to go through one of the whirling evolutions with his partner, threw out his awkward feet, she stumbled over them, and fell superbly prostrate on the floor; while he stood, astonished and sorrowful, looking down upon her with a wondering stare. During the evening I was also much amused with young Dr. Y., a wealthy planter's son. He had got rather merry with the dance and wine, and called upon the old negro, who was fiddling for the party, to play a favorite tune of his, for that dance. And after it had been played for him repeatedly, he called for it again; throwing down, as usual, a half-dollar at his feet. The old negro replied, "Why massa, I jus done play that tune, for you, five or six time." "Play away, I tell you," cried the Dr., "there's your money," throwing down another half-dollar. This he repeated so often that we began to wish ourself in the place of the old negro, fiddling for such a shower of silver. During the evening some of the young folk left, to attend a wedding among the negroes at the quarters. JERRY, rather anxious, of course, to know something about the nuptials, asked several questions concerning the wedding; and among the rest, he wished to know "whether the course of niggers' love' didn't run any smoother than white folks' ?" This was a pretext to rally him; which Major W. began by saying that he had observed that "JERRY was fond of lonely walks in the woods, gathering flowers and mistletoe boughs for the ladies-repeating poetry, and musing on the stars. These," he said, "were unfailing signs that he was sighing for some lady-love." To all of which, JERRY, who had a droll humor, made many a shrewd reply. But when the Major told of one of his lady-love's cheat ing him getting married in his absence; and how that JERRY, not knowing this, had, on his return, approached the "nest," with silent and wary step, to secure the prize, but, lo! on grasping, he found the nest warm, but the bird had flown! to this JERRY replied, "That although he sorrowed much over the loss of the bird, he condoled much more over her fate, being caught-referring to her husband-in the "fowler's snare." "And more than t "said he, tauntingly, "the poor bird will soon be a starveling; for the old man didn't give the poor drone anything with her, and he hasn't industry enough to keep a chicken alive.” JERRY'S love had a golden element in it. It "Was no flickering flame that dies, He longed to stretch his wide command The hospitality of the Ridge House was extended to many a guest for the night. Our room was supplied with couches for several. We had JERRY with us. After the sound of revelry had ceased, the last taper been extinguished, and the revelers were all asleep, or in the realms of dream land, the loud and repeated "halloo" was heard sounding out from the gate, on the still air of night. A servant answered it, and soon ushered in young Mr. H., a neighboring planter's son, who came with news that soon aroused the whole household. The negroes, in the east part of the county, had banded themselves, in a fierce and furious band, against the whites, and were coming into our neighborhood, murdering every family in their approach. Major W. read the letter the young man brought, containing the awful news, then calmly told his family and guests that they might get out their guns and make every necessary preparation for defense. But they would please excuse him, as he had been up late and needed rest, he would retire again. But he would thank them to let him know when they came, and he would get up-marshal all his forces and defend his "Castle." At this, feeling safe, in the coolness with which Major W. treated this report, we all retired to rest again, and soon forgot the cause of our alarm. It was not so with JERRY. Visions of muskets, bowie-knives, pitch-forks, scythes, and the coming of the vengeful foe, floated before his half-shut eyes. At every sound he heard, the remainder of the night, he would start up, grasp the Jew-peddler, with whom he slept, and cry out, "There! the niggers are coming!" And out of bed he would spring, to awaken Major W. But some one would call him back and quiet his fears. Others would tell him that they did not fear the niggers, as long as he was about the house, like a ghost, in his night habiliments. The negroes never came. The wedding, above mentioned, took place at the plantation-house, on New Year's eve. Two of Major W.'s Many of the young slaves were there united in marriage. folk, and very many of the blacks, were present on this occasion. Everything being ready, the two stepped forward to be married. The blooming bride, showily dressed, came forward in all her sable beauty, with eyes of sparkling blackness, and "Mouth with pearl and ruby glowing," and gave herself, as a New Year's gift, to a robust negro. The twain were pronounced-a sable unit, by a minister residing in the neighborhood. New Year's morning we had for the accustomed—“ I wish you a happy New Year," that which I had been used to hear the Southern one of "A New Year's gift." The festival went on during the day, and at night we had a "storming." The next day, I was witness to a really affecting scene; one that remained very vividly impressed upon my mind. Major W. and his brother-in-law, Mr. H., had held, for many years, their slaves in conjunction; working them on the same plantation. To-day, Mr. H. was to take his slaves to a plantation he had recently purchased, in another part of the State. Major W., his lady and family, went out, as the negroes stopped at the gate, to bid them good-bye. They shook hands with them one by one, as they passed on, and cried as if their own children, brothers and sisters, were leaving home. The family, negroes and all, were in tears. But poor old EASTERN-uncle EASTERN, as the children always call him-he too was to go. He had been the faithful servant in the W. family for many, very many years. But he had built their fires for the last time. And all the kind acts and offices he had performed for the family, which had bound him to them during a service going back to the earliest childhood of the oldest of the household, were now to cease. This faithful old EUMÆUS, shook hands and bade his master and mistress, and all the children, good-bye, with eyes suffused with tears, and voice too full for utterance. They all wept. He was truly the fitting one to close so affecting a scene. CHAPTER XII. "Inveni portum. Spes et fortuna, valete. Sat me lusisti: ludite uunc alios." "My port is gained, farewell to the freaks of chance, LE SAGE. After a respite of the holidays, I got into the saddle once more, to make another adventure. My route was along the Yazoo valley. Major W., and Dr. Y.'s son, who resided there, assured me that I could get a good school in that region. Two incidents, in this trip, left themselves traced upon my mind. At the foot of the slope, in descending from the bluffs into the valley, at Satartia, during the rainy season, there is a slough of clay mire-a "terrible pass.' Your horse literally wades and plunges through it. As I came to the brow of the hill, I saw two horsemen, down below on the other side of the pass. They had brought their steeds to a halt, and were apparently considering whether they had better.venture through. One was the Irish teacher, whom I have noticed a-back. He seemed to be "telling his rosary," ere he made so formidable a risk. I sat on my horse and watched their progress, till their horses struggled and floundered through. Next came my trial. I never rode in so much fear in my life. My horse's feet sunk so deep in the mire, and he struggled so hard to extricate them, that I thought, at times, he would pull his legs off, in endeavoring to pull them out of it. I rejoiced after he had pitched and floundered through, and was once more on terra firma. |