There the two children sit, on a little seat near the vender"s tribune. Old Aunt Dina, at the prison, has dressed Annette so neatly! Her white pinafore shines so brightly, is so neatly arranged, and her silky auburn locks curl so prettily, in tiny ringlets, over her shoulders; and then her round fair face looks so sweetly, glows with such innocent curiosity, as her soft blue eyes, deep with sparkling vivacity, wander over the strange scene. She instinctively feels that she is the special object of some important event. Laying her little hand gently upon the arm of an old slave that sits by her side, she casts shy glances at those admirers who stand round her and view her as a marketable article only.
"Auntie, where are they going to take me?" the child inquires, with a solicitous look, as she straightens the folds of her dress with her little hands.
"Gwine t" sell "um," mumbles the old slave. "Lor", child, a"h wishes ye wa"h mine; reckon da"h wouldn"t sell ye. T"ant much to sell n.i.g.g.e.r like I, nohow; but e" hurt my feelins just so "twarnt right t" sell de likes o" ye." The old slave, in return, lays her hand upon Annette"s head, and smooths her hair, as if solicitous of her fate. "Sell ye, child-sell ye?" she concludes, shaking her head.
"And what will they do with me and Nicholas when they get us sold?"
continues the child, turning to Nicholas and taking him by the arm.
"Don" kno": perhaps save ye fo"h sinnin" agin de Lor"," is the old slave"s quick reply. She shakes her head doubtingly, and bursts into tears, as she takes Annette in her arms, presses her to her bosom, kisses and kisses her pure cheek. How heavenly is the affection of that old slave--how it rebukes our Christian mockery!
"Will they sell us where we can"t see mother, auntie? I do want to see mother so," says the child, looking up in the old slave"s face.
There seemed something too pure, too holy, in the child"s simplicity, as it prattled about its mother, for such purposes as it is about to be consigned to. "They do not sell white folks, auntie, do they? My face is as white as anybody"s; and Nicholas"s aint black. I do want to see mother so! when will she come back and take care of me, auntie?"
"Lor", child," interrupts the old negro, suppressing her emotions, "no use to ax dem questions ven ye gwine t" market. Buckra right smart at makin" n.i.g.g.e.r what bring cash."
The child expresses a wish that auntie would take her back to the old plantation, where master, as mother used to call him, wouldn"t let them sell her away off. And she shakes her head with an air of unconscious pertness; tells the old negro not to cry for her.
The cryer"s bell sounds forth its muddling peals to summon the customers; a grotesque mixture of men close round the stand. The old slave, as if from instinct, again takes Annette in her arms, presses and presses her to her bosom, looks compa.s.sionately in her face, and smiles while a tear glistens in her eyes. She is inspired by the beauty of the child; her heart bounds with affection for her tender years; she loves her because she is lovely; and she smiles upon her as a beautiful image of G.o.d"s creation. But the old slave grieves over her fate; her grief flows from the purity of the heart; she knows not the rules of the slave church.
Annette is born a child of sorrow in this our land of love and liberty; she is a democrat"s daughter, cursed by the inconsistencies of that ever-praised democratic goodness. A child! nothing more than an item of common trade. It is even so; but let not happy democracy blush, for the child, being merchandise, has no claims to that law of the soul which looks above the frigidity of slave statutes. What generosity is there in this generous land? what impulses of nature not quenched by force of public opinion, when the a.s.sociations of a child like this (we are picturing a true story), her birth and blood, her clear complexion, the bright carnatic of her cheek, will not save her from the mercenary grasp of dollars and cents? It was the law; the law had made men demons, craving the bodies and souls of their fellow men. It was the white man"s charge to protect the law and the const.i.tution; and any manifestation of sympathy for this child would be in violation of a system which cannot be ameliorated without endangering the whole structure: hence the comments escaping from purchasers are only such as might have been expressed by the sporting man in his admiration of a finely proportioned animal.
"What a sweet child!" says one, as they close round.
"Make a woman when she grows up!" rejoins another, twirling his cane, and giving his hat an extra set on the side of his head.
"Take too long to keep it afore its valuable is developed; but it"s a picture of beauty. Face would do to take drawings from, it"s so full of delicate outlines," interposes a third.
An old gentleman, with something of the ministerial in his countenance, and who has been very earnestly watching them for some time, thinks a great deal about the subject of slavery, and the strange laws by which it is governed just at this moment. He says, "One is inspired with a sort of admiration that unlocks the heart, while gazing at such delicacy and child-like sweetness as is expressed in the face of that child." He points his cane coldly at Annette. "It causes a sort of reaction in one"s sense of right, socially and politically, when we see it mixed up with n.i.g.g.e.rs and black ruffians to be sold."
"Must abide the laws, though," says a gentleman in black, on his left.
"Yes," returns our friend, quickly, "if such property could be saved the hands of speculators"--
"Speculators! speculators!" rejoins the gentleman in black, knitting his brows.
"Yes; it"s always the case in our society. The beauty of such property makes it dangerous about a well-ordained man"s house. Our ladies, generally, have no sympathy with, and rather dislike its ill-gotten tendencies. The piety of the south amounts to but little in its influence on the slave population. The slave population generates its own piety. There is black piety and white piety; but the white piety effects little when it can dispose of poor black piety just as it pleases; and there"s no use in clipping the branches off the tree while the root is diseased," concludes our ministerial-looking gentleman, who might have been persuaded himself to advance a bid, were he not so well versed in the tenour of society that surrounded him.
During the above ad interim at the shambles, our good lady, Mrs.
Rosebrook, is straining every nerve to induce a gentleman of her acquaintance to repair to the mart, and purchase the children on her account.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
NATURE SHAMES ITSELF.
MRS. ROSEBROOK sits in Mrs. Pringle"s parlour. Mrs. Pringle is thought well of in the city of Charleston, where she resides, and has done something towards establishing a church union for the protection of orphan females. They must, however, be purely white, and without slave or base blood in their veins, to ent.i.tle them to admittance into its charitable precincts. This is upon the principle that slave blood is not acceptable in the sight of Heaven; and that allowing its admittance into this charitable earthly union would only be a sad waste of time and Christian love. Mrs. Pringle, however, feels a little softened to the good cause, and does hope Mrs. Rosebrook may succeed at least in rescuing the little girl. She has counselled Mr. Seabrook, commonly called Colonel Seabrook, a very distinguished gentleman, who has a very distinguished opinion of himself, having studied law to distinguish himself, and now and then merely practises it for his own amus.e.m.e.nt. Mr. Seabrook never gives an opinion, nor acts for his friends, unless every thing he does be considered distinguished, and gratuitously rendered.
"What will you do with such property, madam?" inquires the gentleman, having listened profoundly to her request.
"To save them from being sold into the hands of such men as Graspum and Romescos; it"s the only motive I have" she speaks, gently: "I love the child; and her mother still loves her: I am a mother."
"Remember, my dear lady, they are adjudged property by law; and all that you can do for them won"t save them, nor change the odour of negro with which it has stamped them."
"Of that I am already too well aware, Mr. Seabrook; and I know, too, when once enslaved, how hard it is to unslave. Public sentiment is the worst slave we have; unslave that, and the righteousness of heaven will give us hearts to save ourselves from the unrighteousness of our laws.
"Go, Mr. Seabrook, purchase the children for me, and you will soon see what ornaments of society I will make them!"
"Ornaments to our society!" interrupts Mr. Seabrook, pausing for a moment, as he places the fore-finger of his right hand upon his upper lip. "That would be a pretty consummation-at the south! Make ornaments of our society!" Mr. Seabrook turns the matter over and over and over in his mind. "Of such things as have been p.r.o.nounced property by law! A pretty fix it would get our society into!" he rejoins, with emphasis. Mr. Seabrook shakes his head doubtingly, and then, taking three or four strides across the room, his hands well down in his nether pockets, relieves himself of his positive opinion. "Ah! ah! hem! my dear madam," he says, "if you undertake the purchase of all that delicate kind of property-I mean the amount total, as it is mixed up-your head"ll grow grey afore you get all the bills of sale paid up,--my word for it! That"s my undisguised opinion, backed up by all the pale-faced property about the city."
"We will omit the opinion, Mr. Seabrook; such have kept our society where it now is. I am resolved to have those children. If you hesitate to act for me, I"ll brave-"
"Don"t say that, my dear lady. Let me remind you that it ill becomes a lady of the south to be seen at a slave-mart; more especially when such delicate property is for sale. Persons might be present who did not understand your motive, and would not only make rude advances, but question the propriety of your proceedings. You would lose caste, most surely."
Mrs. Rosebrook cares little for Mr. Seabrook"s very learned opinion, knowing that learned opinions are not always the most sensible ones, and is seen arranging her bonnet hastily in a manner betokening her intention to make a bold front of it at the slave-mart. This is rather too much for Mr. Seabrook, who sets great value on his chivalrous virtues, and fearing they may suffer in the esteem of the softer s.e.x, suddenly proffers his kind interposition, becomes extremely courteous, begs she will remain quiet, a.s.suring her that no stone that can further her wishes shall be left unturned. Mr.
Seabrook (frequently called the gallant colonel) makes one of his very best bows, adjusts his hat with exquisite grace, and leaves to exercise the wisest judgment and strictest faith at the man-market.
"Such matters are exceedingly annoying to gentlemen of my standing,"
says Mr. Seabrook, as deliberately he proceeds to the fulfilment of his promise. He is a methodical gentleman, and having weighed the matter well over in his legal mind, is deeply indebted to it for the conclusion that Mrs. Rosebrook has got a very unsystematised crotchet into her brain. "The exhibition of sympathy for "n.i.g.g.e.rs"-they"re nothing else" says Mr. Seabrook-"much adds to that popular prejudice which is already placing her in an extremely delicate position." He will call to his aid some very nice legal tact, and by that never-failing unction satisfy the good lady.
When Mr. Seabrook enters the mart (our readers will remember that we have already described it) he finds the children undergoing a very minute examination at the hands of several slave-dealers. As Mr.
Forshou, the very polite man-seller, is despatching the rougher quality of human merchandise, our hero advances to the children, about whose father he asks them unanswerable questions. How interesting the children look!-how like a picture of beauty Annette"s cherub face glows forth! Being seriously concerned about the child, his countenance wears an air of deep thought. "Colonel, what"s your legal opinion of such pretty property?" enquires Romescos, who advances to Mr. Seabrook, and, after a minute"s hesitation, takes the little girl in his arms, rudely kissing her as she presses his face from her with her left hand, and poutingly wipes her mouth with her right.
"Pretty as a picture"-Romescos has set the child down-"but I wouldn"t give seven coppers for both; for, by my faith, such property never does well." The gentleman shakes his head in return.
"It"s a pity they"re made it out n.i.g.g.e.r, though,--it"s so handsome.
Sweet little creature, that child, I declare: her beauty would be worth a fortune on the stage, when she grows up."
Romescos touches Mr. Seabrook on the arm; remarks that such things are only good for certain purposes; although one can make them pay if they know how to trade in them. But it wants a man with a capable conscience to do the business up profitably. "No chance o" your biddin" on "um, is there, colonel?" he enquires, with a significant leer, folding his arms with the indifference of a field-marshal.
After a few minutes" pause, during which Mr. Seabrook seems manufacturing an answer, he shrugs his shoulders, and takes a few pleasing steps, as if moved to a waltzing humour. "Don"t scare up the like o" that gal-n.i.g.g.e.r every day," he adds. Again, as if moved by some sudden idea, he approaches Annette, and placing his hand on her head, continues: "If this ain"t tumbling down a man"s affairs by the run! Why, colonel, "taint more nor three years since old Hugh Marston war looked on as the tallest planter on the Ashley; and he thought just as much o" these young "uns as if their mother had belonged to one of the first families. Now-I pity the poor fellow!-because he tried to save "em from being sold as slaves, they-his creditors-think he has got more property stowed away somewhere. They"re going to cell him, just to try his talent at putting away things."
The "prime fellows" and wenches of the darker and coa.r.s.er quality have all been disposed of; and the vender (the same gentlemanly man we have described selling Marston"s undisputed property) now orders the children to be brought forward. Romescos, eagerly seizing them by the arms, brings them forward through the crowd, places them upon the stand, before the eager gaze of those a.s.sembled. Strangely placed upon the strange block, the spectators close in again, anxious to gain the best position for inspection: but little children cannot stand the gaze of such an a.s.semblage: no; Annette turns toward Nicholas, and with a childish embrace throws her tiny arms about his neck, buries her face on his bosom. The child of misfortune seeks shelter from that shame of her condition, the evidence of which is strengthened by the eager glances of those who stand round the shambles, ready to purchase her fate. Even the vender,--distinguished gentleman that he is, and very respectably allied by marriage to one of the "first families,"-is moved with a strange sense of wrong at finding himself in a position somewhat repugnant to his feelings. He cannot suppress a blush that indicates an innate sense of shame.
"Here they are, gentlemen! let no man say I have not done my duty.
You have, surely, all seen the pedigree of these children set forth in the morning papers; and, now that you have them before you, the living specimen of their beauty will fully authenticate anything therein set forth," the vender exclaims, affecting an appearance in keeping with his trade. Notwithstanding this, there is a faltering nervousness in his manner, betraying all his efforts at dissimulation. He reads the invoice of human property to the listening crowd, dilates on its specific qualities with powers of elucidation that would do credit to any member of the learned profession. This opinion is confirmed by Romescos, the a.s.sociations of whose trade have gained for him a very intimate acquaintance with numerous gentlemen of that very honourable profession.
"Now, gentlemen," continues the vender, "the honourable high sheriff is anxious, and so am I-and it"s no more than a feelin" of deserving humanity, which every southern gentleman is proud to exercise-that these children be sold to good, kind, and respectable owners; and that they do not fall into the hands, as is generally the case, of men who raise them up for infamous purposes. Gentlemen, I am decidedly opposed to making licentiousness a means of profit."
"That neither means you nor me," mutters Romescos, touching Mr.
Seabrook on the arm, shaking his head knowingly, and stepping aside to Graspum, in whose ear he whispers a word. The very distinguished Mr. Graspum has been intently listening to the outpouring of the vender"s simplicity. What sublime nonsense it seems to him! He suggests that it would be much more effectual if it came from the pulpit,--the southern pulpit!
"Better sell "um to some deacon"s family," mutters a voice in the crowd.