e rest,-a genuine, coal-black, woolly-headed, thick-lipped young negro. This was the daughter of Venus, the cook, and her appointment of service was the kitchen. Full of

s, and, turning to the others with a comic grimace, she bade

r, "and I's boun' to gaffer de las' news;" and putting o

ger in dese yer part

ourn?" was the

top to place fandangles on to nam

willin'," replied T

of the eye. "Specs you's had measles or 'sumption,-yer's pale as deaf; and yer

, see;" and she pulled one of the short ringlets out with

on; "'tis white folks has 'plexion; niggers don't h

answered Tidy, diverted by the droll manners of

s yer plantation. 'Tis tough, b'ars whippin's and hard knocks

missus

ou're much older. Hi! she whips like a driver,-cuts de skin all off de knu

idy, to be sure; but, more amused than fr

s she whi

cise, like. Owes me one, now," said the girl. "I breaked de pitcher dis mo

atch ye s

the tittering tribe at her heels. "Dat are leetle Luce pushed, and missus jest had her hand up to gib Luce an old-fashioned crack on the head wid dat big brack key of hern. Hi! didn't she fly roun', and forgot all 'bout Luce, a tryin' to hit dis nig-and dis nig scooted and runned, and when missus' hand come down wid de big

ip in hand from the house, to inflict with double severity the evaded punishment of the morning, but for the timely interference of Venus, who, wi

er tongue tween yer teeth,

whole troop, turned into the lane that led down to the negro

g into disgrace. She couldn't step without stumbling, nor hold anything in her hand without spilling. She never had on a whole frock, except when it was new, and her bare feet were seldom without a bandage. She considered herself o

little reader, you who cried this very day, because you were always getting into trouble, and getting scolded and punished for it? You who are always tearing your frock and soiling your nice white apron, spilling ink on your copy-book, and misplacing your geography, forgetting your pencil and losing your spo

d gathered all the interesting points of information concerning the place and the people. Frances told her how hard and mean the master and mistress were, and how poorly the slaves fared down at the quarters. Up at the house they made out very well, she said; but not half so well as she and her mother did when they lived out east on Mr. Blackstone's plantation. Then she described the busy summer season, when hundreds of people came there to boa

South to have the houses of the negroes a little removed, perhaps a quarter of a mile, from the family mansion. Thus, with the exception of the house servants, who must be within call, the slave

babies. Brushwood and logs were lying around in all directions, and here and there a fire was burning, at which the negroes were cooking their supper. Dogs and a few stray babies were roaming about, seeming lonely for want of the pigs and chicken

old or to be broken in to their tasks in the field. Utterly neglected, they contract, of necessity, lazy and vicious habits, and it is no wonder they have to be whipped and broken in to work as animals to the yoke or harness; and no wonder that under such treatment for successive generations, the race should bec

ting, singing, and talking in a way quite unintelligible to our little stranger. After she had droppe

ek it's here, and one week it's ober to General Doolittle's, ober de hill yonder

you do?"

-praises de Lord, a

t's

p all yer days? Why, when we wants any ting we can't git our

had been lifted up two or three degrees in existence, so much had she heard and learned. She had enough