The rest of the evening soon passed away, and Mrs. Meridith was more than usually silent; she appeared melancholy, and as if the distresses she had still to relate lay heavy at her heart.
[CHAPTER IX.]
The whole party were true to their appointment the following evening, and Mrs. Meridith resumed her story.
"On our second arrival at Jamaica, Mr. Meridith had every reason to believe my opinion of Jackson (the man in whose care he had left his property, and the overseer to the plantation) was right, for he was hardly willing to let us re-enter our own house; and Syphax, who soon gained intelligence among the slaves of his rapaciousness, and cruel conduct towards them, informed his master, though not without great fear of the consequence. The very idea of having part of our property in our fellow creatures was to me always distressing; and I now proposed selling the estate while we were on the spot, and discharging Jackson without any recommendation. Syphax and Bella, who also came with us from Madras, eagerly seconded my proposal.
"'Oh, Sir, you don't know how he uses them,' said Bella; 'I have felt what they feel.' 'And I too,' said Syphax; 'at least, massa, put some better white man over them than he is.'
"Oh no, said I, sell them to some humane purchaser (if we must enter into this horrid traffic), and make Jackson's character sufficiently known to prevent his being employed again, at least over these poor creatures; and let us not live in the constant apprehension of what they must suffer to provide us rum, and sugar, and sweetmeats, when we are not here to see how they are treated." My arguments prevailed, and the plantation was sold with the slaves upon it; except those who were old and disabled, to whom we gave their liberty, and they were received into a charitable asylum for persons of that description, and to which Mr. Meridith presented a handsome donation.
"Bella and Syphax wept for joy when they saw some of their poor countrymen in this place, and were ready to think all the white men whom they knew in their younger days were not Christians; 'but now we see what Christians are,' said they, 'and we will love them dearly.' Alas! they had seen them before, or men bearing that appellation, but how deserving either were of the title, we must leave to the Judge of all hearts to determine.