had parted with a number of his slaves to the traders, and others had parted from him for fear of being sold South. Two or three of his slaves had made successful attempts in escaping, which had only aroused the rancorous feeling in the man, and, one day, he called them all up and informed them that the next time a d m nigger ran away from the plantation, he would sell all the rest and put them into his pocket, where he was sure they would be safe. Mr. Biggers said, " Don't I clothe you ? don't I feed you? don't I give you a holiday every Christmas? Well, if I do this, why don't you be obedient to your master, and be contented with your lot?" After giv- es) THE BARGAIN. 29 ing them this lecture, he bought two keen-scented blood-hounds, discharged his overseer, and brought up another from an Alabama plantation, a man who he said could flay a nigger alive, and was up to all their tricks. Notwithstanding all of these precau- tions, it was not long before another runaway was re- ported, and as Mr. Biggers sat counting up his losses from runaways for every runaway slave represented the loss of so many dollars and cents, which natur- ally decreased Mr. Biggers' wealth and, further, realizing the pressing demands for money. Jona- than Maxwell's visit, just at this time, on business of the nature upon which he came, was not only oppor- tune, but a great oasis in Mr. Biggers' financial desert. It would, perhaps, be well to contrast the two men as we have them before us. Jonathan Maxwell we know as a proud, unscrupulous, designing man, stop- ping at nothing to make a dollar, yet he was not a cruel master, unless all men who deprived their fel- low-man of his liberty were cruel. Abraham Big- gers was a man of an entirely different type, being short in stature, heavily built, stub-feet, stub-hands^ and stub-nose. His head was round and his neck short and thick. He looked out of two very restless and small eyes, overhung with large shaggy eyebrows while all over his countenance could be discerned ? low cunning, cruelty, and utter meanness. Having welcomed Jonathan, he led the way into a comfortable sitting-room, inviting his visitor to a seat Opening a drawer with a key which he selected from 30 BOND AND FKEE. a large bunch lie had taken from his pocket, he pro- duced a box of cigars, pushed them toward Jonathan, who took one and lighted it. Mr. Biggers did like- wise. He waited for Jonathan to open up the con- versation, for it was a rule with him to talk but little and listen much. Jonathan was rather impatient to hurry through with his business, for he had little liking for the man he had to deal with. It is doubtful .whether, under circumstances other than his pecuniary interest, he would have condescended to pay a visit to a man of Mr. Biggers' stamp. With- out much ceremony, he made known the object of his visit. He removed his cigar from his mouth, and said : " Biggers, do you know my girl Purcey ? " Biggers looked up thoughtfully, tapped his red forehead with one of his stubby fingers, bent his little round body forward, and said : " Do you mean that devilish pretty yaller gal whom you have spoiled ? " " "Well, if that's the way you put it, yes." " What of her? " said Mr. Biggers. " I should like to match her with one of your niggers remember, she is a fine girl, and I don't care about matching her with any on my place, so I thought if I could get your consent, we would mate her with one of the McCullar niggers." Mr. Biggers sat bolt upright, removed the cigar from his mouth, which he had been chewing more than smoking, and before answering, wondered what object THE BARGAIN. 81 other than the one stated, Jonathan could have in desiring this union. He knew that whatever children they had would become Maxwell's, and he (Biggers) would gain nothing by the match in that respect. He also feared that Puree y, proud as he knew she was her blood being so mixed with that of the Anglo- Saxon might put the devil in her husband's head and induce him to run away. He did not, however, give utterance to any of these thoughts, but looked steadily at Maxwell, as he said slowly, "Jonathan, what will you take for that gal?" " I don't want to sell her ; I want to mate her." " Why not sell her ? Let me have her, and I'll make you a present of the first born and it won't be a nigger, either." Jonathan Maxwell did not know whether Biggers was in earnest or in jest, for Biggers kept smiling all the time and looking straight at him. So speak- ing rather , impatiently, he said, "Biggers, I mean business, and you have gone to jesting." " Never was more serious in my life. You sell me the gal or buy the boy, otherwise we can't drive a bargain." Jonathan knew that when Biggers came to a con- clusion there was no moving him. He had not thought of making a purchase, but he now saw that if he wanted to mate Purcey to one of the McCullars, he must buy one of them. So he said, " Which one will you sell?" " Any one of them you want. A nigger's only 32 BOND AND FREE. so much cash to me, and I would just as lief sell one as another; all I want is the price." '' Well," said Jonathan, " the one I hire from you occasionally is a good worker, apparently sound, healthy, and active. What is your price for him ? " " That's a devilish good boy you have selected, and I would not part with him for a cent less than two thousand dollars," was Mr. Biggers' reply, as he brought his fist down upon the table. And his little eyes twinkled. " Then you had better keep him ; he is worth more to you than he is to me. There isn't a nigger on my place I would ask you that much for." " Will you take two thousand dollars for the gal? " " Yes, give me the money, and she is yours." Mr. Abraham Biggers was taken somewhat aback by this offer, for with all his talk about buying the girl, he had no such intention, and if he had, all his ready resources were so intricately tied up that he could not have made the purchase had his desire been ever so great. So he began to change his mode of attack. "Now look here, Maxwell, two thousand dollars ain't a big price for that 'ere boy, for he's worth every dollar of it, and if he is anything like that old black father of his, he will make five times the money for you in less than ten years. Besides, as a hand about the place, I haven't got his equal ; never growls, ain't vicious, and only needs lashing once in a while to keep him in mind of his place." This was THE BARGAIN. 33 one of Mr. Biggers' customs, which he invariably carried out, no matter how faithful a slave was, how attentive to work, or true to his master. With that ingratitude of the dog that snaps at the hand which feeds him, this cruel and heartless master found some pretext to ply the lash, often remarking that niggers would forget themselves. Jonathan Maxwell was quick to take advantage of Mr. Biggers' pecuniary condition ; he well knew and. fully understood the close quarters his neighbor was in. He knew the man, and he at once commenced to display an air of indifference. " Now, Biggers, I ain't particular about Bill, any of the other boys will suit me just as well. The reason I selected him is, because the girl appears to take to him, and I don't believe there would be any trouble about mating them, if I had him on the place." Mr. Biggers rubbed his stubby hands together, as though greatly tickled with the last remarks of Jonathan. " Ha ! ha ! Maxwell," he replied, "that's it exactly, that's it ; the gal takes to him, no trouble to make the match, two thousand dollars and he is yours; cheap, sir, cheap as bull-beef at a penny a pound," and lying back in his chair, he laughed heartily at his own cleverness. " But," said Jonathan, " I protest ! Two thousand dollars is too much ; I can buy two niggers for that." Mr. Biggers formed the opinion in his own mind 34 BOND AND FREE. that he was very clever. So pleased was he with his own humor that he invariably laughed when, as he thought, he was about to say, or had said, a clever thing. He did not intend to lose the chance of making a sale, and his object for holding out so long before coming down to his selling-price was to see how anxious Jonathan was to make the purchase. Jonathan's indifference made him somewhat afraid to dally too long, and he spoke now like a man anxious to take hold, but unwilling to let go. " So you could, sir, so you could. But the two wouldn't be the one you want, ha ! ha ! How is that, Maxwell? Ha! ha!" Jonathan looked at his neighbor, and a sarcastic smile overspread his face. He was growing tired of Mr. Biggers, for he felt satisfied that that gentleman had not put the price he meant to sell at on the man, Bill. He was as anxious to buy as Biggers was to sell, but he used every effort to conceal his anxiety. " Tell you what I will do. If you have any other niggers to sell, I will take one of them ; I wouldn't pay two thousand dollars for any one you have on the place." " That shows you don't know the place, and what it is capable of producing, Maxey , ha ! ha ! (Jonathan's lip curled with scorn at being thus familiarly addressed, but said nothing.) " Make me an offer," said Mr. Big- gers, "but be liberal, Maxey, be liberal." ''Make you a liberal offer?" said Jonathan, with a THE BAEGAIN. 35 smile. "I shall be liberal; I will give you one thousand and five hundred cash." Mr. Biggers stretched out his short legs to their full length, lay back in his chair, tossing to one side his little bullet head, while his little pea-like eyes closed alternately, his stubby hands went down into his pockets, and, in the absence of any cash, rattled a bunch of keys. His thin blue lips were pursed up, and he uttered a long, low whistle which ended by him saying, " Not by a d m sight ! " "All right," said Maxwell, as he arose and took his hat and gloves from the table. " Then that settles it, the boy is yours, the girl is mine, and so is the cash." Mr. Biggers, without changing his position, with his eyes still performing the grand change, said, " Add another hundred." Jonathan paused, with his hand upon the door-knob, eyed his neighbor closely, and, without a word, returned to the table, took his check- book from the inner pocket of his coat, and filled up a blank for sixteen hundred dollars. This he handed over to Mr. Biggers, who examined it closely again and again, folded it up, and in a very bad hand wrote out a receipt, transferring the same to Jonathan, and with as polite a bow as his coarse manners permitted, said, " Shall I send the boy with you? " Jonathan answered, "No, send him to me." By this transaction, William McCullar became the pro- perty of Jonathan Maxwell, and was to be installed 36 BOND AND FREE. upon the very plantation where the woman he loved resided. He was, in fact, to enjoy bondage under a new master, where his eyes would daily behold all that was dear to him in life. Was it possible for this piece of goods and chattel to have within his breast affection? Could that affection spring from the same source as that of a white man? Was it born of the same material, possessing the same tendency? Was it, or could it be, formed into a love pure and true, a love such as poets have sung of, and mankind is subject to? Could this being, deprived of everything except the five senses given him by God, either by instinct or reason, reach that higher attitude of affection? Such, dear readers, was the case. His ardor reached the fullest, the highest, the purest, the holiest of love. This was the affection which William McCullar, a slave, who had nothing but his soul to call his own, bore Purcey. And when his master summoned him and handed him an unsealed note, directing him to deliver it at the Maxwell plantation, his innocent heart bounded with joy not that he knew the con- tents of the note, for had it been written in letters ten times as large, they would have conveyed to his mind no greater significance than do the characters on Chinese tea chest to the average man. William's heart bounded because he knew that in going to the Maxwell plantation he would see Purcey ; because he could go to the house where she resided, in open daylight without fear of molestation, and feast his THE BARGAIN. 37 eyes upon her beauty. There was but one thing that puzzled him. He could not understand why his master had selected him as a bearer of a message to Jonathan Maxwell. House-servants were usually employed as messengers, and he was a teamster. Another thought struck him. Was the note he had to deliver a pass that he could use upon his return, as he realized that it would be well into the night before he could return? This gave him cause for alarm. He feared that, returning in the night, he might be captured by the patrol, and he well knew what that meant, to be caught off his master's planta- tion without a pass. The patrol were a dread to all slaves. They were men employed by the master to arrest all slaves found, after a certain hour at night, away from home without a permit. When they caught a slave, his back usually got nine and thirty. They consisted of a poor class of whites, who found pleasure in such employment, often indulging in it for mere sport. They frequently, out of pure cussedness, attacked the slaves when as- sembled together, or having such pleasures as they found to indulge in. The patrol, consisting of half a dozen ruffians, would surround a resort for slaves, and make a raid upon it ; the negroes would scatter in every direction, and those unfortunate enough to be captured were whipped for the fun of it. These ruf- fians did not always succeed in getting away without injury, for a broken head caused by a stray missile hurled by some slave was not an unusual occurence. 38 BOND AND FREE. William did not spend much time in considering these questions, although very important to him. He had been directed by his master to go to the Max- well plantation, and the prospect of seeing Purcey, he thought, was worth a race with the patrol. They had to catch him before they whipped him, and he consoled himself with the confidence he had in his legs. He now set out to deliver the message of his master, perfectly innocent of his purchase by Jona- than. So eager was he to reach his destination that he arrived there in an incredibly short time. Little did he think what a doom a pleasant doom was in store for him. How like many of his fellow-men was William! His position, his surroundings were not given a moment's thought. Now, all his thoughts were concentrated on the one object, His one hope, his one thought was of the woman he loved ; and any pretext or opportunity that carried him into the presence of her to whom he was devoted was only too eagerly sought or accepted. The note was duly delivered to Jonathan Maxwell, who, after glancing over its contents, said to William, " I have bought you. You are to remain upon my place." Had a thunderbolt struck at his feet and buried itself in the earth without injuring him, William could not have been more amazed. He was stricken completely dumb, and stood with bowed and uncovered head in that attitude of submissiveness so characteristic of the slave, his heart struggling within his bosom as if THE BARGAIN. 39 it would burst forth from its confines ; Jonathan di- rected him to go to the kitchen and remain there until sent for. William moved mechanically, but swiftly, making an effort to conceal from his new master his happiness. Entering the kitchen, he found Purcey 's mother in charge of the culinary department, busy in preparing the midday meal. Every, or nearly every Southern kitchen seemed to be incomplete without the customary black cook, generally an old aunty, coal black, her head en- cased in a bandanna handkerchief, and with a knowl- edge of cooking that fitted her to cook a meal to please a king. The Maxwell house had one of this kind of chefs with the exception of the black- ness. Elva, the mother of Purcey, was not an ordi- nary woman. On the contrary, she was a most ex- traordinary woman, taking into consideration her condition. She was endowed with quick perception and much intelligence. She was of tall stature, with high, intelligent forehead, and large, black, lustrous eyes, which, when fixed upon one, seemed to rivet him to the spot, or burn their way almost into the very heart. Over these eyes, she had .complete control. Her daughter Purcey fully understood their every motion, Elva could ask or answer a question, with- out moving her lips, by the expression of her eyes. She could spread beams of love, or darts of awe. Neither her mistress nor master cared to withstand their gaze. Jonathan was never known to invade that part of 40 BOND AND FREE. the house allotted to Elva, except when his cook was in the most amiable mood. When William entered the kitchen, Elva, though busily engaged at her work, appeared much engrossed in thought. We have said that she was an extraor- dinary woman, and so she was for one in her posi- tion. Her intelligence was remarkable, and she pos- sessed all of those qualities peculiar to her sex. Per- haps the admixture of Indian and Anglo-Saxon blood in her veins answered for the possession of these quali- ties. But making such an admission as this strength- ens a theory which was quite prevalent in the days of slavey and, perhaps, exists among a few negro- haters to-day that a negro is incapable of any deep thought. Nevertheless, Elva was thinking and roll- ing out dough at the same time. She was the mother of five children, as we know. Her husband had been sold from her immediately following the birth of the fifth and last child. After he was sold, she determined never to marry again ; she would never again be guilty of adding fuel to the fire of slavery. This was a vow she took and she kept it, notwithstanding the importunities of numer- ous suitors. She had taken another vow, and that was that her children should be free at least those who desired freedom and it was this subject which so deeply interested her that, when William entered the room, she failed to notice his presence. Plans had already been effected for the escape of her two sons, and she was now engaged in studying out the THE BARGAIN. 41 course she was to pursue in assisting in the contem- plated escape. She knew nothing of William's pres- ence until she heard him mention her name. Turning suddenly with the rolling-pin in her hands, she be- held William, his face wreathed in smiles, bowing and scraping in an excited manner. His presence at such an hour at the Maxwell house, looking unusu- ally tidy and acting so strangely, rather surprised her. It was not William's custom or privilege to visit Pur- cey in the day-time. He usually came at night, and was always in fear of being captured by the pa- trol before he could return home ; it was also a very unusual thing for one of Mr. Biggers' negroes to be off on a holiday. William would often stop at the Maxwell house, when passing with his six-horse team, and had been made the recipient of many a square meal. But here he was, at an hour in the day when all able-bodied negroes were earning bread for their masters. She looked at him with those beautiful black eyes, which seemed to ask the question her lips finally propounded. William had just come from a hard and severe master, who worked his slaves hard and fed them poorly, and this change of masters gave him so much pleasure that he could hardly realize it. Mr. Biggers had very strict rules about his place, especially applying to his slaves. None of them were allowed off of the place ; and if they went to church, or attended any of the festivities on neighboring plan- tations, to be found out was to receive a sure and -2 BOND AND FREE. severe lashing. Abraham Biggers' negroes, as it was known for miles around, never got more than half enough to eat. For six days in the week, they worked from sunrise until sunset, upon rations is- sued to them daily, and on the seventh day they fared the best they could, rations never being issued on the Sabbath. His idea was, that when a nigger didn't work he didn't need to be fed. It will then be seen that all of his slaves were left to shift for them- selves upon this particular day. The result was, that neighboring hen-roosts, as well as smoke-houses and corn-fields, were frequently visited. Many were the complaints to Mr. Biggers about his thieving negroes, but to them he only turned a deaf ear. The reader might, perhaps, think that the hen-roosts of Mr. Big- gers suffered with the rest, but such was not the case. There was not a slave upon his place that dared to steal from this man ; they could steal from anywhere else, or steal anything they could lay hands upon, but it was worth a negro's life to steal from Abra- ham Biggers. There were many things in the character of Mr. Abraham Biggers showing that he was a man with- out principle, avaricious, conniving, and not only a cruel master, but that he was in fact mean. He bore the unenviable reputation of acquiring the pro- perty of his neighbors without paying a proper equivalent, and through very questionable means. It was a custom to allow to all slaves from three to four weeks during the Christmas holi- THE BARGAIN. 43 days. Their time was exclusively their own. After the first of the year, many of them who were hired out by their masters exchanged places. The Christ- mas season was a general gala time among them, and for weeks before its approach, they began to lay by their little earnings for a good time. Some mas- ters allowed them whatever they could earn for two or three weeks ; others granted their slaves the priv- lege of raising a hog, or poultry, which they could dispose of at will, and apply the proceeds of such a sale to their enjoyment. Those who had masters who granted none of these privileges secured their spending money by stealing whatever they could, and converting their stealings into money. Many slaves who were employed to thresh grain would fill their pockets with it, whenever opportunity offered, and by this means would get bags full, and sell wherever they could. Such was the business that Mr. Biggers indulged in. He would buy anything brought to him. He was known to have bought as high as ten bags of clover-seed stolen from his neigh- bor's granary by the servants. To his mind, this was profitable business ; the hogs in his pens, the poultry in his barn-yard, and the sheep in his pasture, as well as the grain in his granary, were all well mixed with the pilfered property of his neighbors. Still this man worked and drove his servants on barely suffi- cient rations to sustain life, and no complaints were ever tolerated. His servants were never allowed to eat at the table, 44 BOND AND FREE. but were compelled to eat standing. In harvest, but half an hour was given for meals, and they were driven under the whip of a cruel overseer from sun- rise until sun set. Abraham Biggers had never been married; no woman had ever as yet been won by any of Mr. Biggers' personal charms ; so far he had been left alone to enjoy his meanness and vent his spleen upon his goods and chattels, in place of upon a com- panion of his bosom. You must not think, dear reader, that this man, capable of doing anything mean, contemptible, or base, hesitated to satisfy his passions with the poor unfortunate creatures who were forced to call him master. It was his custom to live with those of his female slaves whom his base desires choose. By one of them, he had been known to have three children, selling mother and children to the traders. It was a very ordinary thing for Mr. Biggers to engage in this sort of business. He was once known to purchase a very handsome woman called Jane, to whose quarters he would go regularly at night and remain. The woman finally gave birth to a child, and was, in a few weeks, sold to the traders. As negro traders never bought women with nursing children at their breast, and as the child's whereabouts was never discovered, rumors flew thick and fast that only God and Abraham Big- gers knew its fate. This was the man from whom William McCullar was purchased by Jonathan Max< well, and the man had many reasons to rejoice at the change of mastership. THE BARGAIN. 45 When Elva looked at William, she sai'd, " Well, William, what brings you here?" ''Oh, Aunt Elva, what you think? " " I don't know, honey, but I bin thinking good bit of late. What's the matter?' 1 "Why, Mars Maxwell has done bought me, and I am to live here." Elva was quite surprised to hear this announce- ment, and said: "Well, one thing's sure, child, you'll have a better master and more to eat. I suppose you and Purcey will both be happy. But, child, take my advice and don't marry to bring children into the world to become slaves." William hardly heard this last remark, for entering the room from a door directly before him, was Purcey, with her hands full of dishes; and in her plain calico wrapper and neat apron, her hair tucked carefully away under a pretty little turban, she cut a simple but beautiful figure. She bowed to William, deposited the dishes upon the table, extended her hand, and invited him to a seat, a courtesy her mother had entirely forgotten to extend, owing to her astonishment. Purcey said, " Why, Mr. McCullar, what brings you here this time of day?" "I have come here to stay." " Come here to stay ! What dp you mean? " " Mars Maxwell bought me to-day, and I arn to stay here." It must not be supposed that Purcey had no love for William, for she had ; she loved him dearly, sin- 46 BOND AND FKEE. cerely, but with becoming modesty. So when she heard that William had been bought by her master, she could scarcely conceal her ecstasy. She could hardly realize that he whom she loved so dearly was to be her every-day companion, or, at least, be so near to her that she would see him almost constantly. In a very calm manner, she congratulated him, and hoped he would be pleased and contented with his new home. William was soon settled in his new quarters, and the course of love ran smooth be- tween him and Purcey, for unlike other people of the world, although enjoying freedom, there was nothing to roughen the course of these two hearts. Bound in love and bound in bondage, they entwined and encircled themselves around each other, and sought that happiness known only to the unsophisti- cated. CHAPTER IV. THE WEDDING. Purcey and William found much happiness, as was to be expected, from this very agreeable change. Jonathan allowed them to indulge in their affection toward each other without interruption. They were allowed every imaginable freedom. Purcey was per- mitted on Sundays, accompanied by William, to use her mistress' riding horse, while William was given the same liberty with his master's stable. Purcey was an accomplished horsewoman, and when she would set out to have a spurt with her lover, dress- ed as she was in a neat riding-habit made by her own hands from cast-off clothing of her mistress, her beauti- ful black tresses floating in the breeze, and the bright red glow of youth coloring to a beautiful pink tint her delicate complexion, Jonathan Maxwell himself felt proud of being the owner of so beautiful a woman. Mrs. Maxwell, though woman like, could not help but inject a little envy into her remarks when speak- ing of the girl. William was envied by many of the young men. He accompanied Purcey to all the parties, to camp-meeting, and wherever she appeared in public. They grew, if anything, more attached to each other, until the warmest passions of love ruled supreme in their bosoms. They wouid ride for miles and miles together, and Purcey would make (47) 48 BOND AND FKEE. the woods ring with her joyous laughter whenever William pleased her by saying something clever I have said that the course of love ran smooth for these two children of bondage, and so it did. Their happiness was of that sort where perfect contentment existed, where the mind is oblivious to the uncertain- ties of life. William had none of those responsibili- ties before him that would cause a freeman to think and consider of the future. He lived only in the present, he thought only of the present ; and enrap- tured with the surroundings and the change in his situation, his mind never embraced such an idea as an end to all things. He did not have upon his shoulders any of the responsibilities of life : every provision was made for him. He was before the law an irresponsible being, simply a machine built in human form, capable of thought, but restrained from action. His master filled a dual part for him, as the masters of all slaves did. It is true that William's chief wish and thought was to have Purcey for his wife, for he loved her. The only thing now necessary was to obtain his master's consent. The warning Elva had given was entirely lost upon him; he had neither thought nor care for the future; he cared only for the present, his future was his master's. Purcey lived as much in the present as her lover. She had already consented to become his wife; such a union to her would be the consummation of her highest hope. Notwithstanding her mother's attempt to discourage her from any desire to wed while a THE WEDDING. 49 slave, the advice, wholesome as it was, had taken wings at the touch of Cupid, and was no longer to be felt. So much in the present did she live that she thought not of a possible separation; she thought not of the hundreds of wives and husbands as devoted, as faithful, as happy as herself, whom she had seen separated, sold one taken by one driver, and the other by another, rent ruthlessly asunder. The holy ties of wedlock were thus severed by the whim or will of a heartless man. She had seen mother torn from daughter, father from son, wife from husband. How many had she seen placed upon the block, how many had she heard of being quietly spirited away, perhaps never to be seen again by those they loved most dear! So entirely was she enraptured, so de- voted was she to this bondman-lover, that if she had a thought of these things, it was brushed aside to give place to that sweeter thought, her present happi- ness. It was not an unusual custom for some masters to give their slaves an elegant wedding when they married, especially among the better class of Southern- ers, and as Jonathan Maxwell belonged to one of the best of Southern families, he followed the custom closely, allowing the widest freedom of the house to Purcey and her friends. Preparations on a grand scale were made. A select coterie of house-servants were invited from neighboring plantations, many of the females being attired in their mistresses' silks and satins. Here and there a favorite servant could be 50 BOND AND FREE. seen, resplendent in the jewelry of her mistress, while a few of the males were arrayed in their masters' dress suits, in some instances worn with the know- ledge of the master, but in most without it. The ceremony was performed with great eclat by Rev. Meredith, pastor of the church to which Jonathan Maxwell belonged (for it must not pass unnoticed that Jonathan was a member in high standing in the church). The bride was richly attired, as Mrs. Max- well took great pains, at the solicitation of her husband, in preparing Purcey for the great event. She stood there with the blushes of virtue upon her handsome face, her hand resting gently upon William's arm, while the long black eye-lashes drooped over her beautiful black eyes, which were cast upon the floor. The words of the minister sounded distinctly as he said, "What God has joined together let no man put asunder." What a hollow mockery were those words, uttered by a man of the Gospel, in the presence of hun- dreds who did not realize their meaning, and many who had no regard for their sacredness ! Many of the whites were present at the ceremony, and took great pride in pointing out their servants, comment- ing on their value and appearance. For two days the Maxwell house was kept open, the servants came and went, danced and ate to their hearts' content. Nothing was spared to make the event a pleasant one. There was many a one who danced at Purcey's wedding who lived to see the words of the minister THE WEDDING. 51 set at naught, and the holiest of all earthly ties sev- ered by the capricious will of a heartless master. The few privileges that slaves were allowed to en- joy were taken the greatest advantage of by them. These privileges followed in the wake of all their misery, degradation, and suffering. In the midst of it all, they found that enjoyment that a people find who cannot elevate themselves above their surround- ings; they extracted pleasure out of misery, and found happiness in servitude, because they realized no other condition in life ; they married and were given in marriage, and so lived until their masters saw fit to separate them ; they knew nothing of home influence, because there were no home ties; they as- sumed no responsibility as parents, for their children were only raised to increase their masters' coffers. Could they but have realized this, a blow would have been struck at the heart of slavery that would have caused it to decay from within. The wedding now over, Purcey was William's wife, and both of them still the common property of Jonathan Max- well. CHAPTER V. A BAD START. The two sons of Elva, Henry and Joseph, had for some time contemplated making their escape from slavery. Their mother earnestly seconded them, and gave them every encouragement in carrying out their design. They had long since concluded that they were as much value to themselves as to their master, and they saw no reason why they should not be free men. They longed for freedom, and had now deter- mined to obtain it. They had seen their father sold from them and their mother, and they had seen chil- dren sold from their parents. The horrors of slavery had deeply impressed them, and they grew to detest it in all of its forms. Joseph was a brave, manly, intelligent boy, who brought his master three or four hundred dollars yearly by his hire. Henry was his senior by a few years, and about equally as valuable to his master. Freedom to them was a boon much wished for, but, as yet, their idea as to what hard- ships they must suffer before obtaining it had not developed into any definite form. They knew that many had made successful escapes, while others, who had attempted escape, had been returned and sold to the traders, taken South, there to end their existence upon some cotton plantation, or in some Georgia rice swamp, with a cruel overseer to scourge them, and [52] A BAD START. 53 where the constant baying of the blood hound froze the very blood in their veins from fear. With all of the dangers imminent from an attempt to escape, they remained undaunted and determined. Freedom was what they craved for, and in order to obtain it, everything must be surmounted that stood between them and that for which they so earnestly longed. Implicit confidence was placed in Elva's sagacity and foresight, her advice frequently sought, and closely adhered to. Besides Henry and Joseph, there were five others to accompany them. The arrangements were all completed, and, by agreement, they all assembled at one of the slave cabins on the Maxwell place, pre- paratory to starting. A fixed resolution to meet death, rather than be recaptured, was in the mind of every man. Elva pointed out to them the North star, telling them this was the guide to all runaways, and that by following it they would eventually reach the North, and a free land. She instructed them to keep to- gether, and if molested, to fight to the death. It was certainly a picture to see these seven human beings, a throbbing heart within the bosom of each one, that beat and longed for freedom. They were fleeing from a servitude which robbed them of man- hood, and deprived them of liberty. Had it not been for their natural endowments, they would have been reckoned on a level with the brute creation. Standing there, with uncovered heads, listening to 54 BOXD AND FREE. the directions of this woman, who, like an angel, was directing them to a land of freedom, was a picture, a striking picture, and some day the brush of an artist, or the pen of a writer, a descendant of this race, will do justice to one of many such scenes which have so often occurred. Elva closed her instructions by invoking the bless- ings of God upon them, and saying, " Whatever you do, honeys, pray constantly and trust in God." In the stillness of the night, with no sound except the soft rustling of the leaves as they were fanned by the spring breeze, the chirping of the crickets, and the croak of the frog, this little band of heroes set out upon their search for freedom. Joe was se- lected as the leader, as he was the most intelligent of the band, while Henry, his brother, acted as a kind of lieutenant. Usually, when men start out upon an expedition fraught with danger and unknown perils, they go prepared to meet any difficulty, well armed and well prepared. But how illy prepared was this band of runaways ! All the weapons they had for protection were a stout hickory club, carried in the hand of each man, and only one fire-arm, Joe being in charge of it. The latter was of an old pattern, not guaranteed to kill at a dozen yards. They sallied forth, however, feeling that they were protected by an overruling Providence, and strong in their deter- mination to escape, counting upon their numerical strength at close quarters. Legs were used to good effect, and when daylight began to dawn, Joe, the A BAD START. 55 leader, said, " Boys, daylight's coming and we had better lay by." The entire party left the road and concealed themselves in a corn-field. Dick Cramp was detailed to make a reconnoisance. He made the circuit of the field in which they were concealed. Beaching a little hill, he looked out over the broad expanse of corn, and saw at some distance a white bull grazing. He looked again, and shaded his eyes with his hand, thinking he was mistaken ; but there grazed the white bull, oblivious to the fact that he was an object of great interest. Dick did not stop to look again, but rushed back to the hiding-place of the others, and called Joe. The noise he made run- ning through the corn brought every man to his feet, club in hand, and the excited man was plied with questions as to what was the matter. Dick was one of Mr. Biggers' slaves, and had joined the band of heroes determined upon seek- ing freedom. He was as finely built a specimen of humanity as the eye ever rested upon, black as a coal, with close-cropped hair, and well developed muscles. Just why a white bull should so startle him would not be strange when we consider how superstitious negroes were ; but there was a great deal more of reality than superstition about this par- ticular bull. Mr. Biggers owned a white bull of very fine breed, and it was the only one of the kind known for miles, in that neighborhood. When Dick saw this white bull, he knew that it was his master's, and when he 56 BOND AND FREE. had recovered himself sufficiently to answer the many questions with which he was plied, he said: " Fore de Lord, boys ! I saw Mars Biggers 1 white bull grazen over yonder on de hill/' Joe replied: " Dick, you'se a fool ; what's Biggers' bull doin' grazen round here, when we'se miles from home? Ain't we been travelin' all night? " " Can't help it, child, dat's Mars Biggers' bull. Go look for yoursels." Biggers' white bull was as familiar to Joe and all the rest of them as it was to Dick. To allay Dick's fears, Joe went to the fence, mounted it, and looking in the direction indicated by Dick, beheld the identi- cal white bull. Joe discovered more, upon a careful investigation ; he discovered that they were in Mr. Biggers' corn-field, and quickly concluded that they had lost their way, having simply been circling around their starting-point. Keturning to the others, he said: "Boys, we'se in a pretty fix; here we been trablin' all night, and ain't out of sight of de old plantation." "What we gwine to do," some one asked. " Why, we'll all go home and go to work, meet here to-night, and start agin," said Joe. As it was hardly daylight, it was not probable that any of them had been missed from their homes, few of their fellow-slaves knowing of their intention to escape. This secrecy was always necessary, for so many of the slaves were untrustworthy about any- thing concerning affairs about the plantation, deem- ing it their duty to tell their masters anything about A BAD STAET. 57 one another they knew. In view of the fact of the contemplated escape not being generally known, Joe's suggestion was a wise one. All their things were hid in the corn-field ; each one betook himself to his respective abode, and went about his work as though nothing unusual had happened. Joe did not make his home with the Maxwells, being hired out by his master. He had some distance to travel to reach the place where he was hired. Being much fatigued, upon reaching his home, he proceeded to his room in the loft of the house, and had just thrown himself upon his apology for a bed, which occupied a very narrow space in the corner of the room, when his master's voice summoned him to perform his daily chores. Joe arose with aching head and throbbing heart, wondering whether the news of his attempted escape had reached his master's ears. The escape had been attempted Saturday night, so that they would have the whole of Sunday for a start, all the boys, except- ing Joe, having sought permission from their masters to be absent on Sunday. It will be perceived by this that they would have had a full night and a day's start before being missed. It being Sunday, Joe soon performed his chores, and put out for the Maxwell homestead to see his mother. When he entered the kitchen, Elva was engaged at her usual occupation. Upon seeing him, she at once dropped everything, and stood there gazing at her- son as though he were an apparition. Eiva had spent nearly 58 BOND AND FKEE. all of the night, upon her knees, praying for the suc- cessful escape of her sons. She had believed them to be, at that time, a safe distance from the old planta- tion. She did not utter a word, but her eyes con- veyed her astonishment. Joe broke the silence by asking if she had seen Henry. "Seen Henry!" Elva replied, "No, honey, what does this mean ? " He, thereupon, told her of their traveling all night, to find themselves, the next morning, in Biggers' corn-field. Elva bent her head in silence, and, look- ing up after a few seconds' meditation, rested her large black eyes upon Joe, saying, "Son, this must be all for the best. God had something to do with this. The next time you'll get away. Go home now, keep this to yourself, and start again next Saturday night." " Why," said Joe, " we was goin' to start agin to- night." "No," said Elva, "you would be missed in the morning, and they would soon be upon your track, and, perhaps, take you before you crossed the river. Wait until next Saturday." Whether it was fanaticism or superstition, Elva was possessed with great confidence in the efficacy of prayer. She had also reached a point in religious fervor which, was termed among her friends, sanctifi- cation ; she felt that she was sanctified, and that God revealed to her many things to which the unholy were entirely blind. This religious fervor, or fanati- A BAD START. 59 cisrn, brought her into prominence among her people. When Sister, or Aunt, Elva bowed clown in prayer, everything was hushed in silence. She prayed con- stantly and persistently for the abolition of slavery. She knew not how it would come, or when it would come, but she contended that just as sure as the children of Israel were led out of bondage, just so sure would her people be free a prediction which poor Elva lived not to see fulfilled. Yet it has come. It seems almost incredible that this woman of bond- age should have had so intelligent an understanding, so appreciative a sense of the over-ruling power of Providence, of the faithfulness with which His divine predictions are carried out. But faith in God,, con- fidence in His mercy, and trust in His power, are all that kept up these poor creatures under the terrible sufferings through which they passed. Ignorant as they were of all other things, deprived of all light to lead their simple minds to a more complete knowledge of the creation of all men free and equal, robbed of all their manhood and womanhood, they yet hoped, trusted, and prayed. Elva was one of those creatures, as we have said, possessed of splendid natural endowments, in which predominated the holy spirit. Such prayers as she uttered were simply marvelous; the language with which she expressed herself ; and the easy manner in which it flowed from her lips, would have done credit to many of our divines of to-day. Often she would be found upon her knees in the midst of her 60 BOND AND FREE. work, sending up one of her fervent petitions to Heaven, nor was Joe surprised when his mother seized his hand and bade him kneel by her side. She clasped her hands together, and her lips moved for some moments. At last she arose, Joe saying, " Amen! " and hastening away. He went to the village of M , and there met several of the party of the previous night. He com- municated to them that the start would not be made until later in the week, and that they were, in the meantime, to arm themselves better and keep their counsel. CHAPTER VI. THE ESCAPE. The point from which Joe and his companions had made their unsuccessful attempt at escape was situ ated some fifteen miles from the Potomac river, and seven miles from the town of D . The inten- tion was to reach the river before daylight, and, bj the aid of a guide, who, they understood, would be at the river, they would be assisted across into the State of Maryland through which they would have but a short distance to travel to get into Pennsyl- vania, when they would be in a free State at least. Kunaway slaves had been assisted across the Poto- mac at various points, and directed by agents of what was known as the Underground Railroad to freedom. Numbers of them had also been betrayed by members of their own race on both the Virginia and Mary- land sides of the Potomac. At the point where Joe and his companions were to cross, they had engaged the services of a man by the name of Charles John- son. Johnson belonged to a Mr. Kerwin, who owned the only ferry-boat that crossed the river within twenty miles of the place which they wanted to reach. Mr. Kerwin possessed but a very small quota of the large number of human beings held in bond- age. Charles and a girl about sixteen years of age were all he owned. He drove, however, a thriving (61) 62 BOND AND FREE. business in catching runaway negroes and returning them to their masters. He had a very shrewd, but paying, way of con- ducting this nefarious business capturing run- aways and concealing them until a large reward was offered, when he would produce them and de- mand the reward. By this means, he had laid aside quite a competency, but being of a very miserly dis- position, carried on his negro-catching and ferrying, taking passengers over at two cents a head. Instead of investing his money in negroes, whom he feared might run away from him, he hoarded up all the wealth he could secure without making any invest- ments. He had owned Charles for some time, and had trained him in betraying and catching negroes much as a shepherd trains his dog to catch runaway sheep. Charles, whenever opportunity presented, got into the secrets of all the slaves he could ; and, under pretense of assisting and guiding them safely over the river, would betray them into the hands of " niger-catchers " This is the man with whom arrangements had been made to conduct Joe and his party across the river on the night of their unsuccessful attempt to escape. Johnson had informed his master that several run- aways were to cross the river under his direction, and Mr. Kerwin, with his usual readiness, had secured the services of several men who loaned or hired them- selves out as a nigger-catchers." But, by the guidance of some power unknown to themselves even, Joe and THE ESCAPE. 63 his companions, as we know, were kept from walking into the lion's jaws. After traveling all night, in place of being in the hands of " nigger catchers," they found themselves standing in Biggers' corn-field gaz- ing at a white bull. When Sam Lowrie, who formed one of the party, related this to Joe, he was, with his friends, quite over- come with joy. Then he thought of the narrow es- cape from capture they had made and of his mother's words. Perhaps Elva's prayers for protection had been answered, perhaps not ; but the result speaks for itself. The personnel of the little band of heroes, since a week ago, when they attempted to escape, is consider- ably changed. Some had refused to make another effort, thinking they would be captured; while others thought their lucky escape from Johnson, the betrayer, and Mr. Kerwin, the ferryman, was ominous, and, being naturally superstitious, declined all overtures to make another attempt. The only ones of the original band were Joe and his brother, Henry. The number had been reduced to five. The change of men was also decidedly in their favor, as every man was a fighting man, and one in particular, Ben Myers, was noted throughout the neighborhood for his wonder- ful strength. Myers was quite a character, being in stature a modern Goliah, with exceedingly large feet, large hands, and very large lips, the latter so much so that they interfered greatly with his articulation. His speech was thick, his language bad, and, being 64 BOND AND FREE. fond of whisky, he was a bad customer to come in contact with at this particular time. The time hav- ing arrived for the start, Joe bade farewell to his mother and sisters. Accompanied by his friends, he set out upon his perilous journey. They traveled along the road for several miles unmolested, and when within about five miles of the ferry, they saw at a distance, approaching them, a single horseman. As Mr. Johnson had come near betraying them be- fore, the services of that worthy had not been en- gaged ; indeed, every precaution had been taken to conceal all knowledge of their departure. The in- tention was to capture the ferry-boat and ferry them- selves across, knowing that no one but Johnson and his master, who resided some half-mile from the ferry, would be likely to interfere with them. In case of such interference, either one or both of those gentle- men would be easily disposed of. When this lone horseman was discovered, Joe gave the order, " Over the fence, boys ! " They ali obeyed, leaving Joe in the road. As the horseman approached, Joe dis- covered that it was no less a person than the identi- cal Charles Johnson, the negro betrayer. He quietly awaited Johnson's approach. When Johnson had reached him, he stepped out in front of the horse, and commanded the rider to halt. Mr. Johnson did not know who Joe was, and was thus at a disadvantage ; as he had no idea of any violence being meant him, he drew up his horse in obedience to the command. Joe ordered him to dis- THE ESCAPE. t)5 mount, which command he was somewhat slow in obeying. Joe, seeing that he hesitated, drew from his pocket one of those long-barrelled pistols, which he presented at Johnson's head, and again commanded him to dismount. Johnson looked down the barrel of the pistol, then looked at Joe, and seeing nothing but a very wicked and determined look in his eye, concluded he had better dismount, or this determined- looking man might make a target of him, a thing he had no desire for, as he was on his way to see his best girl. Arriving speedily at this conclusion, he quickly dismounted. Having alighted from his horse, he began to wonder whether the man. who stood be- fore him meant to steal his master's horse, or whether he was playing him a joke. His mind was soon re- lieved. Joe gave a low whistle. Over the fence leaped four as stalwart and burly negroes as ever his eye beheld, and whose combined value would have made the heart of any "nigger-catcher" bound with joy. Joe said, as the men made their appearance : " Boys, this is Kerwin's Johnson, and he will take us across the river." Johnson looked somewhat amazed at this remark, as well he might, so positively and coolly was it made. He began, however, to set his wits, to work at once. Suspecting these men to be runaway slaves, he knew that if he could but devise some plan to get away from them and secure assistance, they could all be captured. 66 BOND AND FREE. Assuming the guise of a friend, he said : "Boys, you lay by in de field until I go on to town on dis errand Mars Kerwin has sent me, and when I come back, I'll take you across all safe." Johnson's intention was too evident to Joe, who quickly said, "No, no, my boy, you can't mount dis hoss again, and you can't go to town until you take us across de river. I'se going to ride dis hoss myself, and you will move right down to de river." At this, he jumped into the saddle, and turned the horse around. Johnson was placed in front of the party, and in this order the procession moved in the direction o'f the river. Having reached the river, Johnson was asked how he was going to get them across. They agreed to give him a half dollar for each man. He saw he was entrapped, but he again resorted to strategy. He said that there was no boat that could be secured, unless they would go down to where the ferry was. Whereupon, Joe asked how far away was the ferry. '"Bout half-mile," said Johnson. "Now look here, Johnson," said Joe, shaking his finger at the man in a warning manner, "you have got to git us across dis river, and we want to cross right here, so you just go git a boat and bring it here." Johnson was again frustrated, so he said : " I doesn't know but one place to git a boat, and dat's just above THE ESCAPE. 67 here ; but de man has two dogs and I'se afraid we might git caught. Howsomever, if you say so, I'll try and git the boat." "All right," said Joe, "I'll trust you to go forde boat, but mind you, 110 fooling." Johnson started for the boat The men stared at Joe, much surprised that Johnson was allowed to go alone. They were directed to conceal themselves among the rocks. Nothing had been said to John- son to lead him to suspect that they knew he was a betrayer, and this seeming confidence partially dis- armed him. While he would have liked to have been instrumental in their capture, he unhesitatingly went and secured a boat, breaking it from its moor- ings. In a short time, the men heard the barking of the dogs, and Joe said: "Boys, he's there." One of them suggested that, perhaps, he was re- turning with the dogs to capture them. Joe replied that neither him nor the dogs would return alive if that was the case. Soon there was heard the splash of oars in the water; they looked out from their place of concealment, and discovered Johnson in the boat alone. He whistled, and they picked their way down the bank and entered the boat. There was but one man in the whole party who had ever seen a boat, and he was the Widow Dean's Jim. Jim, having traveled considerably with his mistress, had seen many things which none of the rest had. Some of my readers might just here want 68 BOND AND FREE. to know why a man, having the privileges of Jim, should want to leave a mistress so kind and indul- gent as the Widow Dean, and go out into the world to assume responsibilities of which, by remaining in slavery, he need never have known. He left a good home, a generous-hearted mistress. He knew no care ; every day to him was the same. He had never been whipped, it is true, and so far as his life had gone, it had been a pleasant one ; but Jim, nevertheless, real- ized that, with all these advantages so superior to hundreds whom he knew, he was but a slave and could be sold at any time, and doubtless would be sold as a part of the estate when his good mistress should die. So he thought he would risk all the perils of running away to be a free man. Oh, free- dom, what a boon ! Under Jim's direction, they were safely conveyed over the river. As they stepped upon the Maryland shore, they breathed more easily, although they were far from being in a free land. Johnson was paid the promised fee of fifty cents a man, which he greedily pocketed. He had ascer- tained, while crossing the river, that the runaways did not know what direction to take. This he suspected from the start Upon arriving on the Maryland side, he conceived the brilliant idea in his woolly head that he would have ample chance of carrying out his evil design of betraying his unfortunate brethern. He had done the same thing before, and he was con- fident that he could do it again. This is what made THE ESCAPE. 69 him go so submissively and get the boat, without arousing the owner ; it was that which made him so civil and so talkative while crossing the river. The brilliant, but not new, idea which struck Mr. Johnson was, to land his party safely on the Maryland shore, and send them in the direction of a tavern kept by a Mr. Nagle, who attached to his business of caring for travelers, both man and beast, the prolific business of capturing runaway slaves. Many a runaway slave had been captured by Mr. Nagle (and his coterie of loafers who always hung about his place), and re- turned to their masters, then sold South. Johnson felt perfectly secure in the belief that his civility had thrown Joe and his party off their guard, and thought it would be an easy matter to direct them in the course which he desired. The party hav- ing landed, Joe said : "Now, boys, what road shall we take?" Without waiting for any one else to answer, John- son said, " Why, I can tell you just what way to go. See dat road dat leads up yonder? Well, just foller it until you'se come to de Cross-Keys tavern, den you'se take de road dat turns to de left, and you'll reach de mountain." Now, this was literally true, as it was the most di- rect course to the mountain. But there was as little show for these men to pass the Cross Keys tavern without being molested as it is possible for the per- formance of miracles by mortal man. Johnson knew 70 BOXD AND FREE. this very well, and repeated his instructions over again, evidently fearing they might not be heeded. Joe assured him that they were very grateful for his advice, and, in rather a persuasive manner, suggested that he had better take his boat and start for home. The latter said that he did not intend to return the boat to its owner, but, upon reaching his home, would set it adrift. The men began to grow impatient at the delay caused by Joe and Johnson's conversation, and insist- ed upon moving on. Joe did not comply with their request, for he was determined to see Johnson well out in the river before he made any attempt to leave the bank. He had already decided to take a differ- ent direction from the one indicated by Johnson, but he desired to leave that worthy under the impression that implicit confidence was placed in his word. Ben Myers, to whom we have had occasion to refer before, was impatiently walking up and down the river bank growling like a caged beast. That portion of Mr. Myers' body which rested on the ground was encased in a very dilapidated pair of brogans, which were un- fastened, while on his arm he carried a very large and heavy pair of new boots. His inseparable whisky bottle was beginning to grow empty, and he was much afraid that he would be taken with a dry spell before they reached the tavern. He took off the dilapidated straw hat which covered his head, raised his bottle to his lips, and drained the last drop of its contents down his throat. Smacking his lips with evident sat- THE ESCAPE. 71 isfaction and drawing the back of his hand across his mouth, he was then in an excellent disposition to growl. So he said, in his thick speech : "' Look har, Joe, if you gwine to trabel any f udder, why don't you come on ? You'se worse den a fly 'round lasses." "Myers," said Joe, " dem old shoes and dat whisky bottle will git you into trouble yet" Myers gazed at Joe in a stupid kind of way, and replied: " Dat's all right, I'se gwine to git dat bottle filled soon's I git to dat tabern, and I wants to git darsoon." Johnson had not yet gotten into his boat, and Joe was somewhat at a loss what to do. Seeing that their guide was loath to part with them, he said : "Johnson, I think, as we are done with you, you had better cross de river. If you dont start soon, day light will catch you, and somebody will see you with dat stolen boat." Johnson knew this was true. He had no desire to be caught with a stolen boat, for if he failed to entrap these runaways, he might have difficulty in explain- ing his absence and the use he had been making of the boat. So telling Joe that he guessed he was right, Mr. Johnson very loathfully parted company with the party, and began to row himself back into slavery, where he would be useful in betraying those of his race, whom he would be fortunate enough to meet while running for freedom. Joe watched the boat until it was well out into the 72 BOND AND FREE. river, and turning to his companions, he said, "Boys, we will not pass dat tabern, for if we do, we may all be captured. I heard of dat place before." These remarks brought about a disagreement ; Henry, Joe's brother, insisted on going the direction pointed out by Johnson. In this he was ably second ed by Myers, whose desire to reach the tavern and fill his bottle over-reached the little discretion he po- sessed. Joe finally covninced them of the foolhardi- ness of such a thing, and consequently carried his point CHAPTER VII. ATTACKED. The reader cannot help but discover by this time, that, as a leader, Joe was quite a success, using a vast amount of tact and forethought for which the casual observer would never have given him credit He was probably the most determined one in the whole party upon securing freedom. His brother, Henry, was, on the other hand, timid and shy, lacking the resolution which Joe possessed ; but, when awakened to a full realization of what was expected of him, never hesitated to perform his duty. Mr. Nagle, the keeper of the Cross Keys tavern, kept upon his place, to assist him in tracking and catching runaway slaves, besides a number of loafers ever ready to engage in this nefarious business, two keen -scented and ferocious bloodhounds, and had Joe given way to the importunities of Henry and Myers, every one of the party would have been captured by Mr. Nagle, his loafers, and his bloodhounds. As it was, they took a different direction, and traveled through the State of Maryland without a single excit- ing incident Having crossed the Pennsylvania line and after having traveled, perhaps, some thirty-odd miles, they left the road for consultation. Retiring into a woods, they discussed the question of traveling by daylight; they had hitherto been traveling only at (73) 74 BOND AND FKEE. night, and during the day had concealed themselves. It was finally decided to travel by day, as they were in Pennsylvania, which, they understood, was a free State, and the likelihood of being molested did not give them any apprehension. Now, could these men have had recourse to those great resources of information, the newspapers, or if they could have kept track of the political events of the day, they would have been more apprehensive of their safety in this presumably free State. This is not a record of political events, and we shall not undertake to give any detailed account of the steps which led to the enactment of a law, making every white man of the North a blood hound and negro- hunter for the white men of the South. The Consti- tution of the country was prostituted for more than a century by the men who favored, supported, and encouraged slavery. Those high in authority, who submitted to the demands of the South, in her vigor- ous efforts to extend and protect slavery, have long since met with the just condemnation of all honest men. The effort to make the people of the North servants to the people of the South, in aiding them to secure their runaway slaves, was only too success- ful ; and, when the free people of this great country found that the man holding the highest position in the gift of the Nation was an abettor and sympa- thizer in the extension and protection of slavery, they shed many bitter tears. The Fugitive Slave Act, which permitted a man to prove his property in any ATTACKED. 75 part of the United States and take it, also making the man who refused to aid in this nefarious business a criminal before the law, was now in existence. When the Old World learned of the birth of a New Nation, there was great rejoicing. Its still, small voice was heard to proclaim that " every man was born free and equal," yet it took nearly a century and a bloody civil contest to establish firmly its first pro- nunciamento. We say, had these fugitives been acquainted with the political events of the country, they would not have been surprised at experiencing their first repulse in free Pennsylvania. Having already gotten some distance within the borders of the State without molestation, they traveled along in gay spirits, their minds fixed upon gaining liberty. At a considerable distance ahead of them, they saw several men engaged in building a barn. Joe at once directed them to answer any question put to them as to their destination by saying, that they were bound for the springs as waiters. They ap- proached the barn-builders fearlessly, and, upon reach- ing them, were asked by one of the workmen where they were going. Joe, in reply, answered, "To de springs to wait table, sar." There were, perhaps, some twenty men engaged at work upon the barn. It was what is called a build- ing-bee an economical plan farmers had of expedi- ting work. Working bees of all kinds were numer- ous. Moving-bees, corn-husking, fruit-parings, etc., 76 BOND AND FKEE. were done by a farmer inviting his neighbors to assist him. When the work was finished, a big din- ner was served, and the country lass and lad would help digestion by a good old-fashioned dance. Joe's answer to the question of the workmen appeared to satisfy them. Among the few privileges enjoyed by some slaves was that of hiring their own time from their masters ; in such cases, they were permitted to seek employ- ment at whatever they saw fit to engage. Many of them were employed at the various summer resorts as waiters, and would travel on foot in search of em- ployment To their masters they paid so much of their earnings as was demanded of them, and the rest was spent, generally, in riotous living, but in a few instances was used to purchase their freedom. Having passed the barn-builders unmolested, they had proceeded but a short distance when they were overtaken by a man seated upon a gray horse. The individual accosted them with a salutation. He was tall and lank, with a dark complexion, a nose much resembling the beak of a bird, a pair of exceedingly long limbs, which dangled below the body of the horse. His eyes were perfectly gray, while his lip appeared as though drawn up to meet his nose, ex- posing two very large teeth, and giving him the ap- pearance of a hungry jackal, while his dress was that of a sheep drover. Drawing in the lines which hung on the pommel of his saddle, he inquired where they were going. Joe gave him the same reply he had ATTACKED. 77 given the barn-builders, but did not get rid of him quite so easily. The rider eyed them closely, as he said : "Ain't you rather early for the springs? " Joe answered : "Yes, sar, a little early, but we want to be in good time." " Where are you from? " asked the stranger. "Philadelphia," replied Joe. Now, where Joe got his knowledge of Philadel- phia, it is hard to say ; unless from the fact that he was told that they were on the Philadelphia pike. The geographical knowledge of the entire party could not have located any such place. Henry, who had been standing to one side of the road eyeing the rider's horse, and noticing it to be somewhat lame, came forward, and said : " Your horse's got a ringbone." "Yes," said the rider, "and I would give a hun- dred dollars to have it cured." "I can cure it," said Henry. " Then you are the man I am looking for. I will pay your expenses at the next inn, and give you twenty -five dollars in the bargain if you cure him." Henry had a fair knowledge of horses, and was not making a vain boast when he told the stranger that lie could cure the horse. Joe was a listener to the conversation, and was afraid his brother would stop to accept the offer. He was not altogether pleased with the man's manner, as he had, generally, but little confidence in white men. 78 BOND AND FREE. He held his peace, however, but concluded not to allow his brother to accept the man's proposition. Joe finally said, after having walked some distance, the rider keeping his horse at a walking pace: " Ain't you a sheep drover? " " Yes," said the man. " Why? " " Oh, nothing, only I thought so from de clothes you wear." This was not what Joe really thought, for after having closely inspected the man, it came to him like a dream that he had seen him before. He had seen this very man purchasing sheep from a man with whom he once lived, and he knew that in addition to driving sheep he also drove slaves, that he had caught a number of runaway slaves, for which he had been well rewarded. The man on horse back then said: " Don't you men want to make a little money ? You are a little early for the springs, and I want about a half-dozen men to help me to gather some sheep through the country and drive them to market. If you want the job, I will pay each of you fifty cents a day." Joe knew that the man was only talking to pass the time, as they were fast nearing a little village where, he surmised, it was the intention of the stran- ger to obtain assistance and endeavor to capture them. Answering for the party, he said: " No, sar, we want to keep on trabelin', and don't want to stop." Whereupon, the stranger said: "Well, good day," and galloped off at a rapid pace, his legs dangling on ATTACKED. 79 either side of his horse. They saw him stop at some distance ahead of them and engage in conversation with a woman standing at a gate. When the party got within hearing distance of the rider and woman, they heard the stranger say, " Tell them to come on as fast as they can, and meet me at the Lion's Head." Joe said : " Boys, dar's trouble ahead. We can't leave de road ; dar's a town ahead, and we must pass through it, so git ready to fight." The irascible Mr. Myers, the gentleman of large feet, large hands, and large mouth, with a large love for the ardent, had been discontented and greatly out of humor ever since Joe's refusal to pass Mr. Nagle's hostelrie. His bottle had been emptied for some time, and the desire for something more ardent than water had put him in very bad humor, making him very ugly. He still carried his new boots thrown carelessly over his shoulder, while his stringless, tongueless, and thoroughly dilapidated shoes partly covered his enormous feet. When Joe said they would have to fight, Myers growled out, " Ise gwine to hab dis bottle filled at dat tabrn, if I has to walk ober de body ob some 'white man to git it." Joe again repeated his warning that Myers' bottle and shoes would yet get him in trouble. "Never mind me, honey," was his reply. "No white man's gwine to weary dese bones widout hearin' dem crack." As Myers said this he took a hitch at his pantaloons, rolled an enormous quid of tobacco to 80 BOND AND FKEE. the other side of his capacious mouth, and, with the swing of a rollicking tar, proceeded rapidly in silence, with but a single thought disturbing his rather stupid mind. That thought was to reach the inn as speedily as possible and get his bottle filled. The village which the runaways were approaching could hardly be termed such, as it consisted only of a tavern, a blacksmith's shop, and some five or six houses. The Lion's Head inn stood back several feet from the road. In front of it was a watering- trough and a long rail used for hitching horses. At one end was a mounting-stone ; and a short distance from this was one of the few houses. The blacksmith shop stood between the Lion's Head and a lane which had to be passed before reaching the inn, coming from the direction in which the runaways were. When they reached the smith's shop, the stranger had left the smith and his helper, having rode on to the inn, where he dismounted, and went inside, engaging in conver- sation with the inn-keeper. Joe was in the lead and would have kept right on, believing that the stranger, in stopping to speak to the woman and the smith, had concocted a plan for their capture. As he passed the inn door, the stranger who had accosted them on the road stepped to the door and hailed the party, asking them in to take something to drink. None of them, except Joe, needed the second invitation. He remained outside, while the rest entered the inn. The stranger called to him to come in, but he refused, saying that he did not drink. ATTACKED. 81 Mr. Myers' face was wreathed in smiles, as he tossed off several good stiff drinks of old corn- juice. Whis- ky was cheap then. A man could get three drinks of better liquor for the same amount that he has to pay now for one. Myers did not neglect to fill his bottle, which he stowed away in a pocket of his dilapidated coat. After drinking, they all stood upon the little balcony which surrounded the inn. The stranger who had shown such kindness stepped out upon the balcony and said to Henry: "Now, my young man, show me how to cure that ringbone." Henry walked out to the horse, and began to display his knowledge of curing the ills of dumb animals. Joe walked out into the road, and, as he looked toward the black- smith's shop, he saw the smith and his assistant armed with' stout pieces of iron, while up the road came about a dozen men provided with sticks, clubs, stones, and whatever other implements they could procure. He shouted, "Boys, look behind you!" Henry- glanced over his shoulder, at once dropped the horse's foot, and made a break for the road. Joe took to a field, and the rest of the runaways scattered in differ- ent directions. Liquor had so far overcome the senses of Myers that he was grabbed by the affable stranger, the rider of the ringbone horse, who in- formed him that he was a runaway and he was going to return him to his master. Myers partly opened his eves, and was rather slow in taking in the situa- 82 BOND AXD FKEE. tion. He had, however, retained his hold upon his club, which he grasped more firmly, and said : "Look, heah, white man, let me go." The rider of the ringbone horse said: "Yes, I'll let you go, you d d nigger," and, as if to assure Myers of his attention, tightened his grip on his collar. Myers raised his club and brought it down on the arm of his captor. The rider of the ringbone horse relinquished his hold without being told the second time, and that member of his anatomy dropped limp and lifeless at his side, while he gave utterance to a howl which would have done justice to a cayote. Myers put off at a rapid rate, with stones flying after him, and all the dogs and men in the place close upon his heels. His slipshod shoes and the whisky he had imbibed greatly retarded his progress. He ran very swiftly, however, and, reach- ing a hill, he attempted to ascend it, but lost his foot- ing and fell. In a moment a half-dozen men were upon him; they quickly secured and bound him with a rope, and marched him back to the inn trium- phantly. He was placed upon a bench at the door, while his captors withdrew to decide how to dispose of him. They knew that a large reward would be offered for him, for he was worth fully fifteen or eighteen hun- dred of any man's money. Sam Ely the, a big-boned, double- jointed fellow, had been left to do guard duty over Myers. Blythe walked up and down in front of him, thinking he was so securely bound that he would ATTACKED. 83 not attempt to escape, and depended upon his own ability to prevent him should he make any such at- tempt. Seeing the captive move about rather uneasily, he walked up to Myers, and said : " See here, nigger, none of yer shines around here. If you don't keep quiet, I will thump your head. Do ye hear?" Myers said nothing, but jumped to his feet, with a superhuman effort freed his hands, and dealt Blythe a blow that sent that worthy sprawling into the road, and made him swallow a quid of tobacco that came near choking him to death. With a bound like a deer, Myers made for the nearest field and cleared the fence, having left his much-worn shoes on the hotel porch as a memento for the disappointed "nigger- catchers." Leaving our band of runaways to proceed on their journey to freedom, after this escapade, separated and divided as they now were, let us return to the Maxwell plantation, and see what changes the fickle goddess of fortune has wrought. CHAPTER VIII. Two HAPPY FATHEKS. Events on the Maxwell plantation now begin to change, as events will in life. Jonathan continued prosperous and successful, the loss of Joe and Henry soured his disposition and aroused a spirit of hatred toward his half-sister, Purcey, whom he believed had aided and abetted in the escape of her brothers. At one time, he had partly made up his mind to sell Purcey, but the prospect of her giving birth to a child at an early period deterred him in his intention. Had he not married her to William McCullar for this very purpose? It was not likely, then, that Jona- than Maxwell would allow his hatred of the girl to exceed his love of increased wealth. Large rewards had been offered for both Joe and Henry, but in vain, as they had both made good their escape into freedom. Notwithstanding the great val ue they were to their master, Jonathan never con- descended to mention to Purcey or Elva his feelings, but had put them through a most searching investi- gation as to their knowledge of the runaways. Both so successfully pleaded ignorance as to their where- abouts or any knowledge of the intention of the boys to escape, that he soon gave up the idea of learning anything from them. He, however, as we have said, (84) THE HAPPY FATHERS. 85 offered a handsome reward for their capture, and, in company with Mr. Biggers and the others who were the losers of so many dollars and cents, by the sudden and unceremonious departure of their alleged prop- erty, organized a "nigger" hunting party. Accom- panied by several blood hounds, they set out in speedy but useless pursuit. The runaways had such a start that they were far out of reach of their pur- suers, even before they got under way. The party returned home in a few days, after the unsuccessful effort to capture the runaways, and Jonathan Max- well settled down to make up for the loss of Joe and Henry as best he could. Mr. Biggers cursed louder and drove his slaves harder, while their meager rations reached almost ad infinitum. William and Purcey enjoyed life, happy in each other's society, indeed, forgetting all about the hard- ness of their lot, and utterly oblivious of the fact that nothing of them was free except their souls. Their time, their bodies, it seemed their very happi- ness, belonged to Jonathan Maxwell ; and they must act in obedience to his commands whenever he saw fit now to exercise his prerogative as master. He believed within his heart that Purcey, or her mother, had been instrumental in the escape of the two boys, and he concluded that to leave William upon the place subject to such influence would ultimately re- sult in his escape also. Not wishing to sell him just at this time, he resorted to the next most profitable 86 BOND AND FREE. thing, and hired him out some distance from home to a severe master. Jake Withers, to whom William was hired, was the rival of Abraham Biggers in meanness and cruelty. He was known to be so conniving and penurious as to have picked up a few grains of wheat found in the field after cutting, and put them into his pocket until he reached the granary. He was known to have kicked a little negro child over a four rail fence, because of its plucking a few flowers out of his garden. He had not as much feeling for a negro as he had for a mule. He allowed those about him no holidays. Over those whom he hired from other masters he had complete control, and those whom he owned belonged to him, in his estimation, body and soul. William was now made to feel, for the first time, what it was to be mar- ried and yet have no wife. He was several miles from Purcey, and could only visit her after finishing his work at night, and was compelled to be back at his post before day -break. The first bitter dregs of his cup of woe he began to taste. His wife, night after night, lay awake watching the hours, while he obtained a short rest preparatory to his return to his labors. More than a year had now passed since their marriage, and Providence saw fit to bless, or, in a sense, curse them with a son. William, entirely un- mindful of his situation, felt that natural pride ex- perienced by most fathers over their first-born. About the same time, Jonathan Maxwell also be- came the father of a son ; but his happiness, having THE HAPPY FATHERS. 87 wealth and freedom, did not exceed that of William McCullar in poverty and bondage. Purcey became the nurse of Jonathan's offspring, as custom decreed. No lady of Southern blood ever condescended to raise her own child. On the con- trary, it was invariably entrusted to the care of a negro nurse, who suckled it from her breast with all the tenderness of a mother ; and she was expected to rear and mature with care the very child that would, perhaps, some day raise its hands to stripe her back, or set a price upon her head, and sell her as it would any other chattel. It might have been among the many providential things for this child of Jonathan Maxwell to have suckled some of the milk of human kindness from the bosom of this black nurse. It seems that nature itself would have engrafted some of the seeds of human love for her who so tenderly nour- ished it, watched over it, and relieved its mother of all the cares of its early childhood. But this was custom, this was duty : what Purcey did for Jona- than's child Elva had done for Jonathan ; and thou- sands of the most cruel slave-holders have been reared at the breast of those whom they afterward made suffer the tortures of slavery. There have been those in this world who have been called in- grates, but what shall we call those who fed upon the bosom of a human being, suckled themselves into existence, were nursed with tenderness and care, then striped the back which bent so often over them in anxiety ? 88 BOND AND FREE. William McCullar, the slave-father, gave to his child the promise of an inheritance of servitude, of serving a living master, deprived of manhood, de- prived of knowledge, with no hope for the present, and in future life, perhaps, to curse bittterly the mother that gave him birth ; while Jonathan Max- well, the free father, gave to his child the inheritance of a rich estate, knowledge, bright hopes for the future, with possibly no care for the past. Such are the circumstances under which these two children enter the world. But an over-ruling Providence guided the footsteps of the one, while an over-ruling passion directed those of the other ; and their lives were as entirely diversified as was their birth. It will be re- membered that Elva had interposed but a single ob- jection to the marriage of Purcey, and when you re- member the excellent judgment of the woman, her objection will not be looked upon as unreasonable. Objections are often raised by parents against their daughters' entering into the bonds of matrimony, and often are they well founded ; but in few instances are they respected. With Elva it was no vain thought. It was not because she feared an unequal match, but, as she told William when he informed her of his purchase by Jonathan Maxwell, that she detested the idea of such a marriage, because his children would be born slaves. This is why she objected; and from the day it took place, she constantly kept before Purcey the horrifying idea of Master Jona- than's changing disposition, which might lead to his THE HAPPY FATHERS. 89 separating the mother and child by selling one or the other. And well she might, for it was not long before a most unusual change took place in the Max- well household. Mrs. Maxwell's health began to fail her after the birth of her son, and the family physician directed that she travel. Purcey was selected to accompany her, and attend young Master Archie. This was the command, and nothing was left her but to obey. Her child, her husband, and her mother all had to be left that her mistress might find restored health in another clime. All preparations were made for the journey, and bidding farewell to all that was dear to her, Purcey set out upon the journey with her mis- tress. Mrs. Maxwell's failing health did not improve her disposition, which was none of the sweetest at best, and the many annoyances she gave Purcey caused the girl to shed many a bitter tear. While upon this journey, she determined, upon her return, to make her escape with her husband and child into freedom. Master Archie grew into a bright-eyed, yellow- haired, spiteful little fellow, developing rnuch of his father's haughtiness and pride, and all of his mother's hatefulness. To his nurse he was impudent, and often, in a passion, struck her with his little fist, an offense for which Purcey dared not correct him, and at which his mother only laughed. They were absent for many months, which seemed to Purcey years, and when Mrs. Maxwell, feeling that her health was 90 BOND AND FKEE. greatly improved, set her face toward home, Purcey's heart leaped for joy. Her long separation from her husband and child made her feel keenly what misery would be hers should either be sold. Consolation came to her, however, under the present circum- stances, as a sweetened draught, from the fact that she would soon see them. During her long absence, she had no communica- tion whatever, from her child or husband. No letters had come to assure her of their health and love, not even a word. For while Purcey could manage to write intelligibly herself, she knew that there was no one at home to read her letters to William. Who can imagine what this feeling must be, separated from those we love most dear, knowing that the means of communication are accessible, but from the want of the knowledge to interpret one's thoughts and feel- ings, to be comparatively consumed in the fire of de- sire for a message, but a word, to receive or give, but a single sign of the inward passion ! Confine a person in prison where the custom deprives him of intercourse with the outside world, he gradually submits to such restriction ; but when left to enjoy the open air, to gaze upon the brightness and the beauty of nature, free to breathe the balmy air of Heaven, yet unable to communicate with those he loves, there is a suffering which words cannot depict This was one of the few sufferings through which Purcey passed. Strong and proud as she was, it weakened her and brought her to a keener realiza- THE HAPPY FATHERS. 91 tion of her condition. Never a word came from her mistress in the numerous letters she received from home, about husband or child. How Purcey would hang about her mistress when- ever the mail came, and oh ! what pangs of pain passed through her heart when Mrs. Maxwell patted Master Archie on the head, and said : " Papa sends a kiss for his little man." But not a word for this human being who stands at her back, ever ready to do her bidding, ever at her beck and call, to whom was entrusted the very life of the child she loved. No word, no sign, no sympathy, not even a look of recognition for this creature mother, wife, though she knew Purcey to be. Where was Mrs. Maxwell's humanity ? Had she any, or did she not consider this creature human? Perhaps a look at the woman's antecedents will mitigate the censure which humanity would probably, at this day, be likely to place upon her. Mrs. Maxwell was of true Southern blue-blood stock. Her father was a highly educated, highly re- spected divine of the Presbyterian faith. Eev. Dr. Joseph Partington expounded the Gospel to a large congregation who acquiesced in his views, which views were always expressed to make immovable the bulwark of slavery, and show to his parishioners what a high moral duty they performed in depriving a human being of his liberty. The labors of Kev. Dr. Partington were not confined to his large and wealthy slave-holding congregation alone, but at his express 92 BOND AND FEEE. desire, a partition had been erected in the gallery of his church, through which holes had been made, and the black servants of his own, as well as those of many of the members of his church, assembled, and listened to the glowing words of the great divine. When the audience behind the partition was very large, Rev. Dr. Joseph Partirigton always addressed a word to them concerning their obedience to their masters. This great moral duty he never failed to impress upon their hearing, and there was no passage of the Scripture that he ever quoted so expressly for their benefit. The owner himself of some ten or fifteen human creatures, whom he took great pains to deprive of the least opportunity to learn a letter or see a book, he held them down to a rigid observance of his orthodox views of religion and slavery. Rev. Joseph believed that the institution of slavery was of and by divine consent. Whether he believed it or not, he preached it and taught it. Believing this, whether honestly or not, he was compelled to put in practice the most stringent rules for its support and advancement He was not unlike ministers who are never at loss to find a passage of Scripture in support of the most radical of views. He believed that when a servant disobeyed, that servant should be punished, the punishment to be in- flicted according to the judgment of the master. Consequently, whenever Rev. Joseph Partington's servants disobeyed him, or parted from his extremely orthodox views, he never punished them himself. THE HAPPY FATHERS. 93 That would be lowering his ministerial dignity ; it would probably discompose his mind in the composi- tion of a sermon on the sufferings of Christ for man- kind, or, " Let godly love fill thy bosom. " No ! Eev. Joseph never punished any of his servants. The nearest approach to summary punishment he had ever been known to administer, was to hit one of his female servants so hard a blow in the mouth as to cause her teeth to cut through her lip in such a manner as to disfigure her for life ; but this was done in a moment of passion, and was a pardonable offense. No ! Eev. Joseph never punished that is, he never performed any such laborious task himself. He, however, approved of it. He believed in the appli- cation of the lash to the back of a negro as sincerely as he believed in no " justification without faith," or the Spirit moving from within. So when any of his servants were to be punished, he always sent the recalcitrant to the town jail with a note couched somewhat in these terms : " Strike bearer on naked back nine and thirty blows." DB. PABTINGTON. N. B. Well laid on. This was the manner by which Kev. Dr. Parti ngton eased his conscience and enforced discipline among his servants. His tender and humane heart could never have suffered to see a human being writhing under the sting of the lash. It would have reminded him too much of Him of whom he preached so much, whose untold sufferings for all mankind the Keverend 9-i BOND AND FKEE. portrayed with such earnestness and sincerity. Such was the father of Mrs. Maxwell. The woman was raised from childhood to think, to act, to understand, that a negro possessed none of the higher attributes of mankind. Then, let us make whatever allowance we can for her utter disregard of any feeling of anxiety displayed by Purcey. It seems to be a woman's province to bear up under the greatest sufferings, particularly in the presence of those whom she knows have no sympa- thy for her. Purcey had been with Mrs. Maxwell long enough to know that there was no sympathy, or a touch of kindness for her in the bosom of her mistress. During the many months they had been absent from home, not once had she ever given the slightest intimation that she knew Purcey had a husband and child, nor would Purcey make any in- quiry of her, thinking, perhaps, it was useless, as she did not suppose anything would be said about her loved ones by Jonathan. She controlled herself as best she could, praying constantly that the nights and days might be shortened, and the time speedily come for her to return home. It did come at last, and it seemed that each fleeting hour bade her hasten. CHAPTER IX. A NOVEL STAKE. When Jonathan's wife left home to benefit her health, he, as a true Southern gentleman would do, gave himself up to such pleasures as men find in one another's society. He attended several card parties, in- dulged in a little of that great American game of draw poker, and passed the time partly with rod and gun, just as it suited his fancy. Jonathan was an excellent horseman, and had taken the brush at many a fox hunt. He had accepted several invitations to stag parties, and had entertained several gentlemen at his own residence. His social circle was confined to a select few, for we know that Jonathan Maxwell was a man who did not condescend to take everybody upon a level with him, or seek social prominence. One of his most particular friends was Judge Jere. Coleman. Judge Coleman was what might be called a man of the world ; he was, it is true, of aristocratic birth, and had been possessed of immense wealth. He had traveled extensively through Europe, had represented one of the Virginia districts in Congress, where he made for himself an enviable reputation as a warm defender of the extension of slavery into the Territories. Being a large slave-holder himself, and an able lawyer, his advocacy of spreading the evil of slavery won for him such laurels that, when he re- [95] 96 BOXD AND FREE. turned home to his constituents, there was no posi- tion within their gift to which they would not have elevated him. He however, contented, himself with an appoint- ment to the highest judicial position in the State, which position he filled with credit, until a disposi- tion to travel possessed him, when he resigned his position and set out on an extensive tour through the old countries. While away from home, he spent much of his time and much of his money at the card- table. There was not a place in Europe noted for its gaming attractions that Judge Coleman had not visited and tried his fortune against the uncertainty of cards. Monte Carlo, Brighton, Baden Baden; and all of the famous gaming places of foreign countries were visit- ed by him. He returned home, after a long absence, broken in health and in fortune ; but despite this, he had lost none of his Southern chivalry, and his name was still Judge Coleman. So, from his former aristo- cratic position, and the desire of his friends to respect him for what he had been, he still had access to those exclusive Southern circles in which only gentlemen of honor were recognized. Jonathan had always ad- mired the judge and thought that Judge Coleman ad- mired him. He saw nothing objectionable in selecting a man of this type for a close companion, who had only run through a fortune which his father had made, and was given to those vices so common to men of Judge Coleman's calibre. Judge Coleman still had the name which, at one time, to mention was to make men un- A NOVEL STAKE. 97 cover with respect. He was honorable and chivalrous, and, all in all, was a " deuced good fellow," as Jona- than would often remark. Judge Coleman, Jonathan Maxwell, and a party of friends had withdrawn from the dining-room of the Maxwell homestead to the drawing-room, after a sumptuous dinner, for the purpose of enjoying a smoke and indulging in a social game of draw poker. Southern gentlemen have ever been, and, perhaps, will be ( until that particular class of Americans known by this distinctive appellation become extinct) pas- sionately fond of poker. In the nourishing days of slavery, the steamboats, the railroads, the summer resorts, the winter resorts, all furnished retreats for these gentlemen to engage in this favorite pastime. Many black men and women, oftentimes children, have changed masters over the card-table. There was nothing strange about this, a negro being just as good collateral as a Government bond, a horse, or a gold watch. He had his value, was transferable, and was always a ready sale, easily converted into cash. So when a Southern gentleman ran short of cash at the card-table, it was no unusual custom for him to put up his servant as collateral. A person can go and receive money on an old coat, or a watch, or any other thing of value. Why, then, should a man refuse to accept as a bonus a human being that was actually so many dollars and cents ? It must not be supposed that a man who had paid so dearly for his experience as Judge Coleman had 98 BOND AND FKEE. was not very clever with the cards. Such a supposi- tion would not only be unjust to the man, but would make false the assertion, " Experience is the best teacher/' He was indeed very clever, and before that social game ended, he had won a large amount of money, besides the husband of Purcey, William Mc- Cullar, and it happened in this way : The entire party had indulged very freely in wine, both at and after dinner, and when they seated themselves at the table to play a social game, they grew rather reckless as to the stakes. After Jonathan had lost what money he had about his person, he said : "Judge, I'll play you for any nigger I have on the place, against your winnings." " It's a go," replied Judge Coleman. The game was played amidst much merriment, and the judge, of course, won. Jonathan told him to se- lect whatever servant he wanted, and the judge, not to be too particular, selected the negro man who had performed the service of waiting upon them. This man was William, who, having finished his service with the master to whom he had been hired, had been installed waiter in his proper master's house. Judge Coleman had really no use for a servant, nor had he any intention of keeping one. He had possessed a large number of them at one time, but then he was a large land-owner, and made good use of them. There was but one use he could make of William, and that was to convert him into cash. So he said to Jonathan : " Maxwell, I don't want that nig- A NOVEL STAKE. 99 ger, give me a thousand dollars and keep him." If Jonathan Maxwell had not been under the influence of liquor, knowing the man as we do, we should naturally have thought that he would have accepted this offer ; but it must also be remembered that a word passed by a Southern gentleman, whether at the card-table or the counting-table, was considered as binding and irrevocable as the word of man could be. Jonathan Maxwell, under the excitement of a game of cards, had chanced off, in round cash, two thousand dollars. To be sure it was only a poor black slave, a husband and a father, a man with a heart and soul, a being that could feel, could see, could taste, that felt the same cold and the same heat his master did. But what cared this master, what thought had he of a slave possessing such sensibilities ! He only knew that he had bought him ; the law of the land protected him in his ownership, and made his title as clear to the possession of this human being as it did to his acres of land. And when Judge Coleman offered to return the man, not out of sympathy for him, but be- cause the cash would be more advantageous, not be- cause he did not know that he could obtain that amount in any slave-market, or from any negro "tra- der, but because he thought his host would accept back, after a second consideration, the impulsive wa- ger. Jonathan was obdurate, and insisted, as the judge had fairly won, he should take the man. William had no knowledge that he had been bar- 100 BOND AND FEEE. tered away to a new master, and perhaps it was all the better he did not, for, having been separated from his wife for months and months, the probability of never seeing her again would have, perhaps, driven the poor fellow frantic. Judge Coleman remained as a guest at the Maxwell house, consequently noth- ing was said to William about the change which would take place when the judge's visit terminated- A fear that he might attempt to run away was one reason, and as the judge had not bought him in a very business-like manner, he did not like to confine him in the town jail, as was the custom when buy- ing up slaves. Since the departure of Mrs. Maxwell, Elva had the entire oversight of the house. She was allowed, or took, many privileges that were denied to the other servants, which gave her an opportunity to know much of her master's doings. She presided over the culinary department, where she permitted no intru- sion, For some reason, Jonathan had for her a pe- culiar respect or awe. And why did Jonathan Maxwell have this peculiar feeling? Had not his mother, upon her dying bed, taught him to hate her? Did he not own her as absolutely as any slave upon his place ? Was he not fully aware that this woman had given birth to a child of which his father was also the father? Then why should he have this pe- culiar feeling ? Was it because he had nursed at her breast ? Was it because, in his childhood days, this slave- woman had humored his whims, nursed him A NOVEL STAKE. 101 tenderly, and, when almost at death's door with a dan- gerous fever he had contracted, she, by tenderness and care, had brought back the flickering flame of life which had at one time almost left him, or was it be- cause he had inherited this awe or respect from his father? There are certain innate qualities which men inherit ; whatever other qualities they cultivate, traces of the hereditary are evident. Jonathan's father was one of a numerous class of Southern slave-holding gentlemen who carried on a criminal and illicit intimacy with his slaves. This brutish desire might have been the incarnation of Satan, or the outcome of a curse, put upon them by an overruling power, that they should bruise and maltreat their own flesh and blood. Whatever it was, we shall give Jonathan's father credit for desist- ing, as we have said before, from abusing the woman who was both his slave and his mistress. Elva had always held a wonderful influence over the father of Jonathan. He could never withstand the awful gaze of those lustrous black eyes. The secret of the influence which she held over the father died with him ; but the son inherited its effect without fully realizing the cause. Elva made it her business to watch everything that occured about the Maxwell house, not for her master's benefit, nor to be a tale-bearer to her mistress, but for her own satisfaction. She slept in the house, but had made it a rule for years never to retire un- til every person in the house had done so. Often, 102 BOND AND FREE. with her stealthy step, had she stolen through the house and listened at her master's door. More than once had young master Jonathan come home late at night, partly intoxicated, and found her crouched in a corner upon the steps close to his father's door. When questioned as to what she was doing there, she would invariably answer, "Waiting for you, massa Johnnie." The woman seemed scarcely ever to sleep. Come in or go out whatever hour you would, those large, black, speaking eyes could be seen, open, undimmed, and unwearied. What were the temptations that entered the woman's mind, when the man who owned her body and had dishonored her slept in apparent calm repose ? Often was she tempt- ed to redden her hands in his blood and attempt to free herself and all of her children from bondage. But when she thought how useless such a thing would be, that although she might kill her master and no suspicion rest upon her, she decided to use greater discretion ; though had Jonathan's father been the hydra-headed monster of slavery, this woman, in her fanaticism, her religious fervor, would have easily been worked up to believe herself the saviour of her race, and would have strangled the mon- ster without a thought of the consequence. Elva never resigned her watchfulness after the death of her old master, but continued it ; and had Jonathan Maxwell taken a second thought when he lost Wil- liam McCullar, his slave, at a game of cards, he might have known that the transaction was seen and heard A NOVEL STAKE. 103 by this astute woman. Elva evidently felt it her busi- ness 'to know everything that occurred in that house, and she did. When the gentlemen retired to the draw- ing-room, Elva knew what it was for. Hurrying through her work, she reached the door in the midst of their merriment, and heard the words which trans- ferred her daughter's husband to another master. She also heard Jonathan refuse to buy him back. Stag- gering to her feet, almost overcome by what she heard, she returned to the kitchen, fell upon her knees, and prayed for Purcev's return. CHAPTER X. THE WIFE'S RETURN. Elva poured out her soul to the Almighty that her daughter might return before William was taken away. Rising from her knees, she bethought herself as to what was the best to do in the premises. She had no idea when William would be taken away by his new master, or had she the remotest idea when her mistress would return ; she knew, however, that something must be done and that at once. She could do but one thing, and that was to urge William to seek freedom. Then she thought that such a course would be next to impossible, as she could never per- suade the man to leave without seeing his wife. Their child, under such care as Elva could bestow upon it, had grown into a handsome little mulatto fel- low, with straight black hair and eyes that fairly re- flected those of his mother. He was kept cleaner and neater in his dress than the other children, -and his play-ground was the kitchen, where he was constantly under Elva's eye. She knew that should William leave for a free land without seeing his wife, his chances to see them again would be better than if he remained to be removed away, and, perhaps, sold to a trader and then be taken to the South. Here were two evils facing her, and she was puz- 105 zled as to which one to avoid. She had not as yet mentioned a word to William of his dangerous po- sition, but time was flying ; and she was still unde- cided as to which course to pursue. Once more she fell upon her knees and appealed to the Almighty for guidance, and she had scarcely finished her prayer when the bell rang summoning her to the drawing- room. She arose and answered the call. She had just time to wonder what her master wanted, when she reached the drawing-room door. Pushing it open softly, she discovered Jonathan and Judge Coleman engaged in conversation. Standing, almost transfixed, with her hand touching the door, she heard the judge say: "Maxwell, I think I shall leave you to-morrow." Jonathan said : "I am sorry to part with you, old fellow, but if you will go, all right. I shall expect you down during hunting season, when you won't have to be entertained by the host without the hostess." " Yes," said the judge, " I shall come. I want, however, to leave this boy here a few days." Jonathan replied, " No, that won't do. You must take him along. His mistress comes home with his wife, in a few days, and the devil would be to play should they have to be separated." This touch of feeling was the first evidence given by Jonathan that he felt any reproach over what he had done. " Well, as you like it, Maxwell. These creatures 106 BOND AND FREE. do go on terribly, sometimes, about being separated, just as though they could not take up another and be just as well satisfied." Elva waited to hear no more. She pushed open the door, entered the room, and stood before her mas- ter and his guest " Massa, did you ring ?" she said. " Yes, Elva, your mistress and Master Archie will be home day after to-morrow. See that everything is in readiness for them." She made a bow, and left the room. She went directly and sought William, quickly in- forming him of everything, and telling him that he must fly, he must run away that night, or, perhaps, he would never have another chance. When Wil- liam heard the startling news of his transfer, of the intention to remove him the next day, he knew not where, certain that it would be, if anything, to sla- very more absolute and binding than that he was now in, his first thought was of his wife whom, perhaps, he was destined never to see again. This was indeed sad to contemplate ; but he also thought, sad as it was, that by taking this step, securing freedom, Purcey would be induced to watch her opportunity to break her shackles and one day join him in a free land. Strong and stout-hearted as he was, he quailed before the inevitable separation, and in a choking voice he said : "Aunt Elva, must I go widout seeing Purcey? Must I leave the child ?" THE WIFE'S RETURN. 107 " Yes," said Elva, " You must go to-night, and you must travel fast and cover every track until you reach de river. Don't stop night or day until you are safe in de land of freedom." William McCullar, though a slave, was a noble- hearted man. He was brave and courageous. Had he have thought that there was the least possible chance of remaining and successfully resisting being taken away by his new master, without seeing his wife i he would have fought to the last. He was possessed of sufficient intelligence to know that any attempt at resistance would be utterly useless, when every slave upon the place would be called upon to assist in subduing him, and the law of the land would con- done his death should they see fit to administer such a penalty. With all these odds against him, he turned to Elva and said : " Massa Maxwell has sold me ; but I'll remain here until Purcey comes back, or be tooken away dead." "Now, honey, there's no use talking that way. You must either run away at once, or be taken to God knows where." "But," said William, "'sposing I am captured; wouldn't I be sold to the traders anyhow ? " "But you won't be captured," said Elva William shook his head doubtfully. They stood in silence for a few moments, when the door opened and William's bright-eyed little son came running in, and, as if by instinct, wrapped his tiny little arms around his father's legs and looked up into his face. The 108 BOND AND FREE. father bent down, lifted the child up, held it at arm's length, drew it to his bosom, and kissed it. The child threw its tiny arms around its father's neck and laid its head against his face. " Poor chile," said William, " your poor father must leave you, maybe never to see you agin/' The child hardly realized what its father said, but tightened its arms around his neck. Here was sim- ple, pure affection this slave-father, pressing to his heart and bestowing what might be a last farewell and blessing upon his own flesh and blood, which by law was the common property of another man. Should we wonder that William questioned the right of an- other man to separate him from the wife and child of his bosom ? He put the child down and the tears almost blinded his eyes. " No, aunt Elva," he said, " I can't go. I won't go until Purcey comes. I'll go to Mars Jonathan and ask him to let me stay just one day, and then I'll go ; but I won't stay, Elva. Dey can take me as far South as dey please, but I'll run away the first chance I git." " You can go to Mars Jonathan, honey, if you want, but it ain't no use ; he says you must go before mis- sus and Purcey comes home." This discouraging piece of intelligence did not alter William's resolve to appeal to his master. When the dinner hour arrived, he waited on the table, as was his duty, and during the meal Jonathan said to him : " Bill, after dinner you get your things together and THE WIFE'S RETURN. 109 prepare to go with Judge Coleman. I have sold you to him." William did not show any evidence of surprise at this announcement, but, standing before his master with a server in his hand, he said : " Massa, can't I wait until missus comes home with Purcey ? Please don't send me away widout seeing her." And while he spoke, every limb trembled and the dishes on the server shook until there was imminent danger of his letting them fall Jonathan Maxwell looked at the man without a change in his cold, hard features, and without a thought of what his own feelings would be were he told then that he must leave his own dear wife and son, and go he knew not where after being separated from them for months, and yet within but a few hours of the time that he could fold them to his bosom. This he did not give a thought, and, of course, had no sympathy for the slave's appeal. When William had finished speaking, Jonathan waved his hand and pointed toward the door. William knew what this meant, and, with tears in his eyes nearly blinding him and a great lump in his throat nearly choking him, he passed from the room, entered the kitchen, and fell at Elva's feet exclaiming, ; ' It's no use ! it's no use ! " Before Elva could utter a word, the wheels of a carriage were heard upon the gravel driveway. Elva ran to the window and saw, seated by the side of the driver, Purcey, while young master Archie's haughty face was pressed against the window. The carriage 110 BOND AND FKEE. was discovered about the same time 1 by Jonathan, who ran to the door to meet them. The arrival of Mrs. Maxwell a day earlier than she was expected created, of course, quite an excite- ment in the household, and everything else for the time was forgotten, so glad was Jonathan to welcome his family home. The cause of Mrs. Maxwell's un- expected return was a very simple one. She had started for home a day earlier than she intended be- cause she did not see that her health would be benefited by slow, tedious travel, when she could take another route which, as will be seen, brought her home a day sooner than expected. As soon as Purcey had attended her mistress, she speedily sought her husband and child. She found the latter play- ing in the kitchen, as usual, ]put, in place of a little baby in swaddling clothes, she found a bright-eyed, smiling-faced little youngster walking about without the aid of chairs and table legs. She soon had the child in her arms, bestowing upon it the caresses of a fond mother. William had been sent out by his master to pre- pare Judge Coleman's horse for the judge's departure, but horses and master's commands had lost all inter- est for him ; he knew his wife had come, and he felt more reconciled to his fate, now that he could em- brace her before leaving. His wife had returned, his heart was lighter, and he wondered whether Elva's and his own prayers had been answered. CHAPTER XL THE SEPARATION. Purcey was, as might be supposed, highly elated upon her return home. She laughed, she cried, by turns. Her heart was filled with unutterable joy; everything seemed lost to her, for the time being, except her excessive happiness at her return and the sight of those she loved so dearly. There had not been a single circumstance which had conveyed to her a message, a word, as to their existence, during her absence from them. Had she have received one word, one little message, from them, perhaps she might not have been quite so demonstrative now upon meeting them. Let us not think, because she fell upon her husband's bosom and wept like a child, that it was the overflow of passion in which women, as a rule, are apt to indulge. This heart, filled only with the purest of love, inexpressible joy, must soon be rent with the cruelest and bitterest grief. Purcey did not know, as she stood there encircled by her husband's arms, that a cruel and relentless man, her master by the law of the land, had already taken that husband from her by a mere word. She did not know that that embrace would be, perhaps, the last she would ever receive from her husband. William did not know how to break the sad news [in] 112 BOND AND FEEE. to her. Illiterate though he was, his heart was filled with true, manly love and real, human feeling. The husband and wife thus stood clasped in each other's arms, and it seemed as though no power could sepa- rate them. When Purcey recovered herself, she looked into his face with her beautiful black eyes ; she saw that that face, black though it was, wore a troubled, anxious look. She said : " My husband, ain't you glad to see me ? " " Glad?" said William, "glad? More, chile; I can't spress how I feel." " What makes you look so sad ? " " 'Tain't 'cause you'se come home, for that's what I been praying to de Lord for. No, 'tain't that, but you'se come, and and " Poor fellow ! he could say no more. Something rose in his throat and al- most choked him. He reached his hands toward his wife, exclaiming, " It's no use, it's no use, Purcey ! I must go." "Go where? What is it?" said Purcey. She grew greatly excited, but could not divine her hus- band's meaning. "Speak, William, tell me what you mean." The black eyes looked at him in an im- ploring manner, but William saw them not, nor did he appear ro hear her words. He was now pacing the floor still exclaiming, " Its no use ! its no use ! " Purcey could bear this no longer. She threw her- self upon his neck, exclaiming : "Tell me all, William. What has happened? What have you done ? Why must you go ? Where must THE SEPARATION. 113 you go ? Tell rne ! tell me !" This seemed to call the man's senses back, and when he saw how excited his wife was, he tried to pacify her by telling her that he would come to her again as he had to get Judge Cole- man's horse ready for him. Purcey would not listen to this. She insisted upon knowing the cause of his strange actions, and clung to him all the more. Wil- liam saw that there was no use concealing the truth longer, as it made her almost frantic with excitement The man's actions were certainly strange. Purcey did not expect to find her husband anything but happy upon her return ; she had not given a thought to such a thing as his being separated from her far- ther than a few miles. Neither had she expected to find him at the Maxwell house, as he was always hired out since the escape of her brothers, and she little knew that had her arrival been a day later, she would never have beheld him again. No wonder, then, she insisted upon knowing the meaning of William's strange words. Could she have guessed their meaning, could she have realized what pain their explanation would cause her, she might not have per- sisted so. But she must, she would know. William passed his arm gently around her as he said : " Chile, ain't nobody told jou ? " "Told me what? I have had no talk with any one but you, and you talk so strange. What has happened ? " He stood with his arm encircling her shapely form while her head rested against his bosom. She could 114 BOND AND FREE. feel the quick throbbing of his heart, his bosom rising and falling with agitation. For a moment, all was silence, then he raised his disengaged hand and ca- ressed her tenderly, while a tear stole down his dusky cheek. He spoke with great effort as he said, " Poor chile ! Oh, how I have prayed for your return ! Now that you'se come, it seems so hard, so hard !" And with these words, this strong, horny-handed slave broke completely down, and wept like a child. His head fell forward upon his bosom, and the tears fell thick and fast. Yes ; he upon whose back the whip of a cruel master had fallen with relentless force ; he who had suffered all the cruelty and privations known to slavery and had never winced, but remained as stolid and as indifferent as a Sphinx, now suc- cumbed to the feelings which had overcome him in view of the separation from the companion of his heart Cruel, cruel man, made in the image of his Maker, yet so unlike Him in love, by what right do you cause your fellow-men to suffer thus ? Is there any miti- gation for the wrongs done your brother? Is there any forgiveness for your disobedience of that divine principle, " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you ? " The woman now stood almost motionless ; she had not yet been able to conceive the cause of her hus- band's agitation. Never before had she seen him so agitated, and respect for his poignant grief compelled her, for a moment, to weep with him in silence. At last, unable to bear the terrible suspense longer, she THE SEPARATION. 115 broke out in words of burning intensity : " My loving husband, my own William, pray tell me the cause of this great grief. Would you break my heart with this terrible silence? Let me know the worst. Speak to me, my husband, speak ! " The man controlled his feelings as best he could, and, in a trembling voice, said: "Break your heart? No, chile, de good Lord forbid that. But " and he drew her near to his bosom, " I must, I must leave you, leave you to-day. I hab another master." " Why, what of that? You can come and see me as you have always done." "No, chile, I'm going away off; I don't know where. Mars Jonathan has has sold me." " What ? Sold you ! sold you ! " exclaimed the woman as she staggered back. " Sold you ! my God, it cannot be ! " and with this exclamation she fell to the floor. William quickly had her in his arms. The loud exclamation and the dull thud of her body as it struck the floor were heard by Elva, who came rushing into the room just as William raised the limp form from the floor. Without asking any questions, she set about restoring her daughter to consciousness. Pur- cey slowly regained her senses, but only to swoon away again. William was now summoned to bring the horses. He bent over her prostrate form, and brushed back her raven tresses, which had fallen in a mass over her brow, kissing her again and again. It was the last kiss he implanted upon that brow for 116 BOND AND FREE. many a day. He told Elva to say to her that he was going to run. away ; he was going to flee to freedom the first chance he got, and he wanted Purcey to take the child and make her escape. With this parting injunction, without another word, he left his uncon- scious wife and his only child to follow his new mas- ter wherever necessary, perhaps to be sold again, but, at all events, with little hope of ever seeing that wife whom he loved so dearly and the child for whom his heart yearned. William took the horses to the door ; Judge Cole- man bade Jonathan Maxwell farewell, promising to return during the hunting season, and, with the re- sult of his last successful gambling bet, rode away. Jonathan watched them until well out of sight, when he entered the house and fondly embraced his wife. Seating himself in an easy chair, he took his darling son upon his knee, and asked his wife to tell him all about their long sojourn from home. Can there be any adequate expression given to the depth of human feeling? or, is there no depth or breadth to the feeling of the human heart? Are we to suppose that Jonathan Maxwell, as he sat there with his son upon his knee and his wife gazing af- fectionately upon him, had any thought of the man whom he had just separated from a wife whose prov- ince it was to love her husband as dearly as any other woman ? Can it be supposed that, surrounded as he was by love, by every comfort heart could wish 7 a single pang of remorse entered his bosom to re- THE SEPARATION. 117 proach him for this downright, cruel robbery ? Did one jot of sympathy dwell within his heart for the woman who, at that moment, was being racked by a raging fever brought on by this sudden announce- ment of a separation from her husband ? Had not the injunction, " whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder," any significance that this man Maxwell could appreciate? If he possessed one spark of feeling, no evidence of it could be discerned upon his countenance. What had he done, the thought of which would make him regretful ? What had he done that remorse should haunt his happi- ness, or disturb his tranquility ? Nothing but play away the value of a certain amount of money at the gaming table, and, not seeing fit to pay the obligation in cash, had given substantial collateral in the form of human being his property by law instead. What had he done ? Nothing but widowed a wife by a means worse than death ; nothing but orphaned a child in a manner simply cruel ; nothing but break the heart of a woman, now almost a raving maniac. But what signified all this ? It was simply a privilege which the law gave a man, to dispose of his own property as he saw fit Who would censure him who condemn him for the exercise of that privilege ? If there were any thought at all regarding his late transaction, it was that William would soon get over any sorrow that he had for the separation from his wife, and forget it all in finding new companions, perhaps another wife. As for Purcey, he intended, 118 BOND AND FREE. if any manifestation of grief was displayed more than he thought was necessary, to put a check upon it in any manner that suggested itself to him. Mrs. Maxwell, reclining in a comfortable chair, de- scribed in an interesting manner all the events of her visit, and concluded by referring to her greatly im- proved health. She then requested Jonathan to ring for Purcey to give Master Archie his bath. Jonathan rang the maid's bell, which was answered by Purcey 's sister, Eloise. ''Where is Purcey," said Mrs. Maxwell, "that she did not answer the bell ? " Eloise was very fat, very round, and very ugly, with a face like a butter ball, and eyes that sat in her head like two holes burnt into a blanket. Her hair stood out straight from her head like the quills upon a porcupine. In addition to this, she was black, sly, and considerably younger than her sister, Purcey. One garment covered her person, and her feet were always ready for a jig. She was, however, clever and quite useful ; she could do most any work about the house that she could be entrusted with, and could work in the harvest field equal to a man. She had an insatiable desire for mischief, and was as near being uncivilized as a human being can be without being actually so. When Elva, with Eloise's assistance, had got Purcey to her bed, she sent Eloise into the kitchen to attend to the work until she could safely leave her daughter's bedside. She dared not leave Eloise with her sister, for, unless she fully realized THE SEPARATION. 119 the serious condition Purcey was in, she would likely have committed some indiscretion, which, perhaps, might have ended seriously. Elva instructed her that in case the bell rang to answer it, and see what was wanted. This is why Eloise had answered the bell, and, as she entered the room, she stood balancing herself first on one foot, then on the other, until her mistress repeated the question the second time. Now there was one thing about Eloise which was very remarkable. She feared neither mistress nor master, nor had she any fear of the lash. Her hide was as tough as the hide of a rhinoceros, and she ap- parently cared for nothing. There was but one person on earth that she seemed to care for, and that was Purcey. She loved Purcey with a devotion that her nature in no way betrayed, and, when asked why she loved her so, she would say, " Cause she's white and ain't like us common niggers." Purcey was the only one who could control her. She would do what- ever Purcey bade her, and would cry like a child when reprimanded by her sister. What it was that drew this almost uncivilized child toward her sister, it would be hard to tell, un- less it was the music of Purcey's voice. Whenever Purcey would sing (she had a sweet voice), Eloise would stand and grin and clap her hands. As soon as she had finished singing, Eloise would rush- upon her and almost hug the breath out of her. This was singular, in view of the fact of her far different actions when any one else would sing. It did not matter 120 BOND AND FREE. whether it was a tune of slow or fast measure, a hymn, or a song, Eloise would attempt to dance it. But just let Purcey raise her voice, and the feet of the little savage were stilled in silence, and her mouth would drop wide open, a broad grin overspread her face, and her little, round, mischievous eyes, glitter like fire-balls. This was the attachment which this untutored child of bondage bore for her sister, and when she saw Purcey lying insensible upon the floor, she could not realize what it meant. She asked her mother, however, what ailed her, and, when told that she had been made sick by the fact that Mars Jona- than had sold her husband, she said : " Mars Jona- than make Purcey sick? What he do dat for?" Her mother gave her some evasive reply, and sent her down into the kitchen. So when Eloise answered the bell, and- her mistress asked why Purcey did not respond, Elo, as she was called, replied, '"Cause she can't.' 7 "Because she can't? What does that mean, Elo?" "Sheded, dats why." " Dead !" said Jonathan, rising to his feet. " Dead !" said Mrs. Maxwell, placing her bottle of smelling- salts to her nose. " Yes, ded," said Elo. " She's white as you is, Mis- ses, and me and mamma toted her up-stairs." Elo knew very well that Purcey was not dead, but so incontrollable was her desire for mischief, that she would pass a joke, or tell a lie, just as quickly over a dead person as a live one. THE SEPAKATION. 121 Jonathan, knowing well Elo's disposition and weak- ness for prevaricating, while moved by the serious air she assumed at first, upon recovering himself, said: "Elo, tell me the truth, or I'll whip you." "Truf, truf," said Elo, "dat's de truf. What I care if you whip me? Ain't I a nigger? and aint nig- gers made to be whipped ?" Mrs. Maxwell said : " Jonathan, don't stop to argue with that imp, but go and see if there is anything the matter." Now this is just the very thing that Jonathan was trying to avoid. He suspected there was something wrong with Purcey, as he had every reason to sus- pect; but he had no intention of facing Elva in the kitchen, and have those dreadful eyes of hers look- ing reproachfully at him. Turning to Elo, who had got herself pretty well balanced on one foot, the other being hid out of sight by the long, gown-like garment she wore, he said: "Go and tell Aunt Elva to come here." Elo made a bound for the door, turning Master Archie, whom his father had placed upon the floor, head over heels, and left the room. Jonathan then said to his wife, "1 expect that wench is going on because of William." " William !" said his wife. " Who is that?" "Her husband." " Well, what's the matter with him?" " I sold him to Colernan." 122 BOND AND FREE. " Why should she go on so about him, dear?" said Mrs. Maxwell. " Oh, she always had a great fancy for him, and now I expect the devil will be to play." " I don't see why that should be, she will soon get over that You have plenty as good niggers upon the place as William. She will soon be in love with some of them." And Mrs. Maxwell laughed. This is the view Mrs. Maxwell took of it. She could not understand how Purcey, a slave, could have any lasting affection for a husband. She could not understand why such affection could not be as easily transferred from one slave to another, as it never en- tered that lady's mind that such a thing as affection existed within the bosom of a black person. They might form attachments, or have a preference for one another, but affection was a thing which only white people were capable of displaying. Mrs. Maxwell knew but very little of her husband's affairs, or, in- deed, did she care much about them, being one of those indolent ladies who occupied her time between dress and French novels. She had no household cares, nor did she seek any. A servant was always at her hand, to attend her wants, and whenever her husband mentioned anything to her about the affairs of the house, she at once showed signs of being bored. She believed that all persons born black were in their proper place when in bondage, and it was the invi- olable right of the master to dispose of the slave as he saw fit. THE SEPARATION. 123 So, as a matter of course, Jonathan met with no reproof from the companion of his life for doing a thing which, were it not that he had steeled himself to, might have pricked his conscience. CHAPTER XII ANOTHER CLASS OF SLAVES. It was some time before Elva obeyed her master's summons. A desperate struggle passed within the woman's bosom, as she stood there over her daughter, feeling certain that Purcey's illness would be a pro- longed one. Purcey's mind was flighty, and con- stantly wandering, her husband being the subject of her incessant mutterings. It was a blessing that Elva was so good a nurse, for medical experience was hard to obtain, and, besides, that was not often employed to attend slaves. When she had calmed Purcey, and got her into a slight slumber, she went to the draw- ing-room, where Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell awaited her. Elva entered, addressed her mistress, and said : "Did you send for me, Miss Jinnie?" This was the name by which she had always addressed her mistress be- fore her marriage to Jonathan, and she had never dropped the Miss, since Jennie Partington became Mrs. Maxwell. "Yes, Elva," said Mrs. Maxwell, "what is the matter with Purcey?" " Why, de poor chile's taken very sick, and I had to put her to bed." " What caused her sickness?" " Don't know zackly, Miss Jinnie. She complained [124] ANOTHER CLASS OF SLAVES. 125 soon as she got home, and I seed she was not well, and after William bid her good-bye, poor chile, she give right up." Elva knew that both her mistress and master were anxious to know how Purcey took the separation from her husband, and she was trying to avoid giving them the information they sought. She had told the truth when she said Purcey was unwell, when she returned home, for so she was. The long separation from her husband and child, and the dreadful suspense she en- dured from day to day, never hearing anything of them, and having no knowledge as to whether they were dead or alive, was a strain upon mind and body that took almost a superhuman effort to stand. Her excessive joy consequent upon her return to them, and then to be told that her husband was to be sep- arated from her, that he had been sold, was indeed enough to have completely unseated her reason. Jon- athan then questioned Elva closely, 'to ascertain the real cause of her illness, but elicited only the infor- mation that she had a raging fever, and that it would, perhaps, be many weeks before she would be able to attend to her duties. He finally dismissed her, with instructions to give her such attention as she required and to send one of the other servants to perform the duty of maid for her mistress. Elva returned to the sick-room of her daughter. Falling upon her knees by the bedside, she prayed fcr Purcey's safe restoration to health. It was many days after that prayer before Purcey was restored to 126 BOND AND FREE. health, but, thanks to the skillful nursing of her mother, she was brought back almost from death's door. When she had sufficiently recovered, Elva told her all that had happened, for it was all like a dream to her, and implored her to give no outward sign of her feelings. She also gave her the message William had left for her. Purcey was greatly changed ; she was no longer the bright, vivacious, and sprightly woman as before; she looked years older than she really was. Sickness and sorrow had ploughed wrin- kles upon her brow, and her beautiful black hair had all come out. Her step was no longer light and elastic, while the lustre of her handsome black eyes was dimmed. She was at all times thoughtful. She kept close to her own room, so as to be ready to carry out the resolve she had long since made. Upon her child she bestowed great care and atten- tion. She would sit with him in her arms for hours, and tell him how he had been robbed of his father, and then burst out in a fit of tears exclaiming, " Oh, if they were to take mamma's darling from her, it would kill her!'' How she would watch over him, constantly fearing the possibility of his being torn from her in the night ! She thought of all the chan- ces she would ever have of seeing her husband again. She wondered, should she flee to Canada or the free States, how he would ever find her. Then she was anxious as to whether he would ever return to her again. Oh, if she only dared approach her master, ANOTHEK CLASS OF SLAVES. 127 and plead for his return ! But such a thought was useless, hopeless! She could but follow his parting advice, and make her escape with her child. Purcey's idea of the world, as we may know, was not extensive. It was, in fact, rather simple. The distance from North to South, from bondage to free- dom, while apparently great, did not seem to her simple mind so far as to discourage her in making an attempt to reach the North, and thus, at least, obtain freedom for herself and child. She believed that William would be true to his word, and would, at the very first opportunity, make his escape. But what if Judge Coleman should sell him to the traders and he be taken to the far South ? She knew that in this event his chances of escape would be very poor. When she would think of his being thus sold, a thrill of horror would pass over her, and her very heart would sink within her. If she could only have advised him to escape before he was taken out of the State of Virginia, if she had only made him leave when he told her he had been sold ! But, perhaps, had he attempted to escape then he would only have been captured, and then certainly sold South. All these thoughts, and many others, passed through the woman's mind, until she became so depressed in spirits that life seemed hardly worth a struggle. Elva. however, kept constantly advising her to keep up and trust in the good Lord, that He was suf- ficient for all things. Purcey, while she followed her mother's advice, was inclined often to think that 128 BOND AND FREE. the Lord had forsaken the poor slaves. When she would think of their sufferings, of their trials and tribulations, she would often find her faith and con- fidence in the Lord wavering , but when her mother would cite to her instances of the Lord's goodness and mercy, doubt and fear would vanish, and new life, new hope, would spring up in her bosom. She felt for her child's sake that she must obtain free- dom. Why should her child be a child of bondage? Why should he be reared and taught to acknowledge another man as his master? Why should he be brought up in ignorance and servitude? Perhaps it was the Anglo-Saxon blood in her veins that lent vigor to these thoughts, or it may have been the promptings of a mind which was only stinted in in- telligence from its surroundings, but which, if given an opportunity for development, would have shone as brightly as human minds are wont to shine. She determined, however, to follow her husband's advice, which would be carrying out the resolve she had made while away with her mistress. She set about making every preparation for her escape. She had amassed quite a little sum of money, which she had made by attention to visitors at the Maxwell house. Her mistress was also very careless at times with her pin-money, and, though it might not have been strictly honest, yet Purcey had often abstracted a quarter and a half-dollar which she added to her little store of wealth. Having but little use for money, her savings amounted to a considerable ANOTHER CLASS OF SLAVES. 129 sum. She had for a long time entertained the inten- tion of purchasing her freedom previous to her mar- riage, and this is why she worked so assiduously to obtain the means to carry out her intention. There were many strange features connected with slavery, and not the least strange or magnanimous of its features was the privilege given by many of the slaveholders to their servants to purchase their free- dom. There were many instances where advantage was taken of this magnanimity. Men would pur- chase their own liberty, and then hiring themselves out, would purchase their wives and children by their earnings. It took years, often, to accomplish this end, but so great was the desire for freedom that time was reckoned only by the cost of liberty. There are many living to-day who, having purchased their own freedom, sold themselves into bondage again, and, with the money thus realized, purchased wife and child. Again and again, have men and women sold themselves to purchase the liberty of some loved one. What a traffic, what a business for man to en- gage in against man ! But this was one of the bless- ings of slavery. The master who gave such a priv- ilege to his slaves was an angel compared with those who denied it. There were many of this class of ne- groes in the South, and they were proscribed by master and slave. Notwithstanding this, they were thrifty and ambitious. In many sections, where the preju- dice was not too strong, they accumulated comfort- able fortunes and engaged in profitable business. 9 130 BOND AND FREE. "Free niggers" is what they were termed, and great