01.1-CHAPTER I In Which the Reader Is Introduced to a Man of Humanity part1-mt

VOLUME I

CHAPTER I

In Which the Reader Is Introduced to a Man of Humanity part1

Late in theafternoon of a chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting alone overtheir wine, in a well-furnished dining parlor, in the town of P——, in Kentucky. Therewere no servants present, and the gentlemen, with chairs closely approaching,seemed to be discussing some subject with great earnestness.

For conveniencesake, we have said, hitherto, two gentlemen . One of theparties, however, when critically examined, did not seem, strictly speaking, tocome under the species. He was a short, thick-set man, with coarse, commonplacefeatures, and that swaggering air of pretension which marks a low man who istrying to elbow his way upward in the world. He was much over-dressed, in agaudy vest of many colors, a blue neckerchief, bedropped gayly with yellowspots, and arranged with a flaunting tie, quite in keeping with the general airof the man. His hands, large and coarse, were plentifully bedecked with rings;and he wore a heavy gold watch-chain, with a bundle of seals of portentoussize, and a great variety of colors, attached to it,—which, in the ardor ofconversation, he was in the habit of flourishing and jingling with evidentsatisfaction. His conversation was in free and easy defiance of Murray'sGrammar,* and was garnished at convenient intervals with various profaneexpressions, which not even the desire to be graphic in our account shallinduce us to transcribe.

* English Grammar(1795), by Lindley Murray (1745-1826), the
most authoritative American grammarian of his day.

His companion, Mr.Shelby, had the appearance of a gentleman; and the arrangements of the house,and the general air of the housekeeping, indicated easy, and even opulentcircumstances. As we before stated, the two were in the midst of an earnestconversation.

"That is theway I should arrange the matter," said Mr. Shelby.

"I can't maketrade that way—Ipositively can't, Mr. Shelby," said the other, holding up a glass of winebetween his eye and the light.

"Why, the factis, Haley, Tom is an uncommon fellow; he is certainly worth that sum anywhere,—steady, honest,capable, manages my whole farm like a clock."

"You meanhonest, as niggers go," said Haley, helping himself to a glass of brandy.

"No; I mean,really, Tom is a good, steady, sensible, pious fellow. He got religion at acamp-meeting, four years ago; and I believe he really did getit. I've trusted him, since then, with everything I have,—money, house, horses,—and let him come and go round the country; and I always found himtrue and square in everything."

"Some folksdon't believe there is pious niggers Shelby," said Haley, with a candidflourish of his hand, "but I do . I had a fellow, now, inthis yer last lot I took to Orleans—'t was as good as a meetin, now, really, to hear thatcritter pray; and he was quite gentle and quiet like. He fetched me a good sum,too, for I bought him cheap of a man that was 'bliged to sell out; so I realizedsix hundred on him. Yes, I consider religion a valeyable thing in a nigger,when it's the genuine article, and no mistake."

"Well, Tom'sgot the real article, if ever a fellow had," rejoined the other."Why, last fall, I let him go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for me,and bring home five hundred dollars. 'Tom,' says I to him, 'I trust you,because I think you're a Christian—I know you wouldn't cheat.' Tom comes back, sure enough;I knew he would. Some low fellows, they say, said to him—Tom, why don't you make tracks for Canada?' 'Ah, master trusted me,and I couldn't,'—they told me about it. I am sorry topart with Tom, I must say. You ought to let him cover the whole balance of thedebt; and you would, Haley, if you had any conscience."

"Well, I'vegot just as much conscience as any man in business can afford to keep,—just a little, youknow, to swear by, as 't were," said the trader, jocularly; "and,then, I'm ready to do anything in reason to 'blige friends; but this yer, yousee, is a leetle too hard on a fellow—a leetle toohard." The trader sighed contemplatively, and poured out some more brandy.

"Well, then,Haley, how will you trade?" said Mr. Shelby, after an uneasy interval ofsilence.

"Well, haven'tyou a boy or gal that you could throw in with Tom?"

"Hum!—none that I could wellspare; to tell the truth, it's only hard necessity makes me willing to sell atall. I don't like parting with any of my hands, that's a fact."

Here the dooropened, and a small quadroon boy, between four and five years of age, enteredthe room. There was something in his appearance remarkably beautiful andengaging. His black hair, fine as floss silk, hung in glossy curls about hisround, dimpled face, while a pair of large dark eyes, full of fire andsoftness, looked out from beneath the rich, long lashes, as he peered curiouslyinto the apartment. A gay robe of scarlet and yellow plaid, carefully made andneatly fitted, set off to advantage the dark and rich style of his beauty; anda certain comic air of assurance, blended with bashfulness, showed that he hadbeen not unused to being petted and noticed by his master.

"Hulloa, JimCrow!" said Mr. Shelby, whistling, and snapping a bunch of raisins towardshim, "pick that up, now!"

The childscampered, with all his little strength, after the prize, while his masterlaughed.

"Come here,Jim Crow," said he. The child came up, and the master patted the curlyhead, and chucked him under the chin.

"Now, Jim,show this gentleman how you can dance and sing." The boy commenced one ofthose wild, grotesque songs common among the negroes, in a rich, clear voice,accompanying his singing with many comic evolutions of the hands, feet, andwhole body, all in perfect time to the music.

"Bravo!"said Haley, throwing him a quarter of an orange.

"Now, Jim,walk like old Uncle Cudjoe, when he has the rheumatism," said his master.

Instantly theflexible limbs of the child assumed the appearance of deformity and distortion,as, with his back humped up, and his master's stick in his hand, he hobbledabout the room, his childish face drawn into a doleful pucker, and spittingfrom right to left, in imitation of an old man.

Both gentlemenlaughed uproariously.

"Now,Jim," said his master, "show us how old Elder Robbins leads thepsalm." The boy drew his chubby face down to a formidable length, andcommenced toning a psalm tune through his nose, with imperturbable gravity.

"Hurrah!bravo! what a young 'un!" said Haley; "that chap's a case, I'llpromise. Tell you what," said he, suddenly clapping his hand on Mr.Shelby's shoulder, "fling in that chap, and I'll settle the business—I will. Come, now, ifthat ain't doing the thing up about the rightest!"