01.2-CHAPTER I In Which the Reader Is Introduced to a Man of Humanity part2-mt

CHAPTER I

In Which the Reader Is Introduced to a Man of Humanity part2

At this moment, thedoor was pushed gently open, and a young quadroon woman, apparently abouttwenty-five, entered the room.

There needed only aglance from the child to her, to identify her as its mother. There was the samerich, full, dark eye, with its long lashes; the same ripples of silky blackhair. The brown of her complexion gave way on the cheek to a perceptible flush,which deepened as she saw the gaze of the strange man fixed upon her in boldand undisguised admiration. Her dress was of the neatest possible fit, and setoff to advantage her finely moulded shape;—a delicately formed hand and a trim foot and ankle wereitems of appearance that did not escape the quick eye of the trader, well usedto run up at a glance the points of a fine female article.

"Well,Eliza?" said her master, as she stopped and looked hesitatingly at him.

"I was lookingfor Harry, please, sir;" and the boy bounded toward her, showing hisspoils, which he had gathered in the skirt of his robe.

"Well, takehim away then," said Mr. Shelby; and hastily she withdrew, carrying thechild on her arm.

"ByJupiter," said the trader, turning to him in admiration, "there's anarticle, now! You might make your fortune on that ar gal in Orleans, any day.I've seen over a thousand, in my day, paid down for gals not a bithandsomer."

"I don't wantto make my fortune on her," said Mr. Shelby, dryly; and, seeking to turnthe conversation, he uncorked a bottle of fresh wine, and asked his companion'sopinion of it.

"Capital, sir,—first chop!" saidthe trader; then turning, and slapping his hand familiarly on Shelby'sshoulder, he added—

"Come, howwill you trade about the gal?—what shall I say for her—what'll youtake?"

"Mr. Haley,she is not to be sold," said Shelby. "My wife would not part with herfor her weight in gold."

"Ay, ay! womenalways say such things, cause they ha'nt no sort of calculation. Just show 'emhow many watches, feathers, and trinkets, one's weight in gold would buy, andthat alters the case, I reckon."

"I tell you,Haley, this must not be spoken of; I say no, and I mean no," said Shelby,decidedly.

"Well, you'lllet me have the boy, though," said the trader; "you must own I'vecome down pretty handsomely for him."

"What on earthcan you want with the child?" said Shelby.

"Why, I've gota friend that's going into this yer branch of the business—wants to buy uphandsome boys to raise for the market. Fancy articles entirely—sell for waiters, and so on, to rich 'uns, that can pay for handsome'uns. It sets off one of yer great places—a realhandsome boy to open door, wait, and tend. They fetch a good sum; and thislittle devil is such a comical, musical concern, he's just the article!'

"I wouldrather not sell him," said Mr. Shelby, thoughtfully; "the fact is,sir, I'm a humane man, and I hate to take the boy from his mother, sir."

"O, you do?—La! yes—something of that ar natur. I understand, perfectly. It is mightyonpleasant getting on with women, sometimes, I al'ays hates these yerscreechin,' screamin' times. They are mighty onpleasant; but,as I manages business, I generally avoids 'em, sir. Now, what if you get thegirl off for a day, or a week, or so; then the thing's done quietly,—all over before she comes home. Your wife might get her someear-rings, or a new gown, or some such truck, to make up with her."

"I'm afraidnot."

"Lor bless ye,yes! These critters ain't like white folks, you know; they gets over things,only manage right. Now, they say," said Haley, assuming a candid andconfidential air, "that this kind o' trade is hardening to the feelings;but I never found it so. Fact is, I never could do things up the way somefellers manage the business. I've seen 'em as would pull a woman's child out ofher arms, and set him up to sell, and she screechin' like mad all the time;—very bad policy—damages the article—makes 'em quite unfitfor service sometimes. I knew a real handsome gal once, in Orleans, as wasentirely ruined by this sort o' handling. The fellow that was trading for herdidn't want her baby; and she was one of your real high sort, when her bloodwas up. I tell you, she squeezed up her child in her arms, and talked, and wenton real awful. It kinder makes my blood run cold to think of 't; and when theycarried off the child, and locked her up, she jest went ravin' mad, and died ina week. Clear waste, sir, of a thousand dollars, just for want of management,—there's where 't is. It's always best to do the humane thing, sir;that's been my experience." And the trader leaned back inhis chair, and folded his arm, with an air of virtuous decision, apparentlyconsidering himself a second Wilberforce.

The subjectappeared to interest the gentleman deeply; for while Mr. Shelby wasthoughtfully peeling an orange, Haley broke out afresh, with becomingdiffidence, but as if actually driven by the force of truth to say a few wordsmore.

"It don't lookwell, now, for a feller to be praisin' himself; but I say it jest because it'sthe truth. I believe I'm reckoned to bring in about the finest droves ofniggers that is brought in,—at least, I've been told so; if I have once, I reckon I have ahundred times,—all in good case,—fat and likely, and I lose as few as any man in the business. And Ilays it all to my management, sir; and humanity, sir, I may say, is the greatpillar of my management."

Mr. Shelby did notknow what to say, and so he said, "Indeed!"

"Now, I'vebeen laughed at for my notions, sir, and I've been talked to. They an'tpop'lar, and they an't common; but I stuck to 'em, sir; I've stuck to 'em, andrealized well on 'em; yes, sir, they have paid their passage, I may say,"and the trader laughed at his joke.

There was somethingso piquant and original in these elucidations of humanity, that Mr. Shelbycould not help laughing in company. Perhaps you laugh too, dear reader; but youknow humanity comes out in a variety of strange forms now-a-days, and there isno end to the odd things that humane people will say and do.

Mr. Shelby's laughencouraged the trader to proceed.

"It's strange,now, but I never could beat this into people's heads. Now, there was Tom Loker,my old partner, down in Natchez; he was a clever fellow, Tom was, only the verydevil with niggers,—onprinciple 't was, you see, for a better hearted feller never broke bread; 'twas his system , sir. I used to talk to Tom. 'Why, Tom,' Iused to say, 'when your gals takes on and cry, what's the use o' crackin on' emover the head, and knockin' on 'em round? It's ridiculous,' says I, 'and don'tdo no sort o' good. Why, I don't see no harm in their cryin',' says I; 'it'snatur,' says I, 'and if natur can't blow off one way, it will another. Besides,Tom,' says I, 'it jest spiles your gals; they get sickly, and down in themouth; and sometimes they gets ugly,—particular yallowgals do,—and it's the devil and all gettin' on 'embroke in. Now,' says I, 'why can't you kinder coax 'em up, and speak 'em fair?Depend on it, Tom, a little humanity, thrown in along, goes a heap further thanall your jawin' and crackin'; and it pays better,' says I, 'depend on 't.' ButTom couldn't get the hang on 't; and he spiled so many for me, that I had tobreak off with him, though he was a good-hearted fellow, and as fair a businesshand as is goin'."

"And do youfind your ways of managing do the business better than Tom's?" said Mr. Shelby.

"Why, yes,sir, I may say so. You see, when I any ways can, I takes a leetle care aboutthe onpleasant parts, like selling young uns and that,—get the gals out ofthe way—out of sight, out of mind, you know,—and when it's clean done, and can't be helped, they naturally getsused to it. 'Tan't, you know, as if it was white folks, that's brought up inthe way of 'spectin' to keep their children and wives, and all that. Niggers,you know, that's fetched up properly, ha'n't no kind of 'spectations of no kind;so all these things comes easier."

"I'm afraidmine are not properly brought up, then," said Mr. Shelby.

"S'pose not;you Kentucky folks spile your niggers. You mean well by 'em, but 'tan't no realkindness, arter all. Now, a nigger, you see, what's got to be hacked andtumbled round the world, and sold to Tom, and Dick, and the Lord knows who,'tan't no kindness to be givin' on him notions and expectations, and bringin'on him up too well, for the rough and tumble comes all the harder on him arter.Now, I venture to say, your niggers would be quite chop-fallen in a place wheresome of your plantation niggers would be singing and whooping like allpossessed. Every man, you know, Mr. Shelby, naturally thinks well of his ownways; and I think I treat niggers just about as well as it's ever worth whileto treat 'em."

"It's a happything to be satisfied," said Mr. Shelby, with a slight shrug, and someperceptible feelings of a disagreeable nature.

"Well,"said Haley, after they had both silently picked their nuts for a season,"what do you say?"

"I'll thinkthe matter over, and talk with my wife," said Mr. Shelby. "Meantime,Haley, if you want the matter carried on in the quiet way you speak of, you'dbest not let your business in this neighborhood be known. It will get out amongmy boys, and it will not be a particularly quiet business getting away any ofmy fellows, if they know it, I'll promise you."

"O! certainly,by all means, mum! of course. But I'll tell you. I'm in a devil of a hurry, andshall want to know, as soon as possible, what I may depend on," said he,rising and putting on his overcoat.

"Well, call upthis evening, between six and seven, and you shall have my answer," saidMr. Shelby, and the trader bowed himself out of the apartment.

"I'd like tohave been able to kick the fellow down the steps," said he to himself, ashe saw the door fairly closed, "with his impudent assurance; but he knowshow much he has me at advantage. If anybody had ever said to me that I shouldsell Tom down south to one of those rascally traders, I should have said, 'Isthy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?' And now it must come, foraught I see. And Eliza's child, too! I know that I shall have some fuss withwife about that; and, for that matter, about Tom, too. So much for being indebt,—heigho!The fellow sees his advantage, and means to push it."