we must now introduce our readers into the back parlour of the house belonging to mr. garie's next-door neighbour, mr. thomas stevens.
we find this gentleman standing at a window that overlooked his garden, enjoying a fragrant havannah. his appearance was not by any means prepossessing; he was rather above than below the middle height, with round shoulders, and long, thin arms, finished off by disagreeable-looking hands. his head was bald on the top, and the thin greyish-red hair, that grew more thickly about his ears, was coaxed up to that quarter, where an attempt had been made to effect such a union between the cords of the hair from each side as should cover the place in question.
the object, however, remained unaccomplished; as the hair was either very obstinate and would not be induced to lie as desired, or from extreme modesty objected to such an elevated position, and, in consequence, stopped half-way, as if undecided whether to lie flat or remain erect, producing the effect that would have been presented had he been decorated with a pair of horns. his baldness might have given an air of benevolence to his face, but for the shaggy eyebrows that over-shadowed his cunning-looking grey eyes. his cheekbones were high, and the cadaverous skin was so tightly drawn across them, as to give it a very parchment-like appearance. around his thin compressed lips there was a continual nervous twitching, that added greatly to the sinister aspect of his face.
on the whole, he was a person from whom you would instinctively shrink; and had he been president or director of a bank in which you had money deposited, his general aspect would not have given you additional confidence in the stable character or just administration of its affairs.
mr. george stevens was a pettifogging attorney, who derived a tolerable income from a rather disreputable legal practice picked up among the courts that held their sessions in the various halls of the state-house. he was known in the profession as slippery george, from the easy manner in which he glided out of scrapes that would have been fatal to the reputation of any other lawyer. did a man break into a house, and escape without being actually caught on the spot with the goods in his possession, stevens was always able to prove an alibi by a long array of witnesses. in fact, he was considered by the swell gentry of the city as their especial friend and protector, and by the members of the bar generally as anything but an ornament to the profession.
he had had rather a fatiguing day's labour, and on the evening of which we write, was indulging in his usual cigar, and amusing himself at the same time by observing the gambols of clarence and little em, who were enjoying a romp in their father's garden.
"come here, jule," said he, "and look at our new neighbour's children—rather pretty, ain't they?"
he was joined by a diminutive red-faced woman, with hair and eyes very much like his own, and a face that wore a peevish, pinched expression.
"rather good-looking," she replied, after observing them for a few minutes, and then added, "have you seen their parents?"
"no, not yet," was the reply. "i met walters in the street this morning, who informed me they are from the south, and very rich; we must try and cultivate them—ask the children in to play with ours, and strike up an intimacy in that way, the rest will follow naturally, you know. by the way, jule," continued he, "how i hate that nigger walters, with his grand airs. i wanted some money of him the other day on rather ticklish securities for a client of mine, and the black wretch kept me standing in his hall for at least five minutes, and then refused me, with some not very complimentary remarks upon my assurance in offering him such securities. it made me so mad i could have choked him—it is bad enough to be treated with hauteur by a white man, but contempt from a nigger is almost unendurable."
"why didn't you resent it in some way? i never would have submitted to anything of the kind from him," interrupted mrs. stevens.
"oh, i don't dare to just now; i have to be as mild as milk with him. you forget about the mortgage; don't you know he has me in a tight place there, and i don't see how to get out of it either. if i am called slippery george, i tell you what, jule, there's not a better man of business in the whole of philadelphia than that same walters, nigger as he is; and no one offends him without paying dear for it in some way or other. i'll tell you something he did last week. he went up to trenton on business, and at the hotel they refused to give him dinner because of his colour, and told him they did not permit niggers to eat at their tables. what does he do but buy the house over the landlord's head. the lease had just expired, and the landlord was anxious to negotiate another; he was also making some arrangements with his creditors, which could not be effected unless he was enabled to renew the lease of the premises he occupied. on learning that the house had been sold, he came down to the city to negotiate with the new owner, and to his astonishment found him to be the very man he had refused a meal to the week before. blunt happened to be in walters's office at the time the fellow called. walters, he says, drew himself up to his full height, and looked like an ebony statue.
"sir," said he, "i came to your house and asked for a meal, for which i was able to pay; you not only refused it to me, but heaped upon me words such as fall only from the lips of blackguards. you refuse to have me in your house—i object to have you in mine: you will, therefore, quit the premises immediately." the fellow sneaked out quite crestfallen, and his creditors have broken him up completely.
"i tell you what, jule, if i was a black," continued he, "living in a country like this, i'd sacrifice conscience and everything else to the acquisition of wealth."
as he concluded, he turned from the window and sat down by a small table, upon which a lighted lamp had been placed, and where a few law papers were awaiting a perusal.
a little boy and girl were sitting opposite to him. the boy was playing with a small fly-trap, wherein he had already imprisoned a vast number of buzzing sufferers. in appearance he bore a close resemblance to his father; he had the same red hair and sallow complexion, but his grey eyes had a dull leaden hue.
"do let them go, george, do!" said the little girl, in a pleading tone.
"you'll kill them, shut up there."
"i don't care if i do," replied he, doggedly; "i can catch more—look here;" and as he spoke he permitted a few of the imprisoned insects to creep partly out, and then brought the lid down upon them with a force that completely demolished them.
the little girl shuddered at this wanton exhibition of cruelty, and offered him a paper of candy if he would liberate his prisoners, which he did rather reluctantly, but promising himself to replenish the box at the first opportunity.
"ah!" said he, in a tone of exultation, "father took me with him to the jail to-day, and i saw all the people locked up. i mean to be a jailer some of these days. wouldn't you like to keep a jail, liz?" continued he, his leaden eyes receiving a slight accession of brightness at the idea.
"oh, no!" replied she; "i would let all the people go, if i kept the jail."
a more complete contrast than this little girl presented to her parents and brother, cannot be imagined. she had very dark chestnut hair, and mild blue eyes, and a round, full face, which, in expression, was sweetness itself. she was about six years old, and her brother's junior by an equal number of years.
her mother loved her, but thought her tame and spiritless in her disposition; and her father cherished as much affection for her as he was capable of feeling for any one but himself.
mrs. stevens, however, doted on their eldest hope, who was as disagreeable as a thoroughly spoiled and naturally evil-disposed boy could be.
as the evenings had now become quite warm, mr. garie frequently took a chair and enjoyed his evening cigar upon the door-step of his house; and as mr. stevens thought his steps equally suited to this purpose, it was very natural he should resort there with the same object.
mr. stevens found no difficulty in frequently bringing about short neighbourly conversations with mr. garie. the little folk, taking their cue from their parents, soon became intimate, and ran in and out of each other's houses in the most familiar manner possible. lizzy stevens and little em joined hearts immediately, and their intimacy had already been cemented by frequent consultations on the various ailments wherewith they supposed their dolls afflicted.
clarence got on only tolerably with george stevens; he entertained for him that deference that one boy always has for another who is his superior in any boyish pastime; but there was little affection lost between them—they cared very little for each other's society.
mrs. garie, since her arrival, had been much confined to her room, in consequence of her protracted indisposition. mrs. stevens had several times intimated to mr. garie her intention of paying his wife a visit; but never having received any very decided encouragement, she had not pressed the matter, though her curiosity was aroused, and she was desirous of seeing what kind of person mrs. garie could be.
her son george in his visits had never been permitted farther than the front parlour; and all the information that could be drawn from little lizzy, who was frequently in mrs. garie's bedroom, was that "she was a pretty lady, with great large eyes." one evening, when mr. garie was occupying his accustomed seat, he was accosted from the other side by mrs. stevens, who, as usual, was very particular in her inquiries after the state of his wife's health; and on learning that she was so much improved as to be down-stairs, suggested that, perhaps, she would be willing to receive her.
"no doubt she will," rejoined mr. garie; and he immediately entered the house to announce the intended visit. the lamps were not lighted when mrs. stevens was introduced, and faces could not, therefore, be clearly distinguished.
"my dear," said mr. garie, "this is our neighbour, mrs. stevens."
"will you excuse me for not rising?" said mrs. garie, extending her hand to her visitor. "i have been quite ill, or i should have been most happy to have received you before. my little folks are in your house a great deal—i hope you do not find them troublesome."
"oh, by no means! i quite dote on your little emily, she is such a sweet child—so very affectionate. it is a great comfort to have such a child near for my own to associate with—they have got quite intimate, as i hope we soon shall be."
mrs. garie thanked her for the kindness implied in the wish, and said she trusted they should be so.
"and how do you like your house?" asked mrs. stevens; "it is on the same plan as ours, and we find ours very convenient. they both formerly belonged to walters; my husband purchased of him. do you intend to buy?"
"it is very probable we shall, if we continue to like philadelphia," answered mr. garie.
"i'm delighted to hear that," rejoined she—"very glad, indeed. it quite relieves my mind about one thing: ever since mr. stevens purchased our house we have been tormented with the suspicion that walters would put a family of niggers in this; and if there is one thing in this world i detest more than another, it is coloured people, i think."
mr. garie here interrupted her by making some remark quite foreign to the subject, with the intention, no doubt, of drawing her off this topic. the attempt was, however, an utter failure, for she continued—"i think all those that are not slaves ought to be sent out of the country back to africa, where they belong: they are, without exception, the most ignorant, idle, miserable set i ever saw."
"i think," said mr. garie, "i can show you at least one exception, and that too without much trouble. sarah," he cried, "bring me a light."
"oh," said mrs. stevens, "i suppose you refer to walters—it is true he is an exception; but he is the only coloured person i ever saw that could make the least pretension to anything like refinement or respectability.
"let me show you another," said mr. garie, as he took the lamp from the servant and placed it upon the table near his wife.
as the light fell on her face, their visitor saw that she belonged to the very class that she had been abusing in such unmeasured terms and so petrified was she with confusion at the faux pas she had committed, that she was entirely unable to improvise the slightest apology.
mrs. garie, who had been reclining on the lounge, partially raised herself and gave mrs. stevens a withering look. "i presume, madam," said she, in a hurried and agitated tone, "that you are very ignorant of the people upon whom you have just been heaping such unmerited abuse, and therefore i shall not think so hardly of you as i should, did i deem your language dictated by pure hatred; but, be its origin what it may, it is quite evident that our farther acquaintance could be productive of no pleasure to either of us—you will, therefore, permit me," continued she, rising with great dignity, "to wish you good evening;" and thus speaking, she left the room.
mrs. stevens was completely demolished by this unexpected denouement of her long-meditated visit, and could only feebly remark to mr. garie that it was getting late, and she would go; and rising, she suffered herself to be politely bowed out of the house. in her intense anxiety to relate to her husband the scene which had just occurred, she could not take time to go round and through the gate, but leaped lightly over the low fence that divided the gardens, and rushed precipitately into the presence of her husband.
"good heavens! george, what do you think?" she exclaimed; "i've had such a surprise!"
"i should think that you had, judging from appearances," replied he. "why, your eyes are almost starting out of your head! what on earth has happened?" he asked, as he took the shade off the lamp to get a better view of his amiable partner.
"you would not guess in a year," she rejoined; "i never would have dreamed it—i never was so struck in my life!"
"struck with what? do talk sensibly, jule, and say what all this is about," interrupted her husband, in an impatient manner. "come, out with it—what has happened?"
"why, would you have thought it," said she; "mrs. garie is a nigger woman—a real nigger—she would be known as such anywhere?"
it was now mr. stevens's turn to be surprised. "why, jule," he exclaimed, "you astonish me! come, now, you're joking—you don't mean a real black nigger?"
"oh, no, not jet black—but she's dark enough. she is as dark as that sarah we employed as cook some time ago."
"you don't say so! wonders will never cease—and he such a gentleman, too!" resumed her husband.
"yes; and it's completely sickening," continued mrs. stevens, "to see them together; he calls her my dear, and is as tender and affectionate to her as if she was a circassian—and she nothing but a nigger—faugh! it's disgusting."
little clarence had been standing near, unnoticed by either of them during this conversation, and they were therefore greatly surprised when he exclaimed, with a burst of tears, "my mother is not a nigger any more than you are! how dare you call her such a bad name? i'll tell my father!"
mr. stevens gave a low whistle, and looking at his wife, pointed to the door. mrs. stevens laid her hand on the shoulder of clarence, and led him to the door, saying, as she did so, "don't come in here any more—i don't wish you to come into my house;" and then closing it, returned to her husband.
"you know, george," said she, "that i went in to pay her a short visit. i hadn't the remotest idea that she was a coloured woman, and i commenced giving my opinion respecting niggers very freely, when suddenly her husband called for a light, and i then saw to whom i had been talking. you may imagine my astonishment—i was completely dumb—and it would have done you good to have seen the air with which she left the room, after as good as telling me to leave the house."
"well," said mr. stevens, "this is what may be safely termed an unexpected event. but, jule," he continued, "you had better pack these young folks off to bed, and then you can tell me the rest of it."
clarence stood for some time on the steps of the house from which he had been so unkindly ejected, with his little heart swelling with indignation. he had often heard the term nigger used in its reproachful sense, but never before had it been applied to him or his, at least in his presence. it was the first blow the child received from the prejudice whose relentless hand was destined to crush him in after-years.
it was his custom, when any little grief pressed upon his childish heart, to go and pour out his troubles on the breast of his mother; but he instinctively shrunk from confiding this to her; for, child as he was, he knew it would make her very unhappy. he therefore gently stole into the house, crept quietly up to his room, lay down, and sobbed himself to sleep.
