"O, missy, old Bingo hoe in de cotton field great many long years since he sot eyes on poor, torn-down Phillis, or the young uns."
"The little ones! and had you some children, Vingo?"
"Ah! if I known how to praise de good Lord in dem days, I specks I shouted for joy, when I see de wee creters burstin' wid de laugh; and Phillis, she clean tuck ober, to see them fist each oder wid dar little feet, 'pearing like dey hab inherit all de peruigilinations ob dar daddy; and den de little creters change dar minds, and burst into de smiles again. O, dem was happy days! and I and Phillis tink we just de pleasantest creters in de whole ob Berginny; and we takes de young uns out wid us to de cotton field, and after dey gets use to de hot sun in dar eyes, dey crawl round on de ground, snatchin' up de bits ob cotton, like dey hab been use to it all dar days; and we not mind it much if old oberseer did gib us a lash ober de head, 'casionally, when we stops to cotch a bref, long as we habs de young uns to lift us up a bit. But dem days not stay long, for one day dar come a fierce looking man, from way down in Kentuck, and as he went ober de plantation, I oberhears him saying to massa, dat he must hab just de smartest, good-looking niggars dat could be scared up, for dar was one ob de richest men in Kentuck dat was willing to pay any price for dem; but dey must be made ob de right material, for he worked his niggars, and cut dem up so, dat he hab to get in a fresh supply ebery now and den. Dat was death-blow to me, for I knew my Phillis was considered de smartest, best looking gal on de plantation; for many a time I hear massa say, dat gal worth a dozen common ones, and he spoke de truth for once, for I knows dar neber was anoder like her. Well, I tells Phillis dat night what I hears, and I tells her to jus slack off a little, and put on her worst look when de man come round next day, and perhaps dey oberlook her; but 'pears like we didn't get much comfort from dat, and all night long we keeps awake, for we couldn't help tinking dat might be de last time we eber see each oder again; for we neber hear ob de good place den, where we might meet when slabe massa get trough wid us. De next morning, afore de broke ob day, massa and de trader comes round to our cabin, and seeing Phillis at de door, putting de young uns to rights, and clarin' up a little, 'fore we goes out to de field, de fierce man cracked his whip, and jumping ober de young uns, caught Phillis by de arm, and whirling her round and round, called out, 'I say, mister, dis ere's de likelist critter I've sot eyes on dis many a day! I must hab dis one at any price!, Old Killall be good-natured a month, when he sees dis handsome critter; but if he don't use her up in less dan dat time, he'll do what he neber done afore! I tell you, sar, it's surprisin' to see how much work he'll get out ob his niggars; goes ahead ob anyting you eber heard ob; dat's de way he's made such a power ob money. He says he's tried it faithfully, year in and year out, and he's thoroughly convinced dat de way to make anyting by dis niggar business, is to get de work; if dey wont work widout de whip, why, put it on! get dar steam up some way or oder, and when one lot gibs out, get a fresh stock! I'll tell you what, sir, Killall understands it; he'll sell dar hides for shoe leather radder dan let his niggars stand idle!' When I hear dat, missy, my bery blood boil, and 'pears like I couldn't keep my hands off from de villain; but I know dat if I make any resistance, it fare all de worse wid Phillis, and I get sent to de whippin'-place, into de bargain; so I only grind my teeth, and look on, like I didn't know any better; but, missy, didn't I wish I white man den, jus' for de sake ob sabin' my wife and young uns? for I lib wid Phillis so long I couldn't help feeling 'tached to her. Ole massa, he not 'pear to like de idea ob parting wid Phillis jus den, for he know right well dat he not get anoder like her bery soon, and so he tells de trader dat de niggar 'pear bery well, but as for de real work, he got a dozen dat go ahead ob her, and if de gemman want de real workin' niggar, dey step round de oder side de plantation; but de trader, he keep his eye on Phillis, like he understand de business too well to be put off dat way, and he say to massa, tell you what 'tis, mister, dat gal may not hab de genuine work 'bout her now, but if she get tinder old Killall's lash, dar be no trouble bout dat, and den when she good for notin' else, after de work all out ob her, she might keep a little ob her looks, 'nough to make her go for a hundred or so. But massa, he not like to gib her up, and dey talk a long time togeder, and I hears de trader say,--'de gal should square off all de old affair, wid five hundred to boot;' till by and by massa gibs in, and de bargain was closed, bery much to de satisfaction ob both parties. But dey not stop to ask how we like de idea ob being separated for life! dey not tink dat perhaps de mother find it hard to leabe her chil'en. De trader 'pear bery much pleased wid his bargain, and he slipped a cord round Phillis's arm, and tell her to go wid him. O, missy, dat was de awfullest minute in my life! Poor Phillis look at de chil'en, den at me, and wid one long, piercing shriek, dat I hear many times since, she clung round my neck, begging me to go wid her, to sabe her from de dreadful place where dey would take her! But afore I could say one word, the trader, wid a dreadful curse, seize her by de throat, and in his hurry to get her away, stumbled ober one ob de young uns wid his great heaby boots, dat was made 'spressly to kick de fractious niggars, as he called it, and de chile neber breathe again! he had step clean on to its neck, strangling it in an instant! At de sight ob her chile, all bleedin', and still, poor Phillis become all quiet, and her eyes were shut, just like good missus, when she find massa Harry take hesef away. Ole massa he 'pear rather sober like, when he find one ob his niggars killed, for he sot a heap on de young uns dat was comin' up, 'cause dey be big enough soon to be ob some 'count; but de trader hand ober fifty dollar bill, to make de accident good, and took de opportunity to get away, 'fore Phillis come to again; but dey not say any ting to me 'bout my loss, and 'pears like dey could not cober de great break in my heart, wid all de fifty dollar bills in Berginny. Dat was de last time I eber sees my Phillis. I specks by dis time dey hab got de work all out ob her, and I hopes dey hab, missy; for though she neber hear ob dat place where all are made bright, I know she good enough to find de way; but I hopes she not be too full ob shine, coz I fraid I not know her from de white folks."
"I hope you will meet her there, indeed, Vingo: for after such a separation here, how great will be your joy. I feel assured that the poor down-trodden negro will not be in that day forgotten; the dreadful curse which hangs over your race will then be explained, and I fear there will be many called to an account for the wrongs which they have done their fellow-men. But what became of your child, Vingo? Did you not feel grateful that one of your dear ones was spared to you?"
"Ah, missy, I tinks dar no place for gratitude in de slabe's heart; and sometimes I specks I neber hab a heart, till missy Sea-flower spare me a part ob hers. Well, after Phillis and de young un tuck away, 'pears like I neber look up any more; and if it not for de little Phillis dat was left, I tink I clean gib up. I takes her wid me to de cotton field, and she lay and look at me all day long, so strange like, as if she want to know why we dar all alone; and at night I feed her wid de corn-cake, like her poor mammy used to do, and at eb'ry mouthful she look up in my face, den at de door, to see if its mammy not comin'. After a while I gets a little used to de ache, which I hab since Phillis tuck away, and all de time I not at work in de field, I takes care ob de young un, to keep from hearing dat awful shriek, when one mornin' I wakes up, and de little Phillis nowhar' to be seen, and I's neber seen her since, missy."
"They could not surely have robbed you of your only comfort! O, how dreadful!"
"Yes, missy; I inquires all round if dey see anyting ob my Phillis, but I gets only a laugh from one, and a curse from anoder; for eben de slabe get so used to de hard treatment ob dar massa, dat dey sometimes show de same spirit towards dar fellows, specially if dey happens to be clean tuck down wid the 'blue imps,' as dey calls it. At last I asks a poor, broken-down ting, dat hab all her young uns sold away from her only a day or two afore, if she know anyting 'bout my young un, and she tells me dar hab been a sale ob a dozen young uns, on de plantation, and she sees massa, long afore day-broke, pack dem into a wagon, and dey carried off. I knows den it no use to look for her any longer, and de more I grows to look down, 'pears like de more dey laughs at me, and dey calls me 'dat moon-hit niggar.' I gets so stupid after a while, dat massa threatens to sell me way down whar dey works de niggars up; and I gets so, I don't care how much dey whips me, or anyting else, for I tinks I neber be mysef again, when one day massa takes me wid him down to de boats, to fotch de cotton, and I hears de captain ask, what ail dat fellow to look so blue, and massa tells him, I got a notion dat I hab a right to keep my wife and young uns, like I hab de feelin's ob white folks. Den de captain talk wid massa 'bout buyin' me, and I got to be such a torn-down critter, massa glad to let me go for most anyting, for de sake ob gettin' rid ob me. When de bargain struck, my new masa Grobener claps me on de shoulder, and says, 'now, my man, come wid me, and see if we can't gib a better 'plexion to matters.' Dem was de first kind words I eber hears from de white man, and after dat I springs right up, like de wilted roses missy brought to life de oder day; and when de Sea-flower come to us, I tink she sent to smooth ober de rough places, dat hab been gathering trough de long years ob my life in slabery."
"Yours is a sad history, Vingo, and I am happy if I have helped to make your pathway pleasanter; but do not look upon your life in slavery as having been unprofitably spent, for the very darkness through which you have come, serves to make brighter that glorious light which is now shed o'er your way. Your sad tale has impressed me with renewed gratitude to our Father for his mercies towards me; and while I thank him for the many blessings which I have received from his hand, my heart shall also praise him that with these joys have been mingled,--the purifying light of his chastening love."