how we should all be forgiving
let us forget the scenes of the foregoing chapters, and turn to something of pleasanter hue. in the meantime, let us freely acknowledge that we live in a land-our democratic south, we mean-where sumptuous living and abject misery present their boldest outlines,--where the ignorance of the many is excused by the polished education of a very few,--where autocracy sways its lash with bitterest absolutism,--where menial life lies prostrate at the feet of injustice, and despairingly appeals to heaven for succour,--where feasts and funerals rival each other,--and when pestilence, like a glutton, sends its victims to the graveyard most, the ball-room glitters brightest with its galaxy. even here, where clamour cries aloud for popular government, men's souls are most crushed-not with legal right, but by popular will! and yet, from out all this incongruous substance, there seems a genial spirit working itself upon the surface, and making good its influence; and it is to that influence we should award the credit due. that genial spirit is the good master's protection; we would it were wider exercised for the good of all. but we must return to our narrative.
the rosebrook villa has assumed its usual cheerfulness; but while pestilence makes sad havoc among the inhabitants of the city, gaiety is equally rampant. in a word, even the many funeral trains which pass along every day begin to wear a sort of cheerfulness, in consequence of which, it is rumoured, the aristocracy-we mean those who have money to spend-have made up their minds not to depart for the springs yet awhile. as for franconia, finding she could no longer endure m'carstrow's dissolute habits, and having been told by that very distinguished gentleman, but unamiable husband, that he despised the whole tribe of her poor relations, she has retired to private boarding, where, with the five dollars a week, he, in the outpouring of his southern generosity, allows her, she subsists plainly but comfortably. it is, indeed, a paltry pittance, which the m'carstrow family will excuse to the public with the greatness of their name.
harry has returned to the plantation, where the people have smothered him in a new suit of black. already has he preached three sermons in it, which said sermons are declared wonderful proofs of his biblical knowledge. even daddy daniel, who expended fourteen picayunes in a new pair of spectacles, with which to hear the new parson more distinctly, pronounces the preaching prodigious. he is vehement in his exultation, lavishes his praise without stint; and as his black face glows with happiness, thanks missus for her great goodness in thus providing for their spiritual welfare. the rosebrook "niggers" were always extremely respectable and well ordered in their moral condition; but now they seem invested with a new impulse for working out their own good; and by the advice of missus, whom every sable son and daughter loves most dearly, daddy daniel has arranged a system of evening prayer meetings, which will be held in the little church, twice a week. and, too, there prevails a strong desire for an evening gathering now and then, at which the young shiners may be instructed how to grow. a curiously democratic law, however, offers a fierce impediment to this; and daddy daniel shakes his head, and aunt peggy makes a belligerent muttering when told such gatherings cannot take place without endangering the state's rights. it is, nevertheless, decided that kate, and nan, and dorothy, and webster, and clay, and such like young folks, may go to "settings up" and funerals, but strictly abstain from all fandangoes. dad daniel and his brother deacons cannot countenance such fiddling and dancing, such break-downs, and shoutings, and whirlings, and flouncing and frilling, and gay ribboning, as generally make up the evening's merriment at these fandangoes, so prevalent on neighbouring plantations about christmas time. "da don' mount to no good!" daniel says, with a broad guffaw. "nigger what spect t' git hi' way up in da world bes lef dem tings." and so one or two more screws are to be worked up for the better regulation of the machinery of the plantation. as for master rosebrook-why, he wouldn't sell a nigger for a world of money; and he doesn't care how much they learn; the more the better, provided they learn on the sly. they are all to be freed at a certain time, and although freedom is sweet, without learning they might make bad use of it. but master has had a noble object in view for some days past, and which, after encountering many difficulties, he has succeeded in carrying out to the great joy of all parties concerned.
one day, as the people were all busily engaged on the plantation, bradshaw's familiar figure presents itself at the house, and demands to see harry. he has great good news, but don't want to tell him "nofin" till he arrives at the villa. "ah, good man" (bradshaw's face beams good tidings, as he approaches harry, and delivers a note) "mas'r specs ye down da' wid no time loss." bradshaw rubs his hands, and grins, and bows, his face seeming two shades blacker than ever, but no less cheerful.
"master wants me to preach somewhere, next sunday,--i know he does," says harry, reading the note, which requests him to come immediately into the city. he will prepare to obey the summons, dan and sprat meanwhile taking good care of the horse and carriage, while bradshaw makes a friendly visit to a few of the more distinguished cabins, and says "how de" to venerable aunties, who spread their best fare before him, and, with grave ceremony, invite him in to refresh before taking his return journey into the city; and maum betsy packs up six of her real smart made sweet cakes for the parson and bradshaw to eat along the road. betsy is in a strange state of bewilderment to know why master wants to take the new parson away just now, when he's so happy, and is only satisfied when assured that he will be safely returned to-morrow. a signal is made for dad daniel, who hastens to the cabin in time to see everything properly arranged for the parson's departure, and say: "god bless 'um,--good by!"
"now, what can master want with me?" enquires harry, as, on the road, they roll away towards the city.
bradshaw cracks his whip, and with a significant smile looks harry in the face, and returns: "don' ax dis child no mo' sich question. old mas'r and me neber break secret. tell ye dis, do'h! old mas'r do good ting, sartin."
"you know, but won't tell me, eh?" rejoins harry, his manly face wearing a solicitous look. bradshaw shakes his head, and adds a cunning wink in reply.
it is three o'clock when they arrive at the villa, where, without reserve, missus extends her hand, and gives him a cordial welcome,--tells him franconia has been waiting to see him with great patience, and has got a present for him. franconia comes rushing into the hall, and is so glad to see him; but her countenance wears an air of sadness, which does not escape his notice-she is not the beautiful creature she was years ago, care has sadly worn upon those rounded features. but master is there, and he looks happy and cheerful; and there is something about the house servants, as they gather round him to have their say, which looks of suspiciously good omen. he cannot divine what it is; his first suspicions being aroused by missus saying franconia had been waiting to see him.
"we must not call him harry any longer-it doesn't become his profession: now that he is elder of my plantation flock, he must, from this time, be called elder!" says rosebrook, touching him on the arm with the right hand. and the two ladies joined in, that it must be so. "go into the parlour, ladies; i must say a word or two to the elder," continued rosebrook, taking harry by the arm, and pacing through the hall into the conservatory at the back of the house. here, after ordering harry to be seated, he recounts his plan of emancipation, which, so far, has worked admirably, and, at the time proposed, will, without doubt or danger, produce the hoped-for result. "you, my good man," he says, "can be a useful instrument in furthering my ends; i want you to be that instrument!" his negroes have all an interest in their labour, which interest is preserved for them in missus's savings-bank; and at a given time they are to have their freedom, but to remain on the plantation if they choose, at a stipulated rate of wages. indeed, so strongly impressed with the good results of his proposed system is rosebrook, that he long since scouted that contemptible fallacy, which must have had its origin in the very dregs of selfishness, that the two races can only live in proximity by one enslaving the other. justice to each other, he holds, will solve the problem of their living together; but, between the oppressor and the oppressed, a volcano that may at any day send forth its devouring flame, smoulders. rosebrook knows goodness always deserves its reward; and harry assures him he never will violate the trust. having said thus much, he rises from his chair, takes harry by the arm, and leading him to the door of the conservatory, points him to a passage leading to the right, and says: "in there!-proceed into that passage, enter a door, first door on the left, and then you will find something you may consider your own."
harry hesitated for a moment, watched master's countenance doubtingly, as if questioning the singular command.
"fear not! nobody will hurt you," continues rosebrook.
"master never had a bad intention," thinks harry; "i know he would not harm me; and then missus is so good." slowly and nervously he proceeds, and on reaching the door hears a familiar "come in" answering his nervous rap. the door opened into a neat little room, with carpet and chairs, a mahogany bureau and prints, all so neatly arranged, and wearing such an air of cleanliness. no sooner has he advanced beyond the threshold than the emaciated figure of a black sister vaults into his arms, crying, "oh harry! harry! harry!-my dear husband!" she throws her arms about his neck, and kisses, and kisses him, and buries her tears of joy in his bosom. how she pours out her soul's love!-how, in rapturous embraces, her black impulses give out the purest affection!
"and you!-you!-you!-my own dear jane! is it you? has god commanded us to meet once more, to be happy once more, to live as heaven hath ordained us to live?" he returns, as fervently and affectionately he holds her in his arms, and returns her token of love. "never! never! i forget you, never! by night and by day i have prayed the protecting hand of providence to guide you through life's trials. how my heart has yearned to meet you in heaven! happy am i we have met once more on earth; yea, my soul leaps with joy. forgive them, father, forgive them who separate us on earth, for heaven makes the anointed!" and while they embrace thus fondly, their tears mingling with joy, children, recognising a returned father as he entered the door, are clinging at his feet beseechingly. he is their father;--how like children they love! "sam, sue, and beckie, too!" he says, as one by one he takes them in his arms and kisses them. but there are two more, sombre and strange. he had caught the fourth in his arms, unconsciously. "ah, jane!" he exclaims, turning toward her, his face filled with grief and chagrin, "they are not of me, jane!" he still holds the little innocent by the hand, as nervously he waits her reply. it is not guilt, but shame, with which she returns an answer.
"it was not my sin, harry! it was him that forced me to live with another,--that lashed me when i refused, and, bleeding, made me obey the will," she returns, looking at him imploringly. virtue is weaker than the lash; none feel it more than the slave. she loved harry, she followed him with her thoughts; but it was the christian that reduced her to the level of the brute. laying her coloured hand upon his shoulder, she besought his forgiveness, as god was forgiving.
"why should i not forgive thee, jane? i would not chide thee, for no sin is on thy garments. injustice gave master the right to sell thee, to make of thee what he pleased. heaven made thy soul purest,--man thy body an outcast for the unrighteous to feast upon. how could i withhold forgiveness, jane? i will be a father to them, a husband to thee; for what thou hast been compelled to do is right, in the land we live in." so saying, he again embraces her, wipes the tears from her eyes, and comforts her. how sweet is forgiveness! it freshens like the dew of morning on the drooping plant; it strengthens the weary spirit, it steals into the desponding soul, and wakes to life new hopes of bliss,--to the slave it is sweet indeed!
"i will kiss them, too," he ejaculates, taking them in his arms with the embrace of a fond father,--which simple expression of love they return with prattling. they know not the trials of their parents; how blessed to know them not!
and now they gather the children around them, and seat themselves on a little settee near the window, where harry, overjoyed at meeting his dear ones once more, fondles them and listens to jane, as with her left arm round his neck she discloses the sad tale of her tribulation. let us beg the reader to excuse the recital; there is nothing fascinating in it, nor would we call forth the modest blushes of our generous south. a few words of the woman's story, however, we cannot omit; and we trust the forgiving will pardon their insertion. she tells harry she was not separated from her children; but that romescos, having well considered her worth, sold her with her "young uns" to the rev. peter--, who had a small plantation down in christ's parish. the reverend gentleman, being born and educated to the degrading socialities of democratic states, always says he is not to blame for "using" the rights the law gives him; nor does he forget to express sundry regrets that he cannot see as preachers at the north see. as for money, he thinks preachers have just as good a right to get it as gentlemen of any other honourable profession. now and then he preaches to niggers; and for telling them how they must live in the fear of the lord, be obedient to their master, and pay for redemption by the sweat of their brows, he adds to his pile of coin. but he is strongly of the opinion that niggers are inferior "brutes" of the human species, and in furtherance of this opinion (so popular in the whole south) he expects them to live a week on a peck of corn. as for jane-we must excuse the reverend gentleman, because of his faith in southern principles-he compelled her to live with the man absalom ere she had been two days on his plantation, and by the same absalom she had two children, which materially increased the cash value of the reverend peter--'s slave property. indeed, so well is the reverend gentleman known for his foul play, that it has been thrown up to him in open court-by wicked planters who never had the fear of god before their eyes-that he more than half starved his niggers, and charged them toll for grinding their corn in his mill. though the reverend peter --never failed to assure his friends and acquaintances of his generosity (a noble quality which had long been worthily maintained by the ancient family to which he belonged), the light of one generous act had never found its way to the public. in truth, so elastically did his reverend conscientiousness expand when he learned the strange motive which prompted rosebrook to purchase jane and her little ones, that he sorely regretted he had not put two hundred dollars more on the price of the lot. fortunately jane was much worn down by grief and toil, and was viewed by the reverend gentleman as a piece of property he would rather like to dispose of to the best advantage, lest she should suddenly make a void in his dollars and cents by sliding into some out of the way grave-yard. but rosebrook, duly appreciating the unchristian qualities of our worthy one's generosity, kept his motive a profound secret until the negociation was completed. now that it had become known that the reverend peter--(who dresses in blackest black, most sanctimoniously cut, whitest neckcloth wedded to his holy neck, and face so simply serious) assures rosebrook he has got good people,--they are valuably promising-he will pray for them, that the future may prosper their wayfaring. he cannot, however, part with the good man without admonishing him how dangerous it is to give unto "niggers" the advantage of a superior position.
reader, let us hope the clergy of the south will take heed lest by permitting their brethren to be sold and stolen in this manner they bring the profession into contempt. let us hope the southern church will not much longer continue to bring pure christianity into disgrace by serving ends so vile that heaven and earth frowns upon them; for false is the voice raised in sanctimony to heaven for power to make a footstool of a fallen race!
