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 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 % fokl. 
 
 BY 
 
 G. P. R. JAMES, ESQ, 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 'the gipsy," "RICHELIEU," "DARNLEY," "THE OLD 
 OAK CHEST," '* AGNES SOREL," " THE WOODMAN," 
 ETC., ETC. 
 
 *' God's benison go with you ; and with those 
 That would make good of bad, and friends of foes ! " 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 
 
 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 
 
 1856.
 
 r^ 
 
 -a '2. 3 o 
 1 ^ tr^ 
 
 THE OLD DOMmiOI^ 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 A LETTER. 
 
 I WROTE to you, my dear sister, 
 from tlie pretty little town of Baltimore ; and 
 I hope you have received my letter. Althougli 
 this so speedily follows it, my only motives for 
 writing are, to occupy idle time, and to relieve 
 your mind from apprehension, regarding my 
 safety during my passage through all the 
 terrors of Chesapeake Bay : " that long and 
 VOL. r. B
 
 2 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 dreadful inlet," as you call it, " in which uncle 
 Eichard was shipwrecked twenty or thirty 
 years ago." Believe me, all these dangers are 
 imaginary. This Chesapeake Bay is a very 
 calm, pleasant sheet of water, which may have 
 its storms sometimes, but, sheltered from the 
 full force of the Ocean by what is called the 
 Eastern shore, has no terrors after passing the 
 Atlantic. 
 
 I have not even a single adventure to tell. 
 Everything passed with provoking tranquillity ; 
 and I must needs eke out my letter by any 
 little observations, borrowed from my journal, 
 which I fancy may amuse you. 
 
 I think I told you that I had engaged a 
 passage to Norfolk in the schooner Mary Anne 
 — I believe half the ships in the world are 
 called Mary Anne ; and, doubtless, it is a very 
 safe sort of name. There is nothing to be said 
 against it ; and, indeed, my skipper assured 
 me, that he had never known a vessel of that 
 name to be lost. However, if odours produce
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. d 
 
 sympathies, the Mary Anne would soon find 
 her way down amongst the fishes ; for a more 
 potent smell of herring never assailed my nose 
 than when I entered the said vessel. I had 
 not been on board previous to the hour of sail- 
 ing, having taken my passage through our 
 agent ; and, certainly, I was somewhat disap- 
 pointed at the accommodation presented, which 
 had been previously depicted in very glowing 
 colors, but proved somewhat cramped, and in 
 no degree savoury. Always take a steam-boat 
 when you can, my dear sister ; for a short life 
 and a merry one, is a good axiom at sea ; and, 
 although steamers may rattle, and smoke, and 
 shake, they generally carry you to your desti- 
 nation sooner, more pleasantly, and more safely 
 too, than a sailing vessel. 
 
 Well, we started from our wharf about half- 
 past two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon ; and I 
 remained upon deck to take a last look at Bal- 
 timore, which I quitted with some regret. It 
 is a far less city than New York, but cleaner, 
 B 3
 
 4 THE OLL DOM ^: ION. 
 
 neafer, and, I should think, more healthy. 
 Besides, I had met some very pleasant and 
 kind people there ; and civilities, which would 
 not affect one much in one's own countrv, 
 touch one in a foreign land. When ties and old 
 affections are left behind, courtesies and civili- 
 ties are the best substitutes. 
 
 The wind was quite favorable the master 
 assured me ; and there was just enough of it 
 to ripple the water, and make the ship go 
 quietly on, without producing any rebellion of 
 stomach or refractoriness of legs. I remained 
 upon deck till it was quite dark, and more than 
 one little star looked out with eager, twinkling 
 eyes, as if it feared it should not have time 
 enough to behold its own image in the waters 
 before the sun rose and sent it to bed again. 
 I then went below, and found the little cabin, 
 round which our berths were placed, already 
 tenanted by two gentlemen, who had never 
 appeared upon the deck since I first reached 
 it, and who were consuming time and brandy-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 5 
 
 and-water very nearly in silence. Whether 
 they had been thus employed for the preceding 
 six or seven hours, I know not ; and how much 
 of the spirit they had drunk, it was impossible 
 to discover, for they certainly were not tipsy, 
 and the brandy itself was entombed in a vast 
 bottle, called here a demijohn, so curiously 
 concealed in wicker-work, that it is impossible 
 for the keenest eyes to discover whether it is 
 full or empty. 
 
 Both were well dressed men, but very different 
 in appearance from each other. I must venture 
 upon some description, my dear sister, as our 
 ideas of the Yankee race in England are very 
 unlike the realities which we see before us in 
 this country. I remember hearing a wealthy, res- 
 pectable, foolish, ignorant woman, of a class such 
 as frequently forces its \7ay into society with us 
 at home, deliberately ask an Aaierican, whom 
 she knew to be such, whether all the natives 
 of America were salmon coloured. She had, 
 doubtless, heard of red Indians ; and, I sup-
 
 b THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 IDOSG, with that brilliant confusion of ideas 
 "which trouble the brains of some ladies, had 
 confounded our brethren on this side of the 
 Atlantic, with the aborigines of the country. 
 
 However, my two companions on the present 
 occasion, though one was not of American or 
 Anglo-Saxon race, had nothing of the Indian 
 about them. One was a thin, spare, but well- 
 formed man, about three- and- thirty years of 
 age, who, from dress or appearance altogether, 
 no one would have distinguished from an Eng- 
 lishman, had it not been for a certain jaunty, 
 well-satisfied, self-reliant air, not altogether 
 consistent with our staid and more sober cha- 
 racter of thought. His face was, by no means 
 handsome, God knows. His eyes were some- 
 what protuberant, round, and sparkling; his nose 
 was short, thickish, and a little tinged with red, 
 which might have some affinity with the con- 
 tents of the demijohn I have just mentioned. 
 His upper lip was shaded by a thick, Austrian- 
 cut moustache; his chin was prominent and
 
 THE OLD D0MIx\TOJ^% 7 
 
 and decided ; but his forehead was bold, high, 
 and towering, and by far the finest feature of 
 his face. 
 
 The other seemed rather over- dressed — cer- 
 tainly over-dressed for a sea- voyage; buthisface 
 was actually much handsomer than that of his 
 companion, and presented the peculiar character 
 which marks, in almost every instance, Jewish 
 descent; for he had large, almond-shaped, 
 dark eyes, an aquiline nose, a delicate mouth 
 and chin, and a profusion of glossy black hair, 
 floating in small, light curls about his head. 
 His complexion was warm, but delicate ; and, 
 altogether, he was a very handsome man. But 
 he wanted that air of oriental calmness and 
 dignity, which you and I have often remarked 
 in many members of his race. This I attribute 
 greatly to the profession which I afterwards 
 found he followed ; the debasing tendencies of 
 which, I can conceive no man's spirit resisting. 
 He had three diamond rings on one finger, and 
 a large brilliant in the frill of his shirt ; and.
 
 8 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 indeed, it seemed to me, there was no part of 
 his person on which he could stick such an 
 ornament, that was not garnished by some 
 precious stone. 
 
 It was quite clear that no great cordiality- 
 existed between these two tenants of the cabin, 
 although they were drinking out of the same 
 demijohn, if not out of the same cup. As 
 soon as I entered, the last-mentioned passenger 
 asked me inYirginian parlance^ Ho take a drink." 
 I have learn't the habits of the country suf- 
 ficiently to know that it is discourteous to 
 refuse ; and I was immediately provided with 
 a tumbler and cold water, to which I added 
 some of the brandy. 
 
 When I had sipped a small quantity of the 
 mixture, the first passenger I have mentioned, 
 broke out in a short, quick, merry laugh, and 
 observed, in a quaint tone, that the skipper 
 had failed to provide us with mint — a usual 
 accessary to brandy and water in this country. 
 With him I soon got into conversation, and
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. \J 
 
 fouiid him a well-read, liberally- educated man 
 of the world, with very free notions upon a 
 great number of subjects, a taste for the arts, 
 and a tolerable store of Greek and Latin. 
 
 The other was more difficult to engage, and 
 indeed the task seemed hopeless for some time ; 
 till, at length, the master of the vessel joined 
 us, and then I found out that onr friend with 
 the diamond rings had points upon which he 
 was accessible also. 
 
 Alter helping himself pretty liberally to the 
 brandy and water, the captain looked with a 
 shrewd, good-humoured smile in the face of 
 the over-dressed gentleman, saying — 
 
 '' Well, Mr. Lewis, do you hope to do a good 
 business this summer ?" 
 
 '' 1 don't know, captain," answered the other. 
 '^ I want you to tell me a little bit of what's 
 going on." Tiieu, dropping his voice, he said 
 in a sort of whisper which prevented my hear- 
 ing the close of the sentence, '^ I hear they are 
 
 going to sell up Mr. " 
 
 B 3
 
 10 THE OLD DOMINIOIS'. 
 
 ^^ So they say," replied the captain, rather 
 gravely, and with a sort of sigh. *^ I am very 
 sorry for him, poor fellow. He was quite a 
 gentleman ; only too fond of those cursed cards. 
 However, he has got a pretty stock in hand, 
 and I guess they'll go high." 
 
 ^^ Do you know what they are ?" asked the 
 other. 
 
 *^ I don't know them all," replied the master; 
 ^^but there's some fifty of them ; and five or 
 six of them — Bill especially, and Anthony, 
 are as good hands as ever worked in these 
 parts." 
 
 ** Well the market is not very high in 
 OrWns," replied Mr. Lewis ; *^ it's quite 
 glutted I hear ; and fifty are hardly worth 
 buying. Are there no more to be had about ?" 
 
 *^ Why I hear Mr. Thornton wants to sell, 
 up in Southampton county, not far from 
 Jerusalem," was the captain's answer. ^^1 
 can't tell what he's been about. He neither 
 drinks nor gambles, nor fights cocks, nor any.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 11 
 
 thing ; and yet he has contrived to muddle 
 away all his money, and his plantation is 
 mortgaged as high as it will go." 
 
 The other paused upon this, and seemed to 
 consider it with much satisfaction. 
 
 In the meantime, I had arrived at the con- 
 clusion that good Mr. Lewis was neither more 
 nor less than a slave- dealer; and, taking but 
 little interest in the subjects discussed, I walked 
 up the companion-ladder to the deck again, 
 to spend an hour or so beneath the stars, 
 before I went to bed. The cabin was oppres- 
 sively warm ; the night sultry beyond des- 
 cription ; and I felt sure, that I could not sleep 
 without inhaling some fresh air before I lay 
 down. I was inclined to meditate upon 
 many things with which it is no use troubling 
 you, my dear sister, as they arose out of the 
 conversation I had just heard, which deserved 
 more calm consideration than I have yet had 
 time to give them. 
 
 I had hardly reached the deck however,
 
 12 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 when I was joined by the first- mentioned of 
 my fellow travellers who, fixing at once as 
 usual upon the most obvious toi)ic, observed 
 that it was a beautiful night. I agreed with 
 him simply, and he then went on to say, 
 
 " Itis much pleasan ter up here than down 
 below. The cabin is very hot, and that brute 
 of a slave-dealer makes it still hotter." 
 
 ''I have heard," I replied, ^' that you 
 Virginian gentlemen hold these slave- dealers 
 in great horror and contempt." 
 
 ^^ First, let me tell you I am not a Yirgi- 
 nipii," responded he ; *^ but I can answer as 
 well as if I were. The slave-dealer is looked 
 upon here and all through the south, as a 
 necessary nuisance. He is tolerated, and that 
 is all ; but there are very few cases in which 
 that toleration is carried so far as to sit in the 
 same room with him. At an ordinary, on 
 board a ship, or in a stagecoach, men are obliged 
 to do it ; and sometimes — for ' misery makes 
 us acquainted with strange bed- fellows — '
 
 THE OLD DOMINION". l3 
 
 when a gentleman owes one of them a good 
 round sum of money which he can't pay, he 
 will not only put his legs under the mahogany 
 wdth him, but drink with him across the table. 
 Hie et uhique^ it is the same thing. I have 
 seen men drink with a money-lender in your 
 country — -which I presume is England — and I 
 am quite certain, that if a rattle-snake had a 
 side pocket, and we could get in debt to him, 
 we should pull off our hats and be as civil 
 to the reptile as possible." 
 
 He ended with one of his sharp, short 
 laughs ; and, taking a cigar-case out of his 
 pocket, offered me a very delicious Havanah. 
 The conversation went on much in the same 
 style for some time ; and, at length, the Cap- 
 tain came up and joined us, tolling us that 
 Mr. Lewis had turned in. 
 
 " Well that's satisfactory," replied my 
 fellow- passenger ; ^' for though one must some- 
 times be in close companionship with a snake, 
 one does not always like to hear him hissing.
 
 14 THE OLE DOMINION. 
 
 As soon as I am sure he's asleep, I'll go down 
 and turn in too." 
 
 By this time we had got so far into the bay 
 that those beautiful sea-anemonies, as they are 
 called, or medusce^ were [flashing past the ship 
 in every direction, looking like the lamps 
 which the Hindoo women are said to send 
 floating in the Ganges. I made some observa- 
 tion upon them to my companion, and he 
 replied somewhat in the words of Sir Henry 
 Wotton : 
 
 " As if the Heaven let fall 
 
 Its lesser stars upon the earth." 
 
 "But I think the wind is going to change, 
 captain," resumed he. " Don't you see that 
 haze over there ?" 
 
 " 1 shouldn't wonder, Mr. Wheatley," an- 
 swered the master of the vessel ; " and if it 
 does, it will blow pretty stifi"." 
 
 Th^se hints determined me to go down once
 
 THR OLD DOMINION. 15 
 
 more to th^ cabin, and take possession of my 
 berth, although the scene from the deck was 
 very beautiful ; the stars shining, still, bright, 
 and clear abore ; the faint outline of the Vir- 
 ginian coast upon our right, the waters of the 
 bay heaving gently under us, gemmed with 
 phosforescent light, and innumerable white 
 sails gliding along in the same direction with 
 ourselves, some near and some far off, but all, 
 like the beautiful phantoms that pass by us on 
 the wide sea of human life, deriving much of 
 their charm from imagination and indistinct- 
 ness. But the horror of sea-sickness, that 
 most unimaginative and unpoetical of all mala- 
 dies, made me anxious to get to sleep before it 
 fixed its fangs upon me. 
 
 Accordingly, I was soon in the little den 
 allotted to me, which was certainly less com- 
 fortable, and not much more spacious, than a 
 coffin. Some fatigue, however, and the late 
 hour to which I had sat up at Mr. E— — 's, on 
 the preceding night, brought slumber to my
 
 16 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 eyes before the wind changed or the gale begun 
 to blow. I suspect we were tossed pretty well 
 during the night ; but nothing awoke me 'till 
 day had long dawned. By this time the 
 sea was tolerably calm again, but the breeze 
 not quite so favorable as it had been before ; 
 and it was not 'till yesterday afternoon that we 
 rounded Cape Charles, and entered what is 
 called Hampton roads. Theuceforward the 
 wind was very fair, and we had no difficulty in 
 making our way to this place. 
 
 I cannot say that the scenery we passed 
 was very beautiiul ; yet J do not think I was 
 ever more charmed or struck by anything 
 affectiDg merely the sight, than I was with the 
 glorious sun-set of that evening, as we sailed 
 up the Elizabeth River. 
 
 In the moruiug, some clouds had been in the 
 sky; about mid-day they had thickened and 
 grown darker; and the weather-wise predicted a 
 storm. But, just as those who preterd to the 
 muctt philobophicai knowledge of human nature
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 17 
 
 are generally the most ignorant of men, so the 
 weather-wise, I have remarked, are the most 
 ignorant of the weather. 
 
 Before three o'clock every cloud had van- 
 ished; floatiug vapour might be here and there, 
 but it was so thin that the eye could not even 
 discern its shadow on the blue, and it was not 
 'till the sun nearly touched the horizon that a 
 thin, golden line, brighter than the rest, shewed 
 that there was something to catch and reflect 
 the rays. On the right hand and the left, were 
 piney points, with deep bays and indentations 
 between, but with hardly a house visible; though 
 now and then some blue smoke curled up from 
 amongst tlie trees, near narrow creeks or little 
 rivers openiag their mouths into the wider 
 stream, on which hardly a sail was seen to float, 
 and where merely a canoe with a black man 
 quietly dangling his line over the side, gave 
 human vitality to the aspect of the waters. 
 Beyond, towered up dense and lofty forests, 
 massed in the shades of evening, with a sort of
 
 18 THE OLD DOMT1<^ION. 
 
 light haze resting upon them, and thus leaving a 
 sort of mysterious flatness over the surface. 
 You could see that they were green, yet the 
 tint was curiously indefinite, approaching black 
 in some places, and shewing brighter colors in 
 others ; but beyond all, to the west, rose up 
 the most gorgeous sky I ever beheld, of a 
 burning fiery yellow towards the horizon, a 
 broad orange glow above, and thence passing 
 gradually into pink and purple, as the rays of 
 the setting sun reached his zenith. 
 
 To us, indeed, the sun was already set ; for 
 he was hidden by the trees and the gentle 
 slopes of the land to the westward ; but that 
 he Xvas not yet below the verge of earth, could 
 be plainly perceived ; for every here and there, 
 along the shores, where a deep creek or cove, 
 wandered up into the woods, his rays could be 
 seen, as it were, a path of light, reflected from 
 the surface of the waters. At the mouth of 
 two of these creeks, standing long-legged in 
 the midst of the blaze, I perceived a party of
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 19 
 
 storks or cranes, finding their evening meal 
 on some shoal of the river. But the absence of 
 all traces of civilized man ; the glorious sun- 
 set ; the dim woods ; the calm, dull, unex- 
 pectant attitude of the storks ; the width of the 
 river ; the sea-like motion of the waves ; the 
 solitary negro fishing from his canoe — all 
 gave a strange, solemn, sublime aspect to the 
 and I could not help figuring to myself 
 that such must have been the appearance of 
 the country as it presented itself to the eyes of 
 the first settlers here, who were amongst the 
 earliest of those who visited the [N'orth American 
 continent when first their venturous barques 
 approached these shores. 
 
 What bold and hardy fellows they must 
 have been ! How unimpressible and resolute ! 
 I declare the sight of that sunset made me feel 
 a- kind of awe ; and I do believe that, had I 
 been amongst them, the solitude and the gran- 
 deur would have had a sort of sacredness in it 
 to my mind, which would have induced me to
 
 20 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 turn the prow homeward, and leave the holi- 
 ness of nature unprofaned. 
 
 They were not such tempers, howeyer ; and 
 some of the results of their persevering and 
 dauntless spirit of adventure were soon visible 
 in the houses, and wharves of Norfolk, looking 
 black and ragged upon the sky, with masts, 
 and sails, and columns of smoke, and boats 
 flitting across and across the river, and the 
 steamboat which I had disdained, lying puffing 
 out her hot breath, and singing no very melo- 
 dious song. 
 
 I must say that the external view of the city 
 is much more pleasant than the internal. From 
 the water, on whose bosom it seems to rest, the 
 very ruggeduess and irregularity of the out* 
 line — especially in the magnifying atmosphere 
 of twilight — gives it a picturcsqueness, and 
 even a grandeur which the inteiior wofully 
 belies. The streets are narrow, irregular, ill 
 kept, and full of the most unpleasant odours. 
 At every crossing you stumble over a dead
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 21 
 
 dog or cat. Tho air, too, is redolent of 
 stale and salted fish and tobacco ; and the 
 part of the town nearest to the river 
 seems a happy compound of Wapping and 
 Billingsgate, while the ear is regaled with 
 violent peals of Negro laughter, mingled occa« 
 sionally with all the riches of the Irish 
 brogue. 
 
 '' Xegro laughter !" you may exclaim. Yes, 
 my dear sister ! AYhatever you may think, 
 these poor, unhappy people, as we are taught 
 to believe them, laugh all day long with such 
 merry and joyous peals, that it is impossible to 
 believe that the iron, of which we are told, is 
 pressing very deeply into their souls. At all 
 events, I am quite sure it does not affect their 
 diaphragms. I think I shall establish it as 
 a good comparison to say, ^^as merry as a 
 negro slave." 
 
 Even in their solitary moments, too, there 
 seems to be no brooding discontent about them. 
 They are talking continually to themselves,
 
 22 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 and their soliloquies seem full of fun — at least, 
 if we may believe the merry laughs excited by 
 what they themselves are saying. This morn- 
 ing, I followed down to the very extreme end 
 of the town, an old negro, who, though he was 
 somewhat lame in one leg, seemed very agile 
 and vigorous. There was something about the 
 man that caught my fancy ; for though he v/as 
 very plainly dressed, in a sort of frieze jacket 
 and a pair of blue linen trowsers, he was very 
 clean : his white wool looked respectable, and 
 his black skin shone like ebony. His occupa- 
 tion, at the time, was the humble one of carry- 
 ing a large, dead pig upon his back. These 
 people are a curious study to me, having seen 
 so little of them, and having received but a 
 one-sided view of their character, and of their 
 treatment. So I watched him along the way, 
 keeping a little behind, and on one side of him. 
 Some distance down the street, at a house with 
 a little garden before it, a huge monkey, with 
 a face horridly human, was sitting, chained to
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 23 
 
 a tree, eating, what seemed to me, a potato. 
 The negro stopped, with the pig still upon his 
 back, and gazed thoughtfully at the monkey 
 for a moment or two. The brute grinned and 
 chattered at the man, and held up his doubled 
 fist, in rather a pugilistic attitude. The negro 
 grinned, and said aloud — ^^ Ah, massa Jacko, 
 you damn like old folks !" And on he marched 
 upon his way. 
 
 I must explain to you that " old folks," in 
 negro parlance, means, generally, the mother 
 and father of the speaker. 
 
 At the farther part of the town, where a 
 rough paling encircled a piece of ground, in- 
 tended to be built upon, my black friend stop- 
 ped, and deliberately unshouldered his pig, 
 setting him up on his hind feet against the 
 boards. But he could not be without his joke, 
 even at his mute companion. Indeed, this 
 race seems to have a poetical way of animating 
 everything. '* Ah, massa piggy," he said, ^^ I
 
 24 THE OLD DOMINLON. 
 
 carried jou loDg way ; you look mighty stiff. 
 I daran tired too. So we both rest ourselves." 
 
 As we were now at the outskirts of the 
 town, and as I was afraid of losing myself if 
 I went farther, I turned back to my inn, which 
 is tolerably comfortable, although a poor- 
 looking place enough. It is called the Ex- 
 change Hotel ; and there you had better write 
 to me, as when I go onward, I shall request my 
 very civil landlady to forward all letters to me 
 by the speediest conveyance. 
 
 You may ask why I do not go onward at 
 once and get through my business in the in- 
 terior without delay ; but the fact is I am 
 waiting for letters from Mr. Griffith of New 
 York, who, having seen me in England, can 
 identify me here. He only can prove that I 
 am the veritable Simon Pure, and make clear 
 my title to the property which our good aunt 
 has left me. I expected these letters in Balti- 
 more ; but, in regard to some of the institu-
 
 THE OLD DOMINTOX. 25 
 
 tions, I wanted to see and examine especially 
 that of slavery ; and Baltimore is neither fish, 
 flesh, nor red herring. It is in a slave-holding 
 State ; but so close to the free States, that 
 slavery there is little more than a name. It 
 presented itself to my mind there in no other 
 way than to make me wonder tliat the gentle- 
 men and ladies of such a nice town were so 
 fond of black servants, which you know is not 
 generally the case in England. I therefore 
 came on to Virginia where the slave system is 
 in full force, and directed the letters to follow 
 me. As soon as they arrive, I shall proceed 
 into Southampton County ; and if it be possible 
 to remain incog, in this most inquisitive of all 
 countries, I shall quietly inspect Aunt Bab's 
 lands and tenements and make every necessary 
 inquiry before I disclose who I am. What I 
 shall do with the property, I do not know. It 
 is not necessary to me. I have enough 
 without ; and may perhaps abandon it alto- 
 gether. 
 
 VOL. I. C
 
 2l THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 I hear you exclaim, my dear Kate, " You 
 will of course emancipate the slaves !" And 
 you will be horrified when I reply, ^^ I do not 
 know." Eut be assured I will do what, on 
 mature reflection and personal observation, I 
 judge to be the best for them. No motive of 
 sordid interest will have any effei;t upon me, or 
 could ever induce me to keep my fellow-man 
 in bondage. But I confess my pre-conceived 
 opinions have been very much shaken by what 
 I myself have s^en, even during my short stay 
 here , and by the comparisons which my mind 
 has unconsciously instituted between the con- 
 dition of the negro in the free states and in the 
 slave-holding communities. In the former, he 
 is decidedly a sad, gloomy, ay, an ill-treated 
 man, subject to more of the painful restrictions 
 of cast than I could have conceived possible. 
 Here, he appears to be a cheerful, light-hearted, 
 guileless, child-like creature, treated witti per- 
 fect familiarity, and, as far as I have seen, with 
 kindness. Whether this be a reality or merely
 
 THE OLD EOMINION. 27 
 
 a semblance, I shall know hereafter ; but, 
 depend upon it, I will not act till I do know. 
 
 I must close my letter,, for my fellow- 
 passenger, Mr. Wheatley, has just come to call 
 upon me, and T have surely written enough for 
 one day. 
 
 Write soon if you would have your letter 
 reach me, as there is nothing more uncertain 
 than the length or shortuess of the stay of 
 
 Your affectionate brother. 
 
 P.S.— This Mr. Wheatley who has jnst left 
 me is certainly a very amusing man. I can- 
 not tell much about his principles; and he 
 seems to vent his scoffs and jests at everything. 
 But he has a good deal of originality of 
 thought, no bad conceit of himself, and some 
 very strong and fixed opinions, springing 
 rather, I suspect, from the suggestions of his 
 own mind, than from anything which has 
 been instilled into him by others. He always
 
 8 TPIE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 seems to sot out from the beginning of things ; 
 and then flies along his chain of deductions 
 like an electric current, skipping a few links 
 here and there, I doubt not, and getting on to 
 another chain which leads him far away. 
 But with men whom I may never meet again, 
 T have got into a way of amusing myself with 
 their characters rather than combating their 
 arguments. I was never born for an apostle ; 
 and I do not think if I had the power of de- 
 priving men of their opinions or even of their 
 prejudices I should do much good to myself, 
 or them, or society. Indeed I have come to 
 the conclusion that the great bulk of men's 
 prejudices is part of their property, which we 
 have no right to take from them. We may 
 tax them to a certain extent for the benefit 
 of society ; but we must prove that benefit 
 before we make it our plea ; and the rest we 
 have no right to meddle with at all. The 
 self- conceited desire to do so, is the origin of
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 2Q 
 
 all iknaticism and of the host of evils to which 
 it gives rise, 
 
 P.S. — No. 2. — eleven o'clock Friday night. 
 I have just made a funny sort of acquaintance 
 with my friend the ]N"egro pig-carrier. In 
 going out about two hours ago, I heard a loud 
 dispute at the foot of the stairs, and found 
 another fellow as black as himself abusing no 
 other person than Mr. Zedekiah Jones ; for 
 such is his euphonious name. I did uot slop 
 to listen ; but one vituperative epithet was 
 applied to him, by his opponent, which I never 
 should have expected to hear addressed by 
 one Negro to another. ^^Tour'e damned black 
 free Nigger !" cried the little scrubby fellow 
 who was contending with him. 
 
 ^' You're black as I am," retorted Zedekiah, 
 " and Nigger too. I could'nt help being free. 
 Ole massa Emancipate me whether I like or 
 
 no." 
 
 The accusation and excuse were strangely
 
 oO THE OLD DOMINIOK. 
 
 characteristic; and a few minutes ago, old 
 Zedekiah came up to my room, to ask if I had 
 any boots or shoes to clean. It seems he is a 
 sort of supernumerary shoe-black, or porter of 
 the house. I shall get something of his history 
 from him to-morrow, for he appears to be a 
 good kind of merry creature ; but it being late 
 to-night, I satisfied myself with obtaining his 
 name. 
 
 No letter has come yet, so I shall have to 
 stay here another day.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. Si 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SECOND LETTER. 
 
 Another letter, my dear sister, and 
 still from Norfolk. It was useless to set out 
 without the expected epistles to identify me, in 
 case of need ; and they only arrived this morn- 
 ing. Then came the great and important 
 question of how, and by what manner, I was to 
 proceed to my journey's end. It was one 
 which I gave no heed to till this morning — an 
 old habit of mine, by the way ; for I fear niy 
 mind is somewhat discursive, and rambles 
 about important points, to amuse itself on the
 
 32 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 outskirts of the question. No stage was to be 
 had to the point which I wished to reach- 
 no steam-boat, because it is far inland — no 
 blessed post-horses, for those much- enduring 
 animals are unknown in this country ; and 
 there were only two resources : what they call 
 here a buggy — that is to say, a rumbling, gene- 
 rally ill-conditioned vehicle, with either one or 
 two half-starved nags, for the hire of which one 
 is charged the most extortionate price— or the 
 old-fashioned mode of locomotion on a horse's 
 back. I determined upon the latter resource ; 
 but upon going to a livery stable in the neigh- 
 bourhood of the inn, I saw a collection of 
 animals so miserable and forlorn, that I doubted 
 much whether any one of them would reach 
 the end of the journey without falling to pieces. 
 Moreover, my good friend, the proprietor, made 
 considerable difficulty as to hiring them out for 
 so long a journey ; and gave me clearly to 
 understand that he should consider he was 
 doing me a great favour if he acceded at all.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 33 
 
 Not wishing to lay myself under an obligation 
 to this very independent gentlemen, I walked 
 away, determined to fall back upon the buggy, 
 and to get my new friend, Mr. Wheatley, to 
 undertake the negotiation for me ; for I some- 
 what feared that my temper, though I believe 
 a tolerably good one, might break down under 
 similar discussions. 
 
 On going back to the inn, in order to send 
 him a note, and finding my worthy acquaint- 
 ance, Zedekiah Jones, standing at the door, I 
 inquired of him, casually, if there were no 
 other place than the one to which I had been 
 directed where I could hire a horse. He 
 grinned, and shook his head ; but remarked, 
 that I could buy plenty of very good horses if 
 I wanted one to purchase. He knew of two, he 
 said, which had come into town two days 
 before, fresh and well- conditioned, and a capital 
 match. 
 
 ^' But I only want one, my good friend," I re- 
 plied, 
 c 5
 
 34 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 ^' What horse carry your baggage den, 
 Tiiassa?'' asked the man, with his usual 
 grin. 
 
 Tills was a new view of the case which 
 I had not thought of. 
 
 " But if I buy, or hire, two horses," I said, 
 *^ who is to ride the other, Master Zedekiah ?'' 
 
 *' Old Zed ride t'other," answered the 
 Negro, chuckling as if he were going into con- 
 vulflions; *'best groom you ever have. All 
 my life with horses till I break my leg, when 
 that damn horse came down with me at Eich- 
 mond races. My gorry ! I'd be glad to get 
 upon a horse's back again. Old Xed ride 
 t'other, massa, and take care of both — and 
 you too." 
 
 And he exploded again right joyfully. 
 
 To shorten my story, there was something 
 so amusing in the man's merriment, and so 
 straightforward and good-humoured in his 
 way, that if 1 had ever had any starch or 
 stiffness in my nature, it would have been all
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 35 
 
 relaxed and melted out. Putting aside all 
 question of oddity, or absurdity, I said to my- 
 self— 
 
 " I will buy the horses, and I'll hire old 
 Zed, if the landlady is willing to part with 
 him. Sterne hired La Fleur much after the 
 same fashion, and for the same qualities. 
 We'll march off together seeking adventures. 
 I'll be Don Quixote, and he shall be Sancho 
 Panza. Not a windmill have I seen in the 
 country as yet; but, doubtless, we shall find 
 something that will do quite as well." 
 
 The whole business was soon settled. The 
 landlady was charitably glad that old Zed had 
 got a goud place ; for she said she employed 
 the poor creature more from charity than any- 
 thing else ; and, after ordering him a decent 
 suit of apparel, and buying two pair of capa- 
 cious saddle-bags, we proceeded to the stalte 
 where the horses were to be seen. They were 
 very handsome beasts^ and seemed sound wind 
 and limb ; and though the price was very
 
 36 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 h'gh, I concluded the bargain for the ra rapidly, 
 which I imagine produced greater respect for 
 my purse than for my person ; and thus, my dear 
 girl, I shall set out to-morrow, mounted and 
 squired, though I have not yet got my lance 
 or shield, nor the helmet of Mambrino. 
 
 On my return to the inn, I found Mr. 
 Wheatley waiting for me, and told him what I 
 had done. 
 
 *^ Bravo !" he said ; *^ true Virginian style. 
 But have you got a large pair of plated spurs ? 
 otherwise you won't pass current. Never mind. 
 I'll supply you. I bought half-a-dozen pair 
 when I first came to this state, and they have 
 served as my introduction to the best society 
 ever since. But let me give you a hint or two 
 before you go. There are a thousand chances 
 to one that you may miss your way, unless 
 your friend Zed has a very general kuowledge 
 of the country. Do not, however, let that trou- 
 ble you. Wherever you see a house, and it is 
 convenient to stop, pull down the fence, and
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. ST 
 
 ride straight at it. You will find a hearty 
 welcome. The Yirginians are the most hospi- 
 table people upon earth, and their houses have 
 the faculty of stretching to an inconceivable 
 extent. As for food, you will always find, if 
 nothing else, good ham, fried chickens, eggs 
 and butter ; often a capital bottle of wine ; and 
 though, in the towns, men may think they are 
 conferring a favor upon you by selling you the 
 merest trifle, in which it is their business to 
 deal, at an exorbitant price, in the country 
 they will think you are conferring a favor by 
 taking whatever they have to give for nothing. 
 The fact is, this exaggerated tone of indiffer- 
 ence and independence in the store- keepers is 
 only assumed as a balm to their vanity, a little 
 wounded at having to sell anything. Every 
 man of them fancies himself to be a member of 
 the first families in Virginia, and would fain have 
 his horses and hounds, and his score or two of 
 negroes. Not having them he is anxious to make 
 himself believe, and to persuade others,
 
 38 TIM OLD DOMINION. 
 
 that he ouly buys and sells for his own amuse- 
 ment, and does not care nine-pence whether 
 people take his wares or not." 
 
 1 believe there is a great deal of truth in this 
 view of the subject. Whether Mr. Wheatley 
 has given me as coiTect a picture of the Vir- 
 ginian country gentlemen or not, remains to be 
 proved ; at all events, his advice, in many 
 respects, may be valuable; and he has added 
 to it three or four*^ letters, which 1 think may 
 be found of service. 
 
 *^ The Squire, the Parson, the Lawyer, and 
 the Inn-keeper," he said, " are great people 
 in their way. I know them all in the direction 
 in which you tell me you are bending your 
 steps." 
 
 *' But, perhaps," said I 
 
 Before I could conclude, he interrupted me 
 with his peculiar, short, quick laugh — always 
 broken off suddenly, as if it were cut through 
 the middle, saying — 
 
 " I understand ; you may not wish to have
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 39 
 
 any trumpets blown before you. You may 
 like to go quietly about whatever business you 
 have to do. I saw that your carpet bag had 
 no name on it, and, therefore, of course, I asked 
 the captain who you were, whence you came, 
 whither you were going, and everything about 
 you, in the true Yankee spirit. My dear 
 sir, there is no such thing as secresy in this 
 country. Every man knows every body else's 
 business much better than bis own. It is a 
 great deal worse in the east, that is true ; and 
 1 have known one of my fellow countrymen 
 pursue a silent and reserved traveller through 
 two long days journey — quite out of his way 
 too — simply because he knew he should never 
 have a moment's peace for the rest of his life, 
 if he did not find out all about him. At last, 
 the unfortunate traveller was obliged to open 
 out and tell him the whole story — true or false 
 I do not know-^merely to be quit of him. 
 However, I will \^rite the letters for you, and 
 you can c:liver them or not, as you like; but
 
 40 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 mind, I tell you fairly, you can't conceal your- 
 self. In this part of the country, the Negroes 
 do all the work in the way of inqaisitiveness, 
 which we Yankees do with our own tongues. 
 There is nothing ever hidden from a Negro ; 
 and the moment he or she knows it, every 
 person of the same color knows it throughout 
 the whole town, and from them it gets to the 
 masters and mistresses. If ever a young 
 gentleman kisses a young lady behind the door, 
 you may be quite sure there is a black eye 
 looking through a chink ; and then it is, ^ Lors 
 a marcy, Miss Jemima ! what do you tink ? 
 Massa John kiss Miso Jane behind de door.' 
 Then Miss Jemimah runs to Aunty Sal, and 
 exclaims, ^ Lors a marcy !' too, and Aunty Sal 
 tells it to Mammy Kate, and Mammy Kate 
 tells it to her dearly- beloved nursling, Miss Betty, 
 who sends it round through all the kith and 
 kin of the parties concerned. Do you see that 
 black man walking along, who has just been
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 41 
 
 been talking to your friend Zed ? He knows 
 all about you at this present moment." 
 
 " Yes, I see him/' answered I, " the man 
 carrying the sucking pig, you mean r" 
 
 " Pardon me ; that is not a sucking pig," 
 answered Mr. Wheatley ; ^' that is helotice a 
 possum, anglice an opossum ; no bad dish, 
 let me tell you ; and one of which the negroes 
 are very fond. But this is not the season for 
 them. After the persimons are ripe, they get 
 exceedingly fat and tender." 
 
 •* And what are persimons V I asked. 
 
 *^ A sort of wild fruit," he answered, ^' in 
 shape somewhat like a plumb, and in taste 
 like an apricot, of which the opossum is ex- 
 ceedingly fond. But suffer not yourself to be 
 deceived by the wags up the country ; for the 
 Virginians are exceedingly fond of practical 
 jokes. Now the persimon may look perfectly 
 ripe and tempting to the eye ; but 'till it is 
 touched by the frost, soot and vinegar are 
 honey and Faleruian to it. Neither, if you
 
 42 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 have an abhorrence, as I have, of middle-aged 
 pigs, suffer yourself to be tempted to eat an 
 animal they call here a shoat — a name I am 
 convinced they have invented to cover the 
 abomination they are offering you. However, 
 give rae pen and ink and I will write these 
 letters for you, I would give you more good 
 advice ; but every one must buy his own ex- 
 perience in some degree, and the best counsel 
 I can give you, as to all men in a strange 
 country, is, ^ keep your eyes open, and do as 
 you see others do.' " 
 
 I thought this very good advice ; for what 
 I might call the technicalities of any society 
 are soon learned, and the pedantries of society 
 are not worth learning. In Eussia, every man, 
 from the prince to the peasant, eats with his 
 knife. In England, to do so, is almost a social 
 crime, and yet, where in reality is the mis- 
 demeanor ? Nothing can be really and essentially 
 vulgar that is not disgusting or offensive to 
 others. The best-bred Turk eats with his 
 fingers ; but he takes care to wash his hands
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 43 
 
 before he begins and after he has ended. Per- 
 haps he is really more cleanly than the man 
 who eats with a fork when he does not know 
 whether it has been washed or not. 
 
 However, my friend sat down and wrote the 
 letters for me ; and, in the meantime, Master 
 Zed came in already dressed in his new apparel. 
 I had not waited to see his choice of h bili- 
 ments, but had restricted the shopkeeper — 
 storekeeper, I should have said, God bless the 
 mark ! there are no shopkeepers here — -to a cer- 
 tain amount; and unquestionably my new man's 
 appearance somewhat startled me. He had 
 got on a plum-colourad frock or tunic coat, 
 v/ilh a velvet collar, almost red ; a pair of 
 Windsor gray — I might almost say light blue 
 — pantaloons ; a decidedly bright blue cravat ; 
 and a shirt collar so high, so prominent, so 
 extensive in every direction, that I could not 
 but fear the poor man's round ball of a head 
 would some day disappear in it, white wool and 
 all. He seemed, however, perfectly satisfied 
 with the effect ; and I could see him cast
 
 44 THE OLD DJMINIOJ^. 
 
 sundry glances at a tall looking-glass between 
 the windows, which reflseted an image such as 
 is rarely seen upon this globe. True, if he 
 were happy, I had no reason to be discon- 
 tented ; and happy he evidently was, poor man, 
 though I fancy some shirts and stockings had 
 been sacrificed out of the amount of his equip- 
 ment, to the splendor of the coat, the cravat, and 
 the pantaloons. Not the least did he presume 
 upon his finery ; but, with a most deferential 
 air, inquired what time I should be ready to 
 start on the following morning, humbly sug- 
 gesting that my horses' fore-feet would be better 
 if shoed and pared, especially as some parts of 
 the road not being of the best, and black- 
 smiths' shops being few and far between, it 
 would be wise to set oat all right with a nail 
 or two and a hammer in one of the saddle- 
 bags. 
 
 Zed's precautions seemed to be not amiss ; 
 and this indication of care and fore-thought 
 appeared a good augury ; so I gave him some
 
 THE OLD rOMINION. 45 
 
 money to buy what he wanted and dismissed 
 him. 
 
 " They are good creatures," said Mr. 
 Wheatley, looking up from his letter, ^* capable 
 of strong affections and strong attachments ; 
 but child -like, and requiring constant supervi- 
 sion and care. ]Nrow this very man, who has 
 been so thoughtful on a matter in regard to 
 which right notions have been drummed into 
 him by long habit, would make the most 
 egregious, the most absurd, and sometimes the 
 most distressing blunders in regard to things 
 out of his routine. There are two propensities 
 however of which the race is rarely ever free — 
 to pilfer and to lie. The pilfering is usually 
 confined to petty articles ; and it would really 
 seem as if they reasoned Vv ith themselves upon 
 the matter, judging that what they take will 
 please and benefit them more than the loss will 
 pain or injure you. The lie too, has its 
 bounds and restrictions. It is like the lie of a
 
 46 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 child, issuing from fear or from the wish of 
 giving pleasure or amusement." 
 
 ^^ May not both habits," I said, ^^ be natur- 
 rally traced to the positions in which they 
 are established ? Having no property them- 
 selves, not even in themselves, may not their 
 pilfering be a just retribution upon those who 
 are depriving them of all ? and may not the 
 lie from fear, or from the purpose of pleasing, 
 be traced to an institution which deprives them 
 of that manly dignity which knows not fear 
 and scorns deception ?" 
 
 Mr. Wheatley^s short, quick laugh broke in 
 upon me again. ^^ I think not," he said; 
 '^ you must see more of them before you can 
 judge. Then perhaps you may be of opinion 
 that the pilfering is a mere proclivity of their 
 vanity or their small appetites. What they 
 take is generally a bright-coloured ribbon, or 
 a bit of lace, or a spoonful out of a pot of 
 sweatmeats, or a glass out of a brandy bo4;tle.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 47 
 
 You can teach a dog to abstain from taking 
 any thing 'till it is given to him ; but you 
 can't teach them, do what you wilL There 
 is no race upon the face of the earth who 
 should more frequently repeat the prayer ^ Lead 
 us not into temptation ;' for there is no race 
 so little capable of withstanding it. Then as 
 to the lying, it is mere childishness. First, 
 they hare what your authors call a ' diabetes' 
 of talk. Truth is a great deal too limited for 
 them. They must speak about something; 
 and when the lie proceeds from fear it is nine 
 times out of ten, unreasonable fear. They are 
 afraid of being blamed — of not being thought 
 quick and ready at an answer, and conse- 
 quently when any question is asked them, 
 rather than seem ignorant, they fabricate a 
 falsehood. If any thing very important were 
 at stake, a thousand to one they would tell 
 the truth. But upon these matters you 
 must satisfy yourself; for of all the rusty, 
 rickety, breakable commodities in this world,
 
 48 THE OLD DOMINI Oy. 
 
 second-hand opinioDs are the worst ; and yet 
 nine men out ten supply themselves at brokers* 
 shops when they could get them fresh and 
 strong from the manufactory." 
 
 Thus saying, he set to the letters again ; 
 and after they were concluded, gave me a 
 very cordial invitation to his house on my 
 return, and left me, adding, " If you stay long, 
 perhaps we may meet where you are going; 
 for I have some busineFS vp there, which 
 should have been attended to a month ago, at 
 the county capital city, which rejoices in the 
 name of Jerusalem although, God wot, it is less 
 like Jerusalem, than Carthage. Has it never 
 struck you, how magnificently ridiculous the 
 names of our towns are in this country ? 
 Mount Ida, about as high as my hand — EomiC, 
 descended from its seven hills into the midst 
 of a swamp — Syracuse, a couple of hundred 
 miles from the sea; and Jerusalem in a ham- 
 producing district with nothing but swine all 
 around it, spite of Moses and all the prophets. 
 In fact, the United States have been like a
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 49 
 
 fatker with too many children so hard up for 
 christian names as to be obliged to give them 
 the most unchristian names he could get." 
 
 One more short laugh and he was gone. 
 
 And now, my dear sister, to-morrow morn- 
 ing at six, I start upon my journey to the 
 interior ; but do not let your timid little 
 imagination conjure up images of danger and 
 difficulty, which, take my word for it, have 
 no foundation but in your fancy. Though of 
 course as society here is not so regulated as 
 in Great Britain, seeing that a couple of 
 centuries can never do for any country what 
 ten centuries can do, the people are perfectly 
 civilized, I can assure you — quite tame upon my 
 word. There are no longer any terrible Indians 
 with tomahawks and scalping knives ; nor even 
 ferocious back- woods- men (at least about this 
 part of the country) whose daily occupation is 
 to gouge, or bore, or shoot down their adver- 
 saries. They are, as far as I have seen or 
 heard, a good-humoured, jovial, kind-hearted 
 
 VOL.]. D
 
 60 THE OLD D(.MINIOlS\ 
 
 race, somewliat hot and peppery, it is true ; 
 but preserving many of those qualities intact 
 which we, in our crowds and thorough-fares, 
 have lost or impaired. In short, they have 
 more character about thera : the stamp is not 
 worn off the shilling ; but, above all, they are 
 especially hospitable. 
 
 Doubt not, therefore, that that hospitality 
 will be extended to so engaging, and agree- 
 able a young gentleman as your affectionate 
 brother.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 5J 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Richmond^ tOth October ^ 1851. 
 Mi Dear Sisier, 
 
 First let me tell you I am safe and 
 well, which assurance I trust will reach you 
 before the news of all that has been taking 
 place here can arrive in England. Some of 
 the scenes I have gone through have been full 
 of danger and horror, and have produced upon 
 my mind, my character, and my fate, great and 
 important effects ; as indeed must always be 
 
 ij. OF ILL LIB.
 
 52 THE OLD DOMINTOI^. 
 
 the case when we are subjected to sudden and 
 unforeseen trials. 
 
 It is impossible, in the scope of a letter, to 
 give you anything like a clear account of all 
 that has occurred ; but whenever I have had 
 an opportunity I have carefully made up my 
 
 iournal as I promised our friend J , when 
 
 I left England to do for his especial benefit. 
 That journal of course contains merely notes 
 and heads ; and so many events, and scenes, 
 and conversations remain merely upon memory 
 that I must write it all over again, adding 
 things every here and there which are necessary 
 for a clear comprehension of the whole, which 
 would otherwise in all probability pass away 
 in a few short years. I know you will read 
 
 them with interest, and so will J . I shall 
 
 therefore send the whole story of my last two 
 or three months' adventures to you in detached 
 fragments, and you tv ill forward them to him 
 when you have read them. 
 
 In the meantime do not put much faith in
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 53 
 
 newspaper accounts ; for many of the state- 
 ments I have seen myself, are exaggerated, and 
 many, very many, fall far below the reality. 
 Indeed I do not know that I myself shall be 
 able to bring home to your mind some of the 
 sights that I have witnessed and the scenes 
 through which I have passed. I am sure I 
 could not do so were I to suffer the first impres- 
 sions to pass away. But, thank God, it is all 
 over ; and although several of those whom I 
 highly esteemed have left this world by a 
 tragical and bloody death, those who are 
 dearest to me have escaped almost mira- 
 culously. 
 
 I see you smile, dear sister, at that expres- 
 sion — '^ those who are dearest to me." Smile 
 away ; for I cannot but hope that they will 
 soon be dear to you also. 
 
 Very likely I shall bring over the last por- 
 tion of my journal myself, and we may read it 
 together by the old fire- side with many miles 
 of the dark Atlantic rolling between us and
 
 64 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 the scenes I have attempted to depict. My 
 faithful Zed will come with me; so have a com- 
 fortable room in the hall ready for one to whom 
 I owe my life, and who has suffered many 
 things in the service of your affectionate brother. 
 
 * The above letter, which, together with the 
 two that preceded it, have been given merely 
 as introductory to the following history, caused 
 a good deal of curiosity and even agitation in 
 the mind of the lady who received it, and in 
 that of the friend who is mentioned under the 
 
 name of Mr J— . They were much nearer 
 
 to each other than the writer imagined when 
 he wrote ; and they were never after separated ; 
 but each felt a deep interest in tlie fate of the 
 wanderer over the iitlantic, and looked in the 
 newspapers in vain for the events to which he 
 referred. Englishmen at that time took much 
 less heed of events occurring in the United 
 States of America than they do at present, and
 
 THE OLD DOMI?^T()N. 55 
 
 English newspapers rarely mentioned matters 
 of merely local interest occurring in any of the 
 several States. At length, however, at the end 
 of about a fortnight or three weeks, came a 
 large package, in the form of a letter ; and 
 every arrival of a mail-packet brought one or 
 two more, which were perused with deep 
 feelings by the sister and the sister's husband, 
 and are now given to the public verbatim et 
 literatim as they were written.
 
 66 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 On the l^th June, 1831, I set out 
 from the city of Norfolk about seven o'clock in 
 the morniEg ; my departure had been fixed at 
 six ; but who ever sets out at the hour at which 
 he has determined ? Nobody, certainly, in 
 Virginia, where time and punctuality seem to 
 be, in the opinion of all men, very impractica- 
 ble abstractions, little worth the attention of 
 reasonable men. First of all Zed was too late 
 in bringing up the horses, and he had at least 
 a hundred good excuses for the delay. Next,
 
 THE OLD DO^^axION. 57 
 
 we had forgotten, in buying the saddle-ba^s, to 
 buy any straps to fix them to the saddles. 
 Then, no stores or shops, as we call them, were 
 yet open to supply the deficiency. And again, 
 no pack-thread was to be found to supersede 
 the need of straps. Finally, all the gentlemen 
 of the inn with whom I had formed ac- 
 quaintance, and who happened to be up, must 
 needs shake hands and drink a mint-julep with 
 me before I departed. It seemed the good 
 ancient custom of the stirrup-cup, and I was 
 fain to lump my companions altogether and 
 take one deep draught to their health 'ere I 
 rode on. 
 
 It was a glorious morning ; the sun had not 
 yet heated the air, and the wind blew from the 
 north-west. After crossing the river we jour- 
 neyed very comfortably for between twO and 
 three hours. Zed, radiant as Phoebus, was 
 proud of new clothes, a new master, and a new 
 horse ; and, to say truth, rode very well,
 
 68 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 although not very gracefully. Indeed, his 
 broken leg, which had been set son^ewhat 
 crooked, apparently enabled him to grasp his 
 beast with greater vigour, making a sort of 
 hoop round the animal's body, which would 
 have been very difficult to shake off. We 
 made the best of our way while it was cool, 
 but, between nine and ten we began to have 
 indieatioiis of what the weather intended to do 
 with us. 
 
 They may say what they like of Calcutta, 
 Jamaica, and the African coast ; but I am sure 
 that Norfolk, in the summer season, is the 
 hottest place upon the surface of the earth. 
 
 I began to feel the perspiration dropping 
 from under my hat ; and the roads seemed 
 full of ruts and irregularities whicii I had not 
 perceived before. Suddenly, my horse put his 
 feet into a deep gutter, and made an awful 
 stumble, but did not come down. 
 
 '' Ah, massa,^' cried Zed, who had been
 
 THE OLD DOMINIO>f. 59 
 
 keeping nearly in a line with me, *^ you hold 
 de middle of de road, or you get into tobacco- 
 ruts." 
 
 " Tobacco-ruts !" I exclaimed, " what do 
 you mean by tobacco-ruts ? I see no tobacco, 
 Zed." 
 
 My new groom laughed aloud. 
 
 •' Don't you know, massa," he cried, 
 ^^ people used to grow tobacco on this road ? 
 take two cart-wheels and an axle, put tobacco 
 between them, or round de axle, wid two 
 coloured gentlemen to roll it on, and push 
 for'ard all de way to Norfolk." 
 
 " They don't surely do so now, Zed ?" 
 
 " Not very long ago," replied he, "I re- 
 coleck very well seeing hundreds of tons roll 
 along here. Sometimes dere was a freshet. 
 Den you would see — oh, ororry— a whole heap 
 of wheels and tobacco, and de gentlemen all 
 dancing and playing on de banjo on de bank. 
 Oh, dose was merry times, massa ; but dey all 
 become so dam democratic now."
 
 60 THE OLD DOMINION, 
 
 I must here remark upon two points of the 
 negro character. First, that they are exceed- 
 ingly fond of expletives, and not very choice 
 in their selection ; and, secondly, that to a 
 man, as far as I have seen, they are exceed- 
 ingly conservative, nay, aristocratical in their 
 notions. 
 
 I will not pause to inquire whether they 
 have any very definite ideas upon the distinc- 
 tion of parties, or whether they attach any 
 significance to the objurgations they use ; but 
 certain it is that they have an abhorrence for 
 the name of democrat, and occasionally swear 
 somewhat blasphemously without any special 
 occasion. 
 
 We were soon obliged to bring our horses 
 to a walk ; but we had made good speed over 
 the first twenty miles of our journey. At the 
 end of the next five, we had the happiness 
 of seeing a house on the right-hand sidd" of the 
 road, which promised us rest and shelter from 
 the hot sun till the coolness of evening might
 
 THE OLD D0MINI0I!T. 61 
 
 be expected. It was a long, low house of two 
 stories — or rather one story and a half, for the 
 second was only half as tall as the first — 
 with a verandah or porch extending all 
 along the front. Beneath the shade of 
 this verandah, in a large arm-chair of plain 
 maple wood, from which he seemed in- 
 capable of rising, sat an elderly man with 
 white hair, leaden complexion, and a dull, 
 heavy, unprepossessing countenance. In girth 
 he was enormous; and indeed his obesity 
 seemed the effect of disease, for there was an 
 unhealthy heaviness in his whole aspect — 
 which was pninful to look upon. His dress 
 was negligent, his waistcoat and his shirt were 
 unbuttoned, he had not been shaved for many 
 days, and his hat had fallen by accident and 
 negligence into a variety of curious dents and 
 twists, which left no vestige of its original 
 shape. A long tobacco-pipe was in his mouth, 
 from which he continued to inhale puffs of 
 smoke, slowly and leisurely, without paying the
 
 62 THE OLD D^M NION. 
 
 slightest apparent attention to any thing going 
 on around him. He saw us dismount at the 
 door in the most impassible mood in the world ; 
 and as all was still and silent about the house, 
 1 should have doubted whether it was a tavern 
 or not, had I not seen a tall, bare pole in front, 
 and painted on the frieze of the porch, Black- 
 WATRR House. Andrew Gokbel. 
 
 By this time I had learned that such 
 symptoms indicated an inn ; and while Zed 
 led away the horses, heaven knows where, I 
 stepped up to the fat smoker and asked where 
 I could find the landlord. 
 
 ** I'm the proprietor," answered he. 
 
 And, without even asking if I wanted any- 
 thing, continued puffing away at his pipe wi'h 
 the utmost indiiFc rence. 
 
 The fact is, that the people of this country 
 are too thinly scattered for any thing like what 
 we call attention and civility. There is no 
 competition amongst tbem. They feel that 
 other men are more dependent upon them than
 
 THE OLD DOMINIO>f. 63 
 
 they upon other men, and they are def^errained 
 to make those whom they supply with any- 
 thing, feel that it is so. This is a good deal 
 the case in the cities, but ten times more so 
 in remote country places, where the solitary 
 inn has the power of laying every traveller 
 under contribution, or inflicting upon him the 
 penalty of a long and inexpedient ride. I 
 have come to this conclusion from remarking 
 that in spots where commerce is beginning to 
 centre, and two or three taverns have been 
 set up side by side, the landlords, yielding to 
 circumstances, have put on as much civility, if 
 not obsequiousness, as any in the old world. 
 
 Nothing like competition, my dear friends. 
 It is what bows down most men to the worship 
 of the golden calf, but is very comfortable and 
 convenient for travellers. 
 
 " Pray, sir, can I get any dinner here, to- 
 ^ day ?" 
 
 '' I dar say you can." Puff — puff — puff — 
 not a word more.
 
 64 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 '' What's the dinner hour ?" 
 
 " One o'clock, if the lads have come back." 
 Puff— puff—puff. 
 
 '^ Can I get any thing to drink ? I am very- 
 thirsty." 
 
 " Just in there you'll find the whiskey-bottle, 
 on the shelf in the bar. There's water in the 
 pitcher, I think." 
 
 I was* turning away, to satisfy my thirst, 
 when my fat friend halloed after me — 
 
 " Hie ! Will you jist hand me that news- 
 paper off the bench." 
 
 With a smile I could not repress, I did what 
 he required, observing, in somewhat of the 
 country language — 
 
 '' You seem somewhat troubled about the 
 limbs, Mr. Gorbel." 
 
 *'^o, not a bit," said he, ^' my limbs is as 
 strong as ever. It's what's above 'em is the 
 trouble ; they have got too much to carry. 
 It's all come on in these cussed last three
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 65 
 
 years, owing to the dry weather and the 
 weevil, I think." 
 
 I walked away, rather inclined to conclude 
 it was the drought of his own palate, rather 
 than that of the weather, which had brought 
 him into that condition ; and, with such an 
 example before my eyes, contented myself with 
 the cold water, without troubling the whiskey. 
 
 About a quarter past one o'clock, till which 
 time I amused myself as best I might, I espied 
 two young men coming up a cross road, or 
 rather lane, through the wood, and another 
 walking leisurely along through a field of Indian 
 corn. On approaching the house, they walked 
 at once into what the old man had called the 
 bar, and rushed at a large tin washbowl. One 
 washed his face and hands and another did the 
 same. All wiped on the same towel hanging 
 behind the door, and most of them combed 
 their hair with an universal comb, which lay 
 on the window seat. All this was done in 
 profound silence ; for in this country, as well
 
 66 THE OLD DOillN[jN. 
 
 as most others, hunger does not tend to loqua- 
 sity. Before the three first had finished their 
 unfastidious ablutions, another and another had 
 entered, till the bar-room was fuller of human 
 creatures than I had imagined the whole 
 country for twenty miles round cculd present. 
 As I had come thither, I had seen nothing but 
 forest and swamp, with the exception of a 
 small village here and there, and a scattered 
 house or two near it. A group of negroes, 
 indeed, once or twice was seen looking over a 
 ragged fence ; but nothing of white humanity 
 had been visible except in the aforesaid 
 villages. 
 
 Now, however, there were at least twenty 
 white men about me. In a moment after, a 
 little tinkling hand- bell rang, a door leading 
 out of the bar room opened, and in rushed the 
 crowd, jostling each other like a pack of hungry 
 hounds into a large, low dining-hall, where 
 each seized upon a seat, and helped himself to 
 what was before him. It did not seem to
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 67 
 
 matter what it was ; to save tine was the 
 great object ; one man seized upon a dish of 
 cabbage ; another snatched some pork and 
 beans ; a third thrust his fork into a potatoe ; 
 and a fourth emptied a dish of pickles upon 
 his plate. Tn the mean time, a black lad of 
 about sixteen, and two mulatto girls were 
 going round from guest to guest, repeating 
 some mysterious words in a very quick tone, 
 which caused each of the gentlemen to thrust 
 out his plate, loaded as it was, with a single 
 word of reply. When the boy came to me, I 
 discovered that the ta.ismanic words were 
 simply, ^^ roast mutton ; corn beef; boiled 
 mutton ; roast shoat ; roast turkey ; chicken 
 pie !'' 
 
 Kappily, I had been warned as to the nature 
 of shoat ; but out of the rest I contrived to 
 make a very good dinner, which, though it 
 occupied not more than ten minutes to com- 
 plete, was so slow of accomplishment in com- 
 parison with the time the others allowed them-
 
 68 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 selves that I found myself at the end left alone 
 with the rotund landlord, who had rolled into 
 a chair at the head of the table, and had gone 
 on eating pork and cabbage up to that moment 
 in profound silence. When I first perceived 
 him, he was making a sign with his thumb 
 over his shoulder, to the black boy, who 
 instantly disappeared into the bar-room, and 
 returned with the bottle of whiskey in his 
 hand. Mine host nearly filled his tumbler, 
 and then pointed to me, saying, in a husky 
 voice — 
 
 " Will you take a drink ? — Good old rye — 
 capital stuff — twenty year old, that. Though, 
 maybe you'd like a julep. But I don't go in 
 for juleps — the mint's over-heating, 'specially 
 when one's dined." 
 
 " I thought you Virginian gentlemen took 
 all your liquor before dinner," I answered, 
 helping myself to a small portion of the whis- 
 key, which was, indeed, excellent. 
 
 " Some do, and some don't," he said, rather
 
 IHE OLD DOMINION. 69 
 
 shily. '* For my own part, I only take a glass 
 or two of apple-jack before dinner; but I 
 always have my glass of whiskey and water 
 after ; and,-' he added, " about a spoonful of 
 water to the tumbler full of spirits. You see 
 I'm a great sufferer from the dispepsy — indeed, 
 most of us are about here." 
 
 I thought it was no wonder, if they all ate 
 as I had seen the people at that table. I literally 
 saw one man pile up his plate with the follow- 
 ing articles, in the order I put them down : — 
 About a pound of boiled pork ; the same quan* 
 tity of cabbage ; two large spoonfuls of a sort 
 of French beans : a whole plateful of raw, un- 
 dressed cucumber, cut in slices ; a quantity of 
 pickles, and a slice of ham. All this was con- 
 sumed, recollect, in the space of five minutes. 
 However, my worthy host seemed to become 
 gayer and more communicative upon the 
 strengt a of his dinner ; and in the course of a 
 long chat with him in the porch, I obtained a 
 good deal of information in regard to all the
 
 TO THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 families for many miles around. He told me 
 he had lived there for thirty years ; he had built 
 himself two houses, and knew everybody in the 
 neighbourhood — man, woman and child ; white, 
 black, and yellow. Amongst the rest, he 
 had been well acquainted with Aunt Bab ; 
 and from some facts he told me, I am inclined 
 to feel glad that I came over here — not, 
 perhaps, to enrich myself, but to spoil a very 
 nefarious scheme for the appropriation of her 
 property by others. 
 
 Besides much other intelligence, I learned that 
 the spot about which was congregated most of 
 my hitherto unknown relatives, was still at a 
 distaEce of some twenty-five to thirty miles ; 
 and, consequently, as soon as the sun had de- 
 clined suflSciently to throw some shade upon 
 the road, I looked eagerly about for my friend 
 Zed, and directed him to bring out the horses. 
 Xot a little patience is needed all over the 
 world in the minor affairs of life. I do believe 
 they affect us more, and more permanently,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 71 
 
 than those of greater importance. "We cut the 
 diamond with dust, which we cannot even 
 scratch with steel; and I am confident that 
 many a man's spirit is worn away, and brought 
 down with petty cares and small annoyances^ 
 who would have struggled manfully against 
 great evils. The kind of servitude, too, of this 
 country is peculiarly abundant in such trifling 
 discomforts, preceding from the character of the 
 different classes of people and their relations to 
 each other. As far as I have seen, there 
 is no order, no system, no regularity ; — a 
 total absence of that military discipline and 
 punctuality, which makes everything roll 
 smoothly. 
 
 My friend Zed was full three quarters of 
 an hour before he had brouglit out the horses 
 and got everything else ready. First, he had 
 forgotten what they call here the hitching- 
 reins for tying the horses up to any fence or 
 gate where it may be needful ; then he had 
 left in the stable my gun which I had given
 
 72 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 him to carry ; then he had got one of the 
 girths twisted ; and, in short, there were 
 innumerable little things to set right which 
 should never have gone wrong. 
 
 The day was intensely hot however — more 
 so than any out of Virginia can possibly 
 conceive ; and, though resolved to cut this 
 sort of thing short at once, I could only speak 
 a few words of remonstrance. 
 
 '* Eeg pardon, massa," said Zed. " Things 
 not got accustomed to me yet. They'll all come 
 right bye-and-bye." 
 
 Trusting that it would be so, I rode on. 
 
 The next five-and-twenty miles seemed the 
 longest journey I had ever made. I will not 
 attempt to describe it, for that is impossible. 
 The air was suffocating. Not a breath of 
 wind moved the trees or came along the road. 
 The long unwatered dust rose up at every 
 footfall of the horses ; the poor beasts were 
 in a lather though going at a very easy trot, 
 and I myself was in that condition which
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 73 
 
 though it may be healthy enough, is very 
 ungentleraanly in its aspect. What would 
 I not have given for the coldest breeze that 
 ever blev across the Scottish moors ! — "What 
 would I have given for a good heavy grey 
 cloud ! — AYhat for a drenching shower ! But 
 none of these thiugs were to be had ; and I 
 went on with a sort of desperation, knowing 
 that unless I slept in one of the marshes where 
 the evening frogs were already beginning to 
 croak, I had no place of refuge for several miles 
 ahead. 
 
 All this while, Zed looked as cool as a cu- 
 cumber. It was really quite provoking to see 
 the glossy black shining of his skin, and his 
 crisp, white wool, while I was dropping from 
 every pore, ^' and larding the lean earth as I 
 rode along." But the good man seemed really 
 to have compassion upon me ; and, about 
 half past five o'clock, he pointed with his 
 hand to the left, saying — 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 74 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 '' You look tiro, n:assa Eichard. Dere's a 
 house. Better go in and stop dere." 
 
 ^'But whose house is it Zed ?'' I asked. 
 
 " Don't know massa," answered Zed. Then, 
 in pity of my ignorance, he added — '' ^N'ebber 
 mind dat. They very glad to see you, whoever 
 it be. All gentlemen do do same." 
 
 I looked in the direction in which he pointed, 
 and clearly enough could see the house of 
 w^hich he spoke. His suggestion came at a 
 very opportune moment, for we had just got 
 out of the forest and come upon a large space 
 of open ground some thousand acres in extent 
 which seemed rich and well cultivated ; and 
 the sun then declining in the west, threw his 
 full beams upon us, almost blinding me. The 
 house seemed inviting, too. It was a large 
 red brick building somewhat like an old 
 English Manor-house, with a number of sheds 
 and stables and outhouses scattered irregularly 
 around it, and a backing of copse, not forest,
 
 THE OLD D MINION. 75 
 
 but apparently consisting of orchards and 
 shrubberies. I could not resist it ; and, turn- 
 ing to Zed, asked '^ where is the road ?" 
 
 " Oh, pull down de fence," answered Zed, 
 ^^and ride straight ahead." 
 
 He was off his horse in a moment to per- 
 form the office he proposed ; but the fence was 
 not high ; my horse took it easily, and Zed and 
 his nag scrambled over the best way they 
 could. The house was about half-a-mile from 
 the road ; and, not liking to ride over the grain, 
 I had to thread my way through a somewhat 
 narrow path, which made the distance greater. 
 This path, however, led into a road, and that 
 road to the bank of a very pretty stream, over 
 which was a bridge of rather primitive 
 construction. A gentle slope led from the little 
 river to the front of the house, covered, if not 
 exactly with turf, with green grass, shaded by 
 fruit trees. The whole reminded me of Old 
 England— dear, never-to-be-forgotten old Eng- 
 land ! There was so much of a home-look 
 D 3
 
 76 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 about it that I felt sure of a welcome ; and, 
 throwing the reins to Zed, sprung off my horse 
 and mounted the old stone steps to the door. 
 
 I had no occasion to ring any bells — my 
 coming had been espied. The door was open 
 before I could stretch out my hand, and, 
 besides the nice-looking negro who opened it, 
 I could see two black girls going up a large 
 oak staircase and looking over their shoulders. 
 
 *^ Walk in, sir," said the man ; '^ Massa very 
 glad to see you." And, without more ceremony 
 or inquiry, he opened a large door to the right 
 of the hall. My only hope was now that I 
 should find the master of the house alone, for I 
 began to feel all the awkwardness of the pro- 
 ceeding. It was not to be so, however. The 
 scene presented, as I entered the room, was 
 very pleasant in the abstract, but not altogether 
 so in the circumstances then existing. I had 
 evidently come upon a little party of gen- 
 tlem<3n just after dinner. The room was a fine, 
 old-fashioned room, large and lofty, with the
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 77 
 
 windows all open and the blinds all shut. In 
 the centre was a mahogany table, large enough 
 to seat ten or twelve people, though only four 
 now surrounded it, and on that table were some 
 dishes of preserves and early fruits, glasses and 
 decanters, and some curious old articles of 
 silver ware. The gentleman at the head of the 
 table was a tall, dignified, hale-looking man, 
 with hair nearly white, an aquiline nose, and 
 rather heavy eyebrows. His dress was some- 
 what between morning and evening costume. 
 He wore a narrow black handkerchief around 
 his neck, and a snowy white shirt, with a collar 
 cut a good deal back from the chin, and a 
 small, neatly-plaited frill in front. His coat 
 was black and swallow- tailed, but he hfid on 
 leat&er breeches and top boots. The upper 
 part, with its white waistcoat, might have 
 graced a la lies' evening drawing-rooui ; the 
 lower part was quite fit for cover side. On the 
 right of him was a gentleman in black, with a 
 very thick white neck-cloth, hair like spua
 
 78 THE OLD BOMTNION. 
 
 silver, and a mild, benevoleut face. On the 
 other hand was a gentleman of rather odd 
 attire and appearance, with his hair combed 
 flat and far down upon his forehead, who, in 
 expression, rather than in features, reminded 
 me more strongly of a parrot than any human 
 thing I ever saw. A good-humomed, jolly- 
 looking, fat fellow, about ten years younger 
 than the rest, w ith a blue coat and bright gilt 
 buttons, sat a little lower down, and completed 
 the party. 
 
 I would have given all Aunt Bab's fortune 
 to be out of the house again. I am not by any 
 m.eans habitually shy ; but there are moments 
 when a cloud of shyness will come over me and 
 then I believe I am as stiff as a poker. 
 
 I was soon however set at my ease. ^The 
 master of the house arose — (be was six feet 
 three at least) ; and with an air of the utmost 
 cordiality and urbanity, came forward to meet 
 me, holding out his hand. 
 
 " Yery glad to see you, sir," he said. '* Pray
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 79 
 
 take a seat. Will, put some glasses for this 
 gentleman." (This was addressed to the ser- 
 vant.) ^*We have had a very hot day — 
 singularly hot for this early time of year. 
 That is Madeira, that is claret. But I dare 
 say you stand in need of other refreshment. 
 Let me order you some dinner." 
 
 All this was said with an air of unceremonious 
 ease and kindness, which broke down all 
 restraint ; and I answered with a slight laugh, 
 
 ^' Three minutes ago, my dear sir, I would 
 have given a great deal to be out of your house 
 again. But now, I am very glad I believed 
 the report I have received of the hospitality of 
 Virginian gentlemen. I must apologise first 
 for appearing here in this traveller's guise ; and 
 next lor appearing here at all. The truthis I 
 have ridden a long way ; and, not accustomed to 
 such tremendous heat, felt quite exhausted by 
 it. Moreover I knew not my road very well, 
 or where I might find accommodation for the 
 night." 
 
 '* Where but here ?" said my host, with a
 
 80 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 frank laugh. *^ I understand it all, my dear 
 sir ; make no further explanations. These 
 things occur to us everyday, and very gratify- 
 ing they are ; for, besides breaking a little the 
 quiet routine of our country-circle, they occa- 
 sionally introduce us to pleasant acquaintances 
 which sometimes ripen into friendships.'' 
 
 Just as he spoke, who should put his head 
 into the door, but Master Zed, asking, uncere- 
 moniously, " Where shall I put de saddle-bags, 
 Massa Richard ?" 
 
 " Ask for Will, uncle, and tell him to shew 
 you the blue room.," said my host. Then 
 turning to me with a somewhat puzzled air, as 
 if the familiarity of my servanr prompted the 
 question, he observed — '^ You are not a Vir- 
 ginian, I think." 
 
 " No, sir," I answered ; *^ I am an English- 
 man, come to wander for a month or two 
 through the old dominion." 
 
 *' Sir, you are most welcome here," responded 
 my new friend. ** My name is Thornton —
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 81 
 
 Henry Thornton. This is my reverend friend 
 Mr. Alsiger. This, Mr. Hubbard ; and this, 
 Mr. Byles — familiarly known amongst us as 
 ^ bold Billy Byles ;' for a bolder man at a 
 fence, a swamp, or a cane-brake is not to be 
 found between this and Charleston." 
 
 This was said with a good=humoured laugh, 
 and a nod to the gentleman in the blue coat and 
 gilt buttons, who, for his part, shook hands 
 heartily with me, and filled my glass full of 
 claret. But nobody asked my name ; and I 
 was glad to find that this remnant of old 
 chivalrous courtesy still prevailed in hospitable 
 Virginia. 
 
 After a pause of a few moments, such as is 
 naturally produced when conversation has been 
 interrupted, and has not had time to resume 
 its course, Mr. Thornton observed — 
 
 ^' I am always glad to meet an English gen- 
 tleman ; for my mother's brother married a 
 lady from that country, who died not long ago ; 
 E 5
 
 82 • THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 and the dearest, best, most charming old 
 "woman she was that ever the world saw." 
 
 *' She was indeed," echoed the clergyman, 
 from the other side. 
 
 A smile, though it might be somewhat of 
 a grave one, came up in my face to find that I 
 had so unexpectedly dropped in amongst dear 
 Aunt Bab's connections. 
 
 The quick eye of my host caught sight of 
 the smile directly ; and he readily drew his 
 own conclusions ; for he gave it me back 
 again with a very slight inclination of the 
 head, saying, sotto voce — 
 
 '' Ah, ha !" 
 
 None of the rest took any notice ; and the 
 wine continued to circulate round the table, 
 until, suddenly, I heard from another room 
 the tones of a piano, apparently, very well 
 played. 
 
 '' Bessy thinks we are too long at our wine ; 
 and that is the way the gipsy calls us," said
 
 THE OLD DOMIXIOX. • 83 
 
 Mr. Thornton. *' But we won't let her saucy 
 tricks interrupt us. Fill your glasses, gentle- 
 men. I will give you a toast. Here's eternal 
 peace and good will between old England and 
 old Virginia ; and may the kindred streams 
 which flow in the veins of both never warm 
 to anything but mutual friendship." 
 
 All drank the toast with apparent alacrity 
 and good feeling ; and, although I am quite 
 sure, from what I have seen and heard in this 
 country, that a great many Americans remem- 
 ber with sore and irritable feelings not only 
 the war of the revolution but the last war ; 
 and others, who, for the purpose of pandering 
 to the worst feelings of the basest of the 
 population, affect enmity towards England, 
 yet the majority of the wise and well-thinking 
 would fain cultivate a good understanding be- 
 tween two countries, each of which bestows 
 benefits upon, and receives benefits from the 
 other ; ay, and many, who have not forgotten
 
 Si ' THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 all kinrlred t"es, still look upon Great Britain 
 as the birth-place of their race. 
 
 Eemembering, at length, after a very plea- 
 pant hour, that it was tlie custom in this 
 country for a stranger to take the lead in de- 
 parting from any scene of festivity, I rose, and 
 proposed to retire to my room, saying — 
 
 *^ I am not in fit guise to join any party of 
 ladies, Mr. 1 hornton ; but, if you will permit 
 me, I will change my dress, and join you pre- 
 sently where those sweet strains are pouring 
 forth." 
 
 '' Let me shew you the way,'^ he said, taking 
 a candle from the table ; '' and ren^. ember this 
 is a place perfectly without ceremony. If you 
 feel too much fatigued to-night for society, we 
 shall expect to see you to-morrow at breakfast. 
 If not, there is the loom where you will find us 
 assembled, till ten o'clock this evening." 
 
 And he pointed to a door on the other &ide 
 of the hall, which was shut, notwithstanding 
 the heat of the night.
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOIS'. 85 
 
 He now guided me up the stairs to a large, 
 handsome room on the first floor, where I found 
 everything that could be required for comfort, 
 or even luxury ; and, setting down the candle, 
 for it was now twilight, he was about to leave 
 me, still without asking my name. I stopped 
 him, however; Jind a slight explanation 
 ensued, which, notwithstanding my pre- 
 vious determination, I found myself bound to 
 afford to one who had received me with such 
 courteous hospitality. But I abstained from 
 disclosing my name. 
 
 He did not suffer me to go on long. " Say 
 no more," he replied ; " say no more. Your 
 secret, if it be one, is safe with me. I dare 
 say you have your reasons for remainiug 
 incog.; and, to tell you the truth, I am both 
 glad you are come, and glad you are come 
 quickly ; for you have a good deal to hear and 
 see about this place, and, perhaps, a little to 
 do, which may require some thought as to the 
 mode of doing it. My domestics will look to your 
 general wants; and your own servants, I dare say
 
 86 IHE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 will take care of your more particular require- 
 ments." 
 
 Thus saying he left me ; and I sat down to 
 think of the events of the day, before I went 
 below to join what I could not but hear was a 
 gay party.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 87 
 
 CHAPTEE Y. 
 
 It was by this time dark enough to make 
 candles needful in the room ; yet upon the 
 western sky, as I gazed at it from the 
 window, were still traced one or two lines of 
 ruby light, with others lines, which probably, 
 in the day, would have seemed but faint streaks 
 of mist, now changed into a leaden blue by 
 the approaching night. The principal features 
 of the landscape also were still visible, though 
 all the minor objects were lost. A glistening 
 river reflected the colour of the western sky,
 
 88 THE OLD DOMIJV'ION. 
 
 like a stream of blood ; the undulating slopes 
 of the land, sometiires caught, on the summits, 
 a touch of light, but were generally dark and 
 grey ; the distant trees in one or two places 
 let through between their boles a glimpse of 
 the fervid sun-set sky ; and high above were 
 stars beginning to look out, eager for the 
 departure of him who made them veil their 
 glory. Nearer, far nearer, howe\er, were 
 little stars of earth. From under every bush 
 and amongst the branches of every fruit tree, 
 dancing, skimming, now suddenly appearing, 
 now suddenly eclipsed, were the fire-flies, those 
 beautiful, most beautiful insects. I had seen 
 many in Italy coming out in clouds from 
 the willows by the way side, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Mantua and Modena. There, they 
 looked like little sparks of fire, red in colour, 
 whirling and bursting forth in clouds; but 
 these in Virginia, were larger, calmer, of a 
 softer and more beautiful light, sometimes 
 yellow like the moon, sometimes even of a
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 89 
 
 blueish tinge, but exceedingly bright, and 
 comparable to nothing I know of, bat small 
 shooting stars. 
 
 A spirit of calm enjoyment came over me 
 after my hot and dusty ride which I was in 
 no haste to cast off; and I know not how long 
 I should have gazed and pondered ; but to the 
 music of tLe piano, was soon added the tones 
 of a voice singing ; and, resolving to improve 
 the time to the utmost, I rose to search for my 
 saddle-bags and to ring for my good friend 
 Zed. 
 
 The room, I have said, containel everything 
 requisite for comfort ; but there was one excep- 
 tion. No such thing as a bell was to be 
 seen. As if my step, however, awoke atten- 
 dance, I had hardly reached the table when 
 the door opened, and a neat little black boy 
 in a white jacket presented himself carrying 
 in his hand a pair of slippers and a night 
 cap. 
 
 He asked with the usual grin, if he could
 
 iO THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 do anything for me ; and, without waiting fora 
 reply, pounced at once upon the saddle-bags, 
 began untrussing them, and distributed their 
 contents very skilfully in a chest of drawers. 
 He was evidently well taught, though he could 
 not refrain — what Negro boy of fourteen 
 could ! — from examining curiously many of 
 the unknown articles which he brought forth, 
 and especially one of Palmer's neat little roll 
 dressing-cases, which seemed to puzzle him 
 amazingly. It was too much for human 
 nature ; and at length he turned, and simply 
 asked me what it was. As I opened it to his 
 eyes, he burst into a joyous peal of laughter, 
 and I could clearly perceive, would fain have 
 been fingeriug the razors and other articles ; 
 but I dismissed him and told him to send my 
 servant up. After dressing myself, and giving 
 some directions to Zed, I walked down stairs 
 again, looked in at the dining-room door to 
 ensure that 1 should find seme known faces 
 in the other room ; and then crossing to the
 
 THE OLD DOMINION 91 
 
 door which Mr. Thornton had pointed out, 
 I entered with as much quiet dignity as a man 
 of seven-and-twenty can assume. Instantly 
 a blaze of light, and a blaze of cheerful faces 
 met my eyes. Mr. Thornton himself and the 
 three other gentlemen whom I had seen before 
 were there; but, besides these, the company in- 
 cluded an elderly lady with silver hair and a very 
 white cap, half a dozen fair-haired, bright-eyed 
 girls of various ages from thirteen to twenty, two 
 little boys and a young man of about one-and- 
 twenty. 
 
 There was moreover in that room a young 
 lady, very dififerent in appearance^from any of 
 the rest with jet black hair, dark eyes, and a 
 fair skin, which nevertheless shewed the 
 brunette in its tint. She was small in every 
 respect : her form, her feet, her hands were 
 all miniatures; and, though exceedingly de- 
 licate and symmetrical, the whole had an 
 aspect of insignificance, if I may so call it at 
 the first sight. She was tastefully, and even
 
 92 THE OLD DOMINI0^\ 
 
 elegantly, dressed ; though there was some- 
 thing a little fantastic in a bunch of wild 
 leaves which she had entwined in her hair. 
 
 As T entered, she was moving from the 
 piano ; and I naturally concluded she was 
 the goddess of the song I had heard. She 
 drew back, however, to the farther side of the 
 room when she saw me ; and Mr. Thornton, 
 rising, put his hand gently under my arm 
 and led me forward to the old lady whom he 
 named as Mrs. Thornton. 
 
 " These are my daughters," he added, 
 waving his hand around the blue-eyed, fair- 
 haired group. " This, my cousin, Mr. Dudley," 
 introducing the young gentleman. '^ These 
 two, my boys ; and this, my saucy niece, 
 Bessy. Nay, Bessy, come forth and don't 
 affect what you never felt in your life, namely, 
 shyness." 
 
 "' Nay, my dear uncle," she answered, ^^ I 
 am not the least shy ; but it was necessary to 
 give you time to introduce all the generations
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 93 
 
 of Adam, and to let this gentleman receive 
 them into his cogitations. You did not tell 
 me his name, however." 
 
 This was a point which Mr. Thornton and I 
 had not settled ; but he answered at once, with 
 a shrewd twinkle of the eye — 
 
 ^' Mr. Howard, my dear — Mr. Elchard Howard. 
 You are cousins, of course ; for the Davenports, 
 being related to all the best blood of England, 
 must count cousinship with the Howards, 
 beyond doubt. So make much of him, Bessy — 
 make much of him." 
 
 While her uncle had been speaking. Miss 
 Davenport had surveyed me from head to foot, 
 with an air which I must not call impudent 
 nor even assured, but with a certain degree of 
 saucy fun in the expression of her countenance, 
 which I cannot say was altogether agreeable to 
 Die. 
 
 I hate piquante women, and would a great 
 deal rather that a woman had no wit at all, than 
 that her wit should trench upon her womanly
 
 94 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 qualities. A strong-minded woman is worse ; 
 for then the feminine characteristics are 
 almost obliterated — though you are sure to 
 find out the woman somewhere ; but the next 
 bad thing to that is the piquante woman, whose 
 wit overbears her tenderness. Still, I was a 
 little doubtful whether this was altogether the 
 case with the fair lady before me ; for, as soon 
 as I perceived the way she scanned me — and, 
 being apparently rather short sighted, ^she 
 even put up a double eye-glass, to look at me 
 more accurately, — I fixed m}^ eyes quietly on 
 her face, seeking to read something therein, 
 while she was examining me. The moment 
 she detected me in so doing, the glass was re- 
 moved, the eye-lids dropped, and a slight rosy 
 colour came up in her cheeks, like day -dawn, 
 purpling the pale east. The next moment she 
 said, as if in reply to her uncle's last words — 
 
 '' My cousin is very welcome, then, to Vir- 
 ginia. Uncle Henry. God be praised, his name 
 is Eic'.ard ; for we have had Eoberts enough
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 95 
 
 in our race to extinguish any family under the 
 sun." 
 
 ** And pray what have the Eoberts done to 
 be so slandered, Bessy ?" asked the elderly 
 gentleman who had been introduced to me as 
 Mr. Hubbard, walking across the room and 
 addressing her in a tone of fatherly kindness. 
 
 " What have they not done ?" interrogated 
 ]\Iiss Davenport, with a gay laugh, " from 
 Robert the Xorman, and Eobert the rhymer 
 downwards. The records of horse-stealing and 
 petty larceny are full of Roberts. Why, in a 
 book Uncle Henry lent me tlie other day, I 
 counted at least twenty of them who had been 
 convicted of one offence or another, to say 
 nothing of a near relation of mine who would 
 have cheated me out of everything I had in 
 the world, if my undo here would have let 
 him." 
 
 " You forget my name is Robert, too ?" re- 
 plied Mr. Hubbard. 
 
 " Ah, my dear friend," she answered, laying
 
 96 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 her hand gently on his arm, ^^ you are the ex- 
 ception, you know, which proves the general 
 rule." 
 
 "And you are the greatest little hypocrite 
 that ever lived," replied Mr. Hubbard, with a 
 kindly smile. " Ay, I know you, Bessy. You 
 cannot cheat me." 
 
 Her face grew crimson ; but she answered as 
 briskly as ever — 
 
 " All men think they know women's charac- 
 ters, but they know nothing at all about them ; 
 and how should an old bachelor know anything 
 of woman ? You had a great deal better marry 
 me, and I w411 soon show you how well you 
 understand me — w^e are not within the prohi- 
 bited degrees, I think, cousin Hubbard, are 
 we ? Your great grandmother was rny great 
 grandmother's fifteenth cousin on the mother's 
 side, if I recollect ri^htlv ; so the doors of the 
 church are open to us, I fancy. But I will 
 look in the prayer-book, and see when I 
 get up stairs, and tell you all about it to-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 97 
 
 iiiGiTow, and ask you to fix the day. But my 
 dear uncle, 'tis very sultry. Let us go into 
 the porch. 
 
 Sle was passing through us towards the 
 drawing-room, when I detained her for a mo- 
 ment, to ask if she would not let me hear m.ore 
 distinctly the sweet voice I had heard singing 
 at a distance. 
 
 She looked up in my face with a quiet smih^, 
 saying — 
 
 '* I could answer you from the Bible, if I 
 liked ; hut I will only reply, distance gives 
 softness to everything, Mr. Howard. 1 will 
 not dispel the illusion." 
 
 " How from the Bible ?" I asked. 
 
 ^^ Xay, nay," she replied ; '^ I must not let 
 my light, idle spirits carry me away into pro- 
 fanity. Sometimes, you know, the words of 
 books we are much accustomed to read, come 
 very aptly to the purpose, though very much 
 out of reason. All I meant to say, that, 
 while I was playing and singing, none of you 
 VOL. I. r
 
 98 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 gentlemen would come in ; and now the opera 
 is over, I cannot do any more to-night — unless 
 you all like to stand up and have a dance, 
 and then I'll play for you until my fingers 
 ache." 
 
 Thus saying, she made her way to the door, 
 and went out into the porch of the house. 
 
 One by one most of the others followed ; and 
 I could see the sweet scene lying before the 
 house, with the moonlight resting on the dewy 
 grass, and the fire-flies flashing along the lawn. 
 Even old Mrs. Thornton took her work in her 
 hand, and followed the rest ; and I was moving 
 in the same direction, when Mr. Thornton 
 stopped me, saying — 
 
 '' I want to talk to you a little." Then, 
 lowering his voice, he added — '^ It is better 
 that we should have a short conversation to- 
 night upon points which, if I understand rightly, 
 may considerably aff'ect the matter in hand. 
 I may be mistaken in the conclusions I have 
 come to. As far as I have gone, I can have
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 99 
 
 done no harm ; but, as my friend Byles there 
 would say, * A hound that gets on a false 
 scent, may be easily driven back at the begin- 
 ning ; but, if he runs on long, Heaven only 
 knows where he will go to.' " 
 
 " I thank you for the opportunity, Mr. 
 Thornton,'' T replied. ** I want advice — I 
 may want assistance; and, above all things, I 
 want what the French would call la carte du 
 jpaysP 
 
 '^ You shall have it as far as 1 can give it," 
 said Mr. Thornton. *^ Just follow me into my 
 little room, and we will have a clear under- 
 standing before we sleep." 
 
 He opened a door at the other side of the 
 parlour, and led the way across a stone hall, 
 where we passed two or three negroes, all ap- 
 parently as joyous and merry as they could be ; 
 but I was too much occupied with thoughts of 
 my own to take the notice of them which I 
 should have taken a day or two before. Con- 
 sideration had been forced upon me rapidly. I 
 F 2
 
 100 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 was obliged to come to a conclusion much 
 sooner than I had expected ; and the question 
 was, whether I was to place full confidence in 
 my accidental host ; to tell him all about my- 
 self and my own plans, or only to tell him as 
 much as I could not conceal without ungentle- 
 manly insincerity. His manner, his appearance, 
 his language, were all those of a high-bred gen- 
 tleman ; his establishment, was apparently, that 
 of a wealthy man ; and there was a comfortable, 
 home-like respectability about every thing that 
 induced one to argue thus : — 
 
 '' A man who has led such a life as this up 
 to his age, is not likely to fall from it or to be 
 subject to degrading and ruinous vices." 
 
 But the conversation which I had heard be- 
 tween the master of the schooner and the 
 slave-trader as I came down the Chesapeake, 
 did not connect the name of Thornton with 
 very favourable memories. 
 
 Before I could make up my mind exactly 
 how to act, we were in the little book-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 10 1 
 
 room or library he had mentioned ; and he 
 courteously motioned me to a well-stuffed easy 
 chair, while he took another on the opposite 
 side of the table. 
 
 For a moment, an awkward pause ensued ; 
 and he then said — 
 
 " Do not let me appear obtrusive or inqui- 
 sitive ; but I think I have the pleasure of 
 speaking to Sir Richard Conway T^ 
 
 I bowed my head, replying — 
 
 *^ The same, Mr. Thornton. From what has 
 fallen from you, I imagine that we are no very 
 distant connexions, although it is by the merest 
 accident I stopped at your house.'^ 
 
 " My dear sir," he rejoined, ^' you have fallen 
 into the midst of relations. Almost every one 
 you saw around you is more or less connected 
 with you, by blood or marriage. My uncle 
 married your aunt ; consequently we are first 
 cousins, in law at least ; all my children are in 
 the next degree to you. Mr. Hubbard is as 
 nearly connected. Mr, Alsiger stands in the
 
 102 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 same relationship, and our pretty little Bessy 
 is your second cousin by blood.'' 
 
 He paused and thought for a moment, and 
 then added, in a very grave tone — 
 
 " So far this is all very satisfactory — that 
 you should have come here in the first instance 
 — that you should have come incog — and that 
 I should have divined all about it by a certain 
 resemblance that you bear to an old picture at 
 your aunt's house. But much must be 
 thought of, Sir Eichard — much must be told — 
 many plars nii^^t be arranged. We must 
 make a late sitting of it to-night, that you may 
 have time to sleep over the matter, and take 
 what steps you think fit to-morrow, not with- 
 out deliberation. But, hark ! There is a 
 horse trotting up to the house." Walking to 
 the door, he opened it, calling to one of the 
 negroes, and saying — '^ Csesar, tell Mr. 
 Hubbard I hope he is not going home to-night. 
 He is in the porch. Say I want to see him to 
 have some conversation with him." Then,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 10*3 
 
 turning to me, he added — " His advice may 
 be very useful to us ; he was once one of the 
 most eminent counsel in Virginia; but his 
 voice has become feeble ; and he quitted the 
 bar, in consequence, I believe, of a rude 
 judge saying to him — ' Speak out, Mr. Hub- 
 bard ! iS'either judge nor jury can hear you.* 
 He answered, quietly, ' The ears of justice are 
 somewhat deaf, in Virginia.' But he never 
 appeared at the bar again. His advice, how- 
 ever, is always excellent, for it's law and it's 
 honesty. I would not advise a rogue to con- 
 sult him ; but he is the best adviser for a man 
 of honor." 
 
 He had hardly concluded the last sentence^ 
 when the servant, to whom he had called, 
 opened the door, and said, in much better 
 English than the negroes usually employ — 
 
 ^' A gentleman come on horse-back, wants 
 to speak with you, sir." 
 
 " Show him in," said Mr. Thornton,
 
 1C4 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 promptly ; but then added. " What sort of a 
 man is he, Caesar?'' 
 
 " Very smart gentleman, sir," answered 
 Caesar, with a slight snigger, if I may use such 
 an expression. ^' Too, smart has got a good 
 horse though." 
 
 '^Well, show him in," repeated Mr. Thorn- 
 ton, 
 
 The moment after, who should be ushered 
 into the rooQi, but my fellow-traveller, Mr. 
 Lewis himself, as much bedizened with rings 
 and diamonds as ever. 
 
 Mr. Thornton arose from his seat as the 
 other entered, survey tid him quietly, and then 
 remained standing. What it was in his air 
 and manner I do not know ; but I came to the 
 conclusion merely from his look, that he com- 
 prehended, in a moment, the character of his 
 visitor, and I watched the little scene that 
 ensued with no slight interest. 
 
 '' Mr. Thornton, I presume ?" said Mr. 
 Lewis, with a sweet soft air. ,
 
 THE OID DOMINION. 105 
 
 " The same, sir," replied Mr. ThorntoD, 
 bowing. " In what way can I serve you ?" 
 
 **Why, I have a little business to speak 
 upon with you, Mr. Thornton," replied Mr. 
 Lewis, with a side glance at me, whose full 
 face he could not discern, as I sat with my back 
 partly towards the door by which he had 
 entered. ^' But perhaps we had better be 
 private." 
 
 " As far as I am concerned," answered Mr. 
 Thornton, '^ I do not know that there is any 
 thing I should not desire to be said in the 
 presence of this gentleman ; and, if the business 
 refers to anybody else, 1 always prefer that the 
 communication should be made in writing, 
 that I may think over my reply. Pray be 
 seated," he added ; and Mr. Lewis took a 
 seat. 
 
 *' Oh, if you, Mr. Thornton, don't mind, I don't," 
 replied the other. " The matter is a very simple 
 one — a mere matter of business. In short, I 
 heard a few days ago, that you had a lot of
 
 If" 6 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 Niggers for sale — some fifty or sixty ; and 
 though the lot is but a small one, I thought I 
 would just step ia and ask, as I was going up 
 the country. No man can afford to give a 
 better price than I can. I am known to treat 
 well all I buy; audi just judged you might 
 think it better to sell them to me, than to bring 
 them to the hammer." 
 
 A bright red spot had come up in Mr. 
 Thornton's cheek ; a deep furrow gathered 
 between, his eyebrows ; his eye flashed ; he set 
 his teeth hard ; and I thought there was some 
 very violent answer coming. Eut instead of 
 that, he remained perfectly silent for at least a 
 minute, beating the ground with his foot. 
 
 " Pray where do you come from, sir :'' he 
 asked, at length, in a perfectly quiet tone. 
 
 '^ I live in Baltimore," answered Mr. Lewis; 
 '^but I do my principal business in Xew 
 Orleens. I dare say we can make a trade, Mr. 
 Thornton, for I deal as liberal as any man." 
 
 Again Mr. Thornton remained silent, looking
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 107 
 
 at the carpet. Then turoiug suddeoly upon 
 the other, he said, in a loud, stern voice — 
 
 " You make a great mistake, sir. Let me 
 tell you, no Virginian gentleman sells his ser- 
 vants, except in one of two cases. He is either 
 bankrupt himself, or the servant whom he sells 
 is too bad for him to keep. There is not one 
 servant I have whom I would part with 
 to you or any man, so long as he serves me 
 faithfully, and 1 have the means to give him 
 food. God grant it may never be other- 
 wise !" 
 
 Mr. Lewis turned a little white ; but he 
 stammered forth, in what seemed to be a some- 
 what i npudent tone. 
 
 ^' No offence, sir, I hope, no offence. I was 
 informed positively — '^ 
 
 " I know, sir — I comprehend,'' interrupted 
 Mr. Thornton, waving his hand. ^' You have 
 been labouring under a mistake, which ex- 
 cuses your proposal. My name is Henry 
 Thornton, sir. The person you wished to see
 
 108 
 
 THE OLD DOMIIflON. 
 
 is William Thornton, a distant relation of 
 mine. There have been some painful mistakes, 
 already." 
 
 Mr. Lewis still kept his seat, nowise 
 abashed, though somewhat cowed ; and, after 
 titing his nether lip for a moment, he 
 asked — . 
 
 ^^ Pray, how far is it to Mr. "William Thorn- 
 ton's ?" 
 
 '^ About fifteen miles," answered my host, 
 drily. 
 
 ** Lord bless my soul !" cried the trader, 
 ''what shall I do ? My horse is dead tired; 
 and I do not know the way.'' 
 
 Mr. Thornton sat mute for a moment cr 
 two ; and there was evidently a struggle 
 within him. The old feelings of hospitality 
 triumphed in a degree, however. " All the 
 rooms in my house," he said, at length, "will, 
 I believe, be occupied to night ; but "there is 
 one at the overseer's at your service. I will 
 call a servant to shew you the way."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 109 
 
 Approaching the door, he again called Csesar, 
 paying— 
 
 "Conduct that gentleman to Mr. Jones's, 
 and beg him to supply him with supper and 
 what accommodation he may want." 
 
 Then, with a very stiff bow, he saw Mr. 
 Lewis depart, and closed the door after him. 
 
 *' A slave- dealer never slept in this house 
 since it was built," he said, in a somewhat 
 apologetic tone, as soon as the man was gone. 
 "I should almost be afraid of its catching 
 fire, if he remained in it all night." 
 
 He then broke into a laugh, partly gay and 
 partly sarcastic, as it seemed to me ; and, after 
 musing for a moment, he observed — 
 
 "This is strange — very strange, that he 
 should have come here this night of all others 
 in the week; but I am sorry now 1 dismissed 
 him so rapidly. We have already got one good 
 hint from him. Sir Richard, and perhaps might 
 get mure — though I do not much like fish that 
 breed in muddy waters."
 
 no 
 
 THE OLD DO:UI]S'ION. 
 
 ^^ I really do not understand you, Mr. 
 Thornton," I answered. " This good mai^ 
 came down in the boat with me from Balti- 
 more to Norfolk ; and I heard some conversa- 
 tion going en between him and the master of 
 the vessel, about the probable sale of a Mr. 
 Thornton's slaves." 
 
 *' And very likely thought / was the Mr. 
 Thornton," said my host, with a quiet smile. 
 " Nay, make no excuse : it was a very natural 
 mistake. But the case is this. Mr. William 
 Thornton is my first cousin, with a hitch in the 
 consanguinity, which had almost made me, 
 like an Irishman, call him, my first cousin 
 once removed. His father and my father were 
 half brothers ; but his father was the elder by 
 two or three years. They were both brothers 
 of Colonel Thornton, who married your excel- 
 lent aunt, Bab. Now, Colonel Thornton was 
 as good a man as ever lived ; but, having been 
 a gay, dashir.g soldier, he had maintained in 
 his household that sort of fine old Virginian
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. Ill 
 
 eoonomy, which has brought so many of our 
 best families to ruin. He was very nearly 
 on the brink thereof, when he married your 
 aunt. Her fortune served, in some degree, to 
 patch np his ; her wise economy did the rest, 
 without his ever perceiving that his native 
 hospitality slackened in the least degree ; so 
 that, at the end of twenty years, he found 
 himself, to his great surprise, a rich man. with 
 an unencumbered estate. They had no chil- 
 dren, unfortunately ; and, very naturally, at his 
 death, he left all he had to her who had saved 
 it for him. Now we come to your part of the 
 matter. Your aunt survived her husband 
 twelve or fourteen years ; and though she had 
 not seen her owq land or any of her relations 
 except Mrs. Davenport and one other, for 
 well nigh half a century, her heart naturally 
 turned on her death-bed to those whose blood 
 flowed in her own veins; and, as we all un- 
 derstood, she left her property to you."
 
 112 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 *' I have the will with me duly authenti- 
 cated," I replied. 
 
 ^* That is all right," rejoined Mr. Thornton ; 
 " but you were written to more than two years 
 ago, and never answered." 
 
 ^' I beg your pardon," I replied. ^^ I did 
 answer as soon as I got the letters. I was then 
 in India with my regiment, so that neither of 
 them reached me for several months ; but the 
 first I received I answered at once, and the 
 second very shortly after I received it, request- 
 ing farther information as to the nature and 
 extent of the property, and what steps were 
 necessary to make it secure." 
 
 ^'Two letters!" ejaculated Mr. Thornton, 
 thoughtfully. ^' I only know of one having 
 been written to you. Do you remember the 
 signatures ?" 
 
 " I have them both up- stairs," I answered. 
 '' One, I now remember, was signed Hubbard, 
 and advised my coming over immediately.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 113 
 
 The second was, I think, signed Eobert Thorn- 
 ton, Attorney-at-law, who desired I would 
 send him out a power of attorney to act for 
 me." 
 
 "This man's son!" exclaimed Mr. Thorn- 
 ton. *^ We never heard of that, and never re- 
 ceived any answer to the first letter — perhaps 
 it was intercepted. However, Mr. William 
 Thornton almost immediately took out letters 
 of administration to Colonel Thornton's pro- 
 perty, as his next of kin — although your aunt 
 had so long enjoyed undisputed possession. He 
 has since, with the aid of this hopeful son of 
 Lis, been fencing himself in with all sorts of 
 legal forms and quibbles — has got possession 
 of the negroes ; let the old house and planta- 
 tion ; and is now, we understand, moving the 
 legislature to escheat the property and grant it 
 to him, the heirs being, as he declares, 
 ialiens." 
 
 " But does your law sanction such doings ?' 
 I asked.
 
 114 THE OLD DOiilJSION. 
 
 *^ It sanctions a good many things that it 
 should not sanction;" replied Mr. Thornton; **and 
 these matters of escheat and administration are 
 so loosely managed here, that the property of 
 persons, dying without relations actually on the 
 spot, is an object of speculation and a means 
 of livelihood to half the rogues in the state. 
 Thank God, my dear young friend, you are 
 here at last ; for it is not too late yet to stop 
 this iniquitous affair, though he has sold all 
 the cattle and all the horses — which is a dead 
 loss, I suppose." 
 
 ''But can he not be made accountable ?" I 
 inquired. 
 
 Mr. Thornton smiled. 
 
 '' There are two sorts of banks," he an- 
 swered, '^ from one of which you can draw 
 money, from the other nothing but pebble- 
 stones. Now, Mr. William Thornton's bank is 
 of the latter quality. The court required 
 security, it is true, when they granted the 
 letters of administration ; but took men who
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 115 
 
 are more deeply bankrupt than himself. That 
 is the way we manage things iu Virginia — 
 especially when the people, who are really in- 
 terested, do not appear to take care of their 
 own property." 
 
 *^ But, my dear sir," 1 replied, ^' it was im- 
 possible. I was in India with my regiment. 
 As some battles were coming on — expected 
 every day — it was impossible either to ask for 
 leave of absence or to sell out, until the war was 
 at an end. As soon as that occurred, I did 
 sell out; for the climate did not agree with me. 
 I got bilious, and home-sick, and moody ; dis- 
 liked pillans ; abominated rice, and could not 
 bear curry ; was thoroughly disgusted with 
 pale ale and claret, and thought Allahabad's 
 sun the most unpleasant gentleman that ever 
 rode the sky. Besides I did not know what 
 ray aunt had left me. It might have been 
 nothing but an old farthingale, for aught I knew 
 to the contrary." 
 
 Mr. Thornton laughed at the description of
 
 116 THE OLD DOMiNION. 
 
 my disgust with India; but grew serious 
 again directly, saying, ** I beg your pardon. It 
 is a very richly embroidered farthingale, I can 
 assure you ; as fine a plantation as any in 
 Virginia, worth at least, under good manage- 
 ment, from twelve to fifteen thousand dollars a 
 year ; a nice old house, somewhat like this ; 
 a good deal of scattered property ; and about 
 fifty negroes. The rest she emancipated ; but 
 these preferred to remain in their old condition, 
 being accustomed to no other, and feeling that 
 they wanted somebody to take care of them. 
 Poor creatures ! I dare say they are sorry 
 enough now ; but they had no notion into 
 whose hands they are going to fall." 
 
 Eis words made me muse for a moment. 
 I then said, '^ Still, Mr. Thornton, I do not 
 see how the words of that man Lewis who was 
 here just now, gave us any serviceable hint." 
 
 '* Why don't you perceive V^ he answered ; 
 *^ these fifty negroes, whom William Thornton 
 wishes to sell, are the very fifty which your
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 171 
 
 aunt left. He has not half a dozen of his own. 
 He dare not bring these to the hammer for 
 fear of somebody opposing him ; but if he gets 
 rid of them by private sale, and sends them to 
 New Orleans, we my whistle as long as we 
 will, without getting either the servants or the 
 money back again. But we had better consult 
 Hubbard. Have you any objection to my 
 telling him who you are 1 He will see the 
 necessity of secresy as well as we do." 
 
 " Kot in the slightest degree," I answered. 
 
 Mr. Thornton now rose and left the roain. 
 In two minutes he returned bringing with 
 him Mr. Hubbard, who seemed somewhat im- 
 patient of mood, saying, as he passed the door, 
 ^'But really, Henry, I must get home. Posi- 
 tively I cannot stay to-night. I have got an 
 attack of sciatica combing on. I feel it quite 
 plainly ; and nobody can nurse me like old 
 Betty, you know." 
 
 Mr. Thornton thrust him down into a chair, 
 however, saying, '^ Eest your sciatica there, and
 
 118 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 let me introdnce you to your cousin and mine, 
 Sir Eichard Conway." 
 
 Mr. Hubbard rubbed the spectacles he had 
 in his hand with the tail of his coat, put them 
 on his nose and gazed at me. 
 
 ^^ Sir Eichard Conway !" he exclaimed. 
 *' God bless my soul ! I thought you were an 
 older man. Well, lam very happy to see you 
 however ; though you should either have come 
 over sooner or answered my letter." 
 
 All the explanations had now to be given 
 anew ; but he took my excuses in very good 
 part; and plunged at once into an ocean of 
 family affairs and points of law, which made 
 him totally forget his sciatica and his desire to 
 return home. The discussion was long ; but it 
 was highly beneficial and necessary. A de- 
 finite course of action was laid out, to be com- 
 menced on the following morning ; and at 
 about half past nine o'clock we arose from our 
 conference, with the satisfaction of knowing 
 that we were in a fair way of frustrating as
 
 THE OLD DOMXlflON. 119 
 
 iniquitous a scheme as was ever devise!. I 
 walked at once out towards the porch, where I 
 heard music and singing going on of a simple 
 kind, but of no very inferior quality, and I im- 
 agined that my fair connexion, Bessy Davenport, 
 had been prevailed upon to grant to others 
 what she had refused to me. 
 
 I was mistaken, however ; she was leaning 
 against one of the pillars, looking up at the 
 moon. The music proceeded from a negro boy 
 sixteen or seventeen years of age, who was 
 seated on one of the steps of the porch, cheek- 
 by-jowl with one of Mr. Thornton's younger 
 daughters, and playing on an instrument called 
 a banjo — a sort of circular-bodied guitar, the 
 strings of which he struck with the most 
 extraordinary rapidity and skill, while he 
 accompanied the sounds thus produced with 
 the notes of a rich mellow voice, singing a wild 
 negro song about — 
 
 " The shocking of the corn.'*
 
 120 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 He was near the end of it when I came up, 
 and I would willingly have encored it ; but he 
 chanj^ed at once to a very merry air ; and a 
 group of young people of the same complexion 
 as himself, who had been standing round 
 resting, I presumed, commenced dancing on 
 the lawn with a right good will. They threw 
 themselves into strange and grotesque, but 
 som.etimes picturesque and not ungraceful 
 attitudes ; and their whirling dark figures, the 
 bright moonlight, and the flashing of the fire- 
 flies, actually amongst their feet, formed a 
 scene I shall not easily forget. 
 
 We stood gazing until the clock struck ten, 
 little or no conversation going on mean- 
 while ; but then Bessy Davenport and Louisa 
 Thornton, my host's eldest daughter, came 
 towards the door near which I stood. The 
 former held out her hand frankly, saying — 
 
 '^ Good night, cousin Howard. We are all 
 early birds here. May quiet dream. s attend 
 you ; and if you ask me civilly, to-morrow, I
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOK. 121 
 
 will sing you ' Old Virginia,' or something 
 equally classical." 
 
 Thus ended my first evening on a Virginia 
 plantation. In my own room, 1 ruminated 
 on it all for half an hour, with sober 
 pleasure. There had been something to amuse, 
 something to interest, but nothing to ex- 
 cite or to disturb ; and the mind could 
 rest upon the memories of that day without 
 one agitating sensation. I was a little 
 fatigued with my hot ride, however, and, at 
 length, I lay down on as soft a bed as I had 
 ever met with, and ray eyes closed quietly. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 122 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 CHAPTEE YL 
 
 I WOKE early in the morning, after haying 
 passed the night in dreamless slumber. Not a 
 memory of the day's doings — not a vague 
 shadow of thoughts or words or deeds — flitted 
 across the chasm of sleep. When I opened 
 my eyes, however, the day-light — faint and 
 unconfirmed — was streaming in at the windows ; 
 and, for half an hour or more, I enjoyed oue of 
 those pleasant, idle lapses of existence (which 
 we so rarely have leisure to indulge,) when 
 life, like a river between its cataracts and
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 123 
 
 rapids, rests unruffled by thought or action, 
 without a ripple to mark that it is flowing on ; 
 and with nothing reflected from its tranquil 
 surface but the faint, glistening images of the 
 quiet things which surround it. 
 
 I saw a patch of the blue sky, through the 
 window, and a soft white cloud float slowly 
 across. I looked at the large, brass -topped 
 andirons in the wide fire-place, and contem- 
 plated the lions' heads which adorned them. 
 I made a human face out of the sleeve of my 
 coat, as it hung over the back of a chair, with 
 a large nose and a heavy eye-brow ; and it 
 looked so sleepy, that 1 had almost dropped 
 into slumber again, out of mere sympathy, 
 when suddenly the door of the room opened, 
 and in came a nice-looking black boy, with a 
 clean white jacket and apron, and a tray with 
 several well filled glasses upon it. 
 
 He walked composedly up to my bed side, 
 and presented the tray. 
 
 " What is this, my friend ?'' I said, taking 
 G 5
 
 124 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 one of the glasses, which appeared full of a 
 clear brownish liquid, some lumps of ice and 
 some fresh green herbs. 
 
 *^ The mint juleps, Sir," replied the boy, 
 waiting for me to drink, in order to take the 
 glass away. 
 
 '' The mint juleps !" I thought. <^ I wonder 
 if it is one of the laws of the land that every 
 one must drink a mint julep before he rises." 
 
 Howeyer, I tasted the beverage, and it was 
 delicious and most refreshing, at least for the 
 time. The coolness imparted by the ice effec- 
 tually screened the palate from all the hotter 
 things which it contained ; and it was not till 
 afterwards that I found it would be advisable 
 not to drink brandy with mint steeped in it, so 
 early in the morning. 
 
 Hardly had the little limonadier gone, when 
 my friend Zed appeared, and, while he was 
 engaged with great skill and assiduity in put- 
 ting all my dressing things to wrongs with 
 true negro officiousness, he opened his morning
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 126 
 
 budget of gossip by telling me that we could 
 not have arrived at a better time, for there was 
 soon to be a great camp-meeting in the imme- 
 diate neighbourhood, where some very godly 
 men were to hold forth. 
 
 I had long wished to see one of these curious 
 assemblages, and I accordingly took care to 
 inform myself of the day and place where the 
 exercises were to be held. Zed then proceeded, 
 while I dressed, to tell me the whole politics of 
 the family, with the business-like manner and 
 volubility of a Spanish barber. From him I 
 thus learned that Mr. Byles — or bold Billy 
 Byles, was a suitor for the hand of Louisa, Mr. 
 Thornton's eldest daughter, but that it was the 
 general opinion of the kitchen and adjacent 
 domains, that he would not succeed iu his suit, 
 for that young Mr. Whitehead, the Presby- 
 terian Minister, came often to see Miss Lou in 
 the morning, and was a very gentle, engaging 
 young man. Master Harry, he said, my 
 cousin's eldest boy, was a wild young dog,
 
 126 T^E OLD DOMINION. 
 
 sho^ving the true Yirginian fondness for horse- 
 flesh and fire-arms, having broken the knees of 
 one of his father's best steeds, and burst two 
 guns akeady, besides setting fire to the stables 
 by exploding a percussion cap with a hammer. 
 
 How long he would have gone on I know 
 not, had my dressing not been brought to an 
 end ; when, telling him to be ^?ithin call after 
 breakfast, I went down to the lower floor. I 
 found the drawing-room — or parlour as they 
 call it here — vacant, and sauntered out into the 
 porch, where the first thing I saw was Mr, 
 Lewis, walking his horse quietly along the 
 road from the overseer's house towards the 
 highway. The next instant I perceived one of 
 the servants start out upon him, like a spider 
 from the corner of his web upon an entangled 
 blue-bottle, and hand him a paper. 
 
 I knew well enough what sort of document 
 it was, namely, a caveat against the sale or 
 purchase of any of the slaves of good Aunt Bab, 
 signed by Mr. Thornton as agent, and Mr. Hub-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 127 
 
 bard, as attorney of Sir Eichard Conway, 
 under a power which had been drawn up 
 the night before. This power had been 
 rapidly and informally executed, and, probably, 
 was invalid ; but my presence rendered it un- 
 necessary, except inasmuch as it enabled me 
 to remain incognito for some time longer, and 
 watch the proceedings of the conspirators. I 
 must remark, it was not dated, and was merely 
 alluded to in the caveat, so that no immediate 
 indication of my visit to \ irginia was afforded 
 by that document. 
 
 Mr. Lewis had just passed on his way, after 
 reading the paper with feelings which of course 
 I could not divine, when, from the other side, 
 I saw approaching a pretty little female 
 figure, dressed in a peculiar style, or rather, in 
 a medley of a great number of stylos and 
 fashions, outraging all of them in some respects. 
 She had no bonnet on, but merely a purasol 
 over her head ; the length of her dress, instead 
 of being cf that extensive flow which has sue-
 
 128 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 ceeded the short petticoats of a few years ago, 
 was brief enough to show an exceedingly pretty 
 foot and ankle, but it was so conspicuously full 
 as to put me in mind of the costume of some of 
 the Swiss cantons. Her shoes had minute 
 buckles in them instead of being sandaled in 
 modern style ; and her hair, instead of being 
 propped up to a towering height, with a scaf- 
 folding of tortoise-shell, lay flat, and was 
 gathered into a knot behind, in the antique 
 Greek mode. As soon as her parasol was 
 turned a little aside I perceived it was Miss 
 Davenport ; and though she came quietly on, 
 with her eyes bent upon the path, apparently 
 unconscious that I was in the porch, I was, I 
 am afraid, unjust to her, and imagined that 
 there was a good deal of coquetry in both dress 
 and manner. She had puzzled me the night 
 before — she puzzled me still. There was some- 
 thing of frankness, something of archness, 
 which was not displeasing, but something also 
 of daring — of independence — of wilfulness
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 129 
 
 which I did not like. Pretty she certainly waa, 
 nay, beautiful ; for the more one examined the 
 small features and delicate form, the more 
 symmetry and the more grace were apparent. 
 
 But I never was one of those who can fall 
 in love with pictures, or statues, or even 
 Marionettes. Pygmalion's statue might have 
 remained ivory to the great conflagration 
 before I would have sighed or prayed it into 
 life; and, as for actresses, I always feel a green 
 curtain falling between me and them, even 
 before the end of the play. 
 
 It seemed that morning as if some peculiar 
 demon had seized upon me, and made me 
 resolve, for my sins, to see what really was in 
 Bessy Davenport — to tease her — to worry her, 
 and to bring out the latent soul. I \^ent for- 
 ward to meet her, and, as soon as she r. ally 
 saw me, her whole aspect and manner changed. 
 A gay, light, half- sarcastic smile played upon 
 her lip, her eyes sparkled, and, holding out her 
 hand she said —
 
 130 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 " Good morning, cousin, I hope your aristo- 
 cratic head has been able to repose quietly in 
 this democratic community." 
 
 I might feel a little staggered by this easy 
 salutation. It was rather like a small masked 
 battery opening upon one when marching gaily 
 up to an attack ; but I rallied my forces at 
 once, and replied, ^* As well as if all the 
 coronets that ever were lined with ermine 
 had rested beside me on the pillow. Democracy 
 is not a catching disease, I should imagine, 
 from all I have seen of it. But may I ask 
 how you slept ? I trust without any painful 
 visions of slaughtered swains, and disconsolate 
 lovers, or any twinges of remorse for all the 
 woes you have and will inflict upon man- 
 kind." 
 
 "None, in truth," she answered at once. 
 **Do you know I once killed a rattle-snake? — 
 yes, with my own hand ; and when I saw the 
 shining reptile lie dead before mo, I remem- 
 bered he had given honorable warning before
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. l3l 
 
 h'e sprang, and then I might feel a little regret 
 that I had struck him so hastily with the 
 buttof my riding- whip. But man is a very 
 different sort of reptile. He gives no warning, 
 and is far more venomous." 
 
 A strange sort of painful feeling was pro- 
 duced in my mind by her words. I asked 
 myself, ** Can this young girl, apparently not 
 twenty, have already tasted of that bitter cup 
 which man so often holds to woman's lip ?'■ 
 
 The shadow of the thought must have crossed 
 m}^ face ; for I was roused from ray half 
 reverie by a clear, gay laugh. ^' Now I will 
 show you," she said, " how women can divine. 
 I am no love-lorn maiden pining for some 
 faithless swain — no man-hater from personal 
 experience of man's imworthiness. I never 
 saw the man yet, and never shall, who couid 
 raise my pulse one beat to hear his coming 
 or his going step. But let me do justice to 
 both sides. No man ever said to me in a 
 sweet maudlin tone, * Bessy, will you marry
 
 132 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 me?' nor even — to my face — declared I was 
 the most charming of my sex, or any thing of 
 that kind. But I judge men from what I have 
 seen of their conduct towards others ; and I 
 believe them to be the most thoioughly selfish 
 class of beings — at least as far as women are 
 concerned — that God ever created.'' 
 
 '^And when it becomes your case to listen 
 and have sweet words spoken," I replied, 
 '' you will think you and the speaker are two 
 bright exceptions." 
 
 She colored a little, and looked almost angry, 
 saying, ^' Never ! I will never give any one 
 the opportunity ; for I go very much with the 
 old saying ' no gentleman was ever refused by 
 a lady.'^ I mean, no man who is really a 
 gentleman would propose to a lady who had 
 not given him such encouragement as would 
 preclude her, if really a lady, from refusing 
 him, if he did propose." 
 
 " Then you would have a lady," I said, 
 ^' give a man encouragement before she knows
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 133 
 
 whether he really loves her or not. Or you 
 would have her advance step by step with 
 him, like two armies in battle array, watching 
 each other^s movements and each taking care 
 that the other did not get the slightest advan- 
 tage. Sure to get upon some slippery ground 
 before they have done, my dear young 
 lady !'' 
 
 Her face was now glowing like a rose ; and 
 she answered quite impatiently, ^' Pshaw ! 
 you know what I mean ; and every man of 
 common tact will, in his heart, admit that I 
 am right." 
 
 ^^ In neither one or the other of the two 
 cases," I replied. 
 
 *' What two cases ?" she asked. 
 
 "Two assertions I should have called them," 
 answered I ; *^ the one you just now made, and 
 the proceeding one ; that men are entirely 
 selfish in all that concerns women. I have 
 seen cases in which no selfish motive could 
 be discerned in the beginning, in the course,
 
 134 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 or in the end of such matters ; and, being a 
 good deal older than you are, I have had more 
 means of judging." 
 
 " Why how old are you 1" she asked 
 abruptly. 
 
 *' Seven-and-twenty," I answered. 
 
 *^ I thought so !" she cried with a joyous 
 laugh ; ^' but you look a good deal older." 
 
 *^ Indeed !" I answered, perhaps a little 
 mortified ; *^ but what makes you seem to 
 rejoice that I am seven-and-twenty only ?" 
 
 " Excuse me," she replied dropping a low 
 curtsy. " I might say, because that makes 
 you just a fit age for myself, or a hundred 
 other civil things. But I would rather say 
 nothing, Sir Eichard." 
 
 "Sir Eichard!" I exclaimed; " how came 
 you to give me that name. Miss Daven- 
 port?" 
 
 " Because you are just seven-and-twenty ; 
 and because there is ^ Eichard Conwaj ' printed 
 in white letters upon the black trunks you
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 135 
 
 left at Norfolk," she replied with an air of 
 funny malice; adding, "At least so your 
 servant told the cook, and the cook told my 
 maid, and my maid told me, dear cousin ; and 
 so there's my ' how.' " 
 
 " Good Heaven, this babbling is very pro- 
 voking !'' I exclaimed, greatly annoyed ; " it 
 may spoil all our plans." 
 
 '' No fear," she answered ; '* we are so sur- 
 rounded by woods and wilds that the secret will 
 keep till next Sunday at least ; for the negroes 
 will not see those of any other plantation till 
 then." 
 
 '' A.\iC\you will tell no one ?" I inquired. 
 
 " Honor !" she replied, in a tone of mock 
 solemnity. 
 
 '^ If you do," I said, laughing, *■ I will tell 
 your uncle whom I see coming up there, that 
 you and I have, been standing t*his quarter of 
 an hour at the edge of the porch, talking of 
 love all the time." 
 
 " Love 1" she cried, " what is that ? I de-
 
 136 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 clare such an antediluvian monster has never 
 been once mentioned between us, till you 
 brought it this minute out of the blue mud of 
 your own imagination." 
 
 ** A very savoury figure," I answered. " But 
 as to love, if we have not been talking about 
 it, notwithstanding all circumlocutions, we 
 have been thinking about it." 
 
 " Not a bit," she replied. " We have been 
 talking and thinking, too, of the most opposite 
 things — of the very antipodes of love. Court- 
 ship and marriage, if you like ; but what has 
 love to do with them, cousin ?" 
 
 And she fixed her full dark eyes upon my 
 fiace, with a look of the most perfect simplicity 
 — assumed, of course, but very well put on. 
 
 I felt somewhat revengeful, and I almost 
 longed to try if I could not make the boasting 
 little beauty khow something of the power she 
 scoffed at. But just then Mr. Thornton came 
 up, and began jesting with his fair relation 
 upon her morning reveries beside the stream.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 137 
 
 " I saw you, Bessy," he said ; ** and if I had 
 met with Mr. Howard, I should have sent him 
 down to try if ho could not break up your 
 visions." 
 
 ** I dare say he would have succeeded," she 
 answered ; '^ for he has been amusing me here 
 with some of the driest subjects in the 
 world." 
 
 " Of what kind, little hypocrite ?" asked Mr. 
 Thornton. 
 
 ** Arithmetic, arithmetic," she replied, 
 gaily. " As, for example, how many ganders' 
 heads are required to make one goose's. But, 
 here comes Mr. Hubbard slowly down stairs ; 
 and there is Mr. Alsiger's back at the end of 
 the passage ; so I had better go in to get 
 breakfast ready ; for Lou won't be down this 
 hour." ^ 
 
 And away she ran, casting her parasol into 
 a cane seat in the hall. 
 
 Mr. Thornton paused, and fell into a reverie
 
 138 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 for a moment or two, which he concluded by 
 saying, as if to himself — 
 
 ** The poets are wrong." 
 
 1 knew not what he meant, of course ; and 
 whether those few words directed his and my 
 thoughts, or not, I cannot tell; but at breakfast, 
 we got into a discussion of poets and poetry. 
 
 "It is wonderful," Mr. Thornton observed, 
 after a few other remai'ks upon the subject, 
 " that with all the superabundant energies 
 which this country possesses, and all the ima- 
 gination which she expends upon other themes, 
 we have, as yet, produced no very remarkable 
 poet." 
 
 I ventured to say that I did not think it 
 wonderful ; and, of course, there was a call for 
 my reasons. 
 
 *' In the first place," I replied, ** the ener- 
 gies of the people have other objects, and those 
 principally material. In the next place, the 
 imaginative faculty finds other occupation."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 139 
 
 * 
 
 " IIow so, how so ?'' asked Mr. Hubbard. 
 
 ^* In orations, speeches, declamations," I 
 answered ; and then continued, with a smile, 
 '^ perhaps I might add, in finding causes for 
 offence in the acts of other nations ; and with- 
 out offence, let me say, Mr. Alsiger, in re- 
 ligious exercises which perhaps touch the fancy 
 rather than inform the heart." 
 
 " Too true, too true !" said the good clergy- 
 man, with a sigh. 
 
 " Then again," I continued, '^ poetry is gene- 
 rally the offspring of leisure. Now, there is — 
 at least it seems so to me — no such thing as 
 leisure in America, and " 
 
 ^^ Excuse me," interrupted Mr. Thornton, 
 laughing ; ** we have plenty of leisure in Vir- 
 ginia, if we did but know what to do with it. 
 But you were going to add soi:^ething." 
 
 " I was merely going to remark, as a matter 
 of history, that poetry rarely flourishes in re- 
 publics. Monarchies are its congenial soil. 
 It is a flower that requires a hot-house."
 
 140 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 " Oh, heresy, heresy !" cried Bessy Davenport. 
 "What! can such nohle and inspiring things as 
 freedom and independence have no power to 
 awaken great thoughts, or even to clothe them 
 in immortal verse?" 
 
 " Your pardon, fair lady,'' I answered ; 
 " but you are assuming the premises. Freedom 
 and independence I would contend can exist 
 as well — nay better — in a well-ordered 
 monarchy than in any republic. The tyranny 
 of a number — or of a majority if you please — 
 is always more terrible than the tyranny of an 
 individual — the tyranny of public opinion, 
 more potent than the rule of a monarch, and 
 more likely to be wrong. But all that is be- 
 side the question. 1 merely spoke of an his- 
 torical fact. With an exception here and 
 there, you find no very remarkable poets under 
 republics : many under monarchs." 
 
 '' I have never considered the facts,'' said 
 Mr. Hubbard ; " but let us test it, my dear 
 sir ; and to begin with the beginning, there is
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. ]4l 
 
 Homer. It is very true he lived under a 
 whole host of kings, if there is any faith at all 
 to be placed in the tales regarding him ; but 
 what say you to the whole batch of Athenian 
 poets ?" 
 
 " That they lived under archons, which 
 were tantamount to kings," I answered. ^^And 
 then, again, Pindar ; he could not even endure 
 the sort of mitigated republicanism of Greece, 
 but fled to the court of a tyrant. Yirgil, 
 Horace — every great Eoman poet, in short — 
 flourished about the time of the emperors. In 
 England, Gower, Chaucer, Shakespeare, all 
 lived, and wrote, under monarchs ; and it has 
 even seemed to me that the greater the 
 despotism, the better the poet." 
 
 ^' But, Milton 1 Milton 1" cried Mr. Alsiger ; 
 *' he was a republican in heart and spirit." 
 
 '^ But he never wrote a line of poetry," I 
 answered, '' under the long parliament, or at 
 least very few. Not much did he write under 
 the tyranny of Cromwell ; and all his best
 
 142 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 con] positions date from the reign of one or the 
 other of the Charleses." 
 
 '' But, Dante," said Mr. Thornton ; '' I can- 
 not indeed discuss bis merits with you ; for I 
 have well nigh forgotten all the Italian I knew 
 thirty years ago. He, however, lived under a 
 republic." 
 
 " He is an exception," I replied ; ** although 
 I can hardly look upon the constitution of 
 Florence, at that time, as a republican form of 
 government. It was rather oligarchical; and 
 even then, shadows of an Emperor and a Pope 
 overhung it. But Ariosto, Tasso, Boccaccio, and 
 all the rest of the Italian poets were the mere 
 creatures of courts. The same is the case 
 with France, although she never had but two 
 poets ; and the same with Germany." 
 
 " May it not be," asked Mr. Hubbard, ^' that 
 monarchies, up to the present day, have been 
 much more frequent than republics ?" 
 
 *' Perhaps so," I answered ; ^^ yet it is very 
 strange that we find no poet of mark actually
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. l43 
 
 springing from a pure republic. Where is the 
 Swiss poet ? although every accessory of 
 country, history, climate, and natural pheno- 
 mena seems to render the very air redolent of 
 poetry V" 
 
 Bessy Davenport sprang up from the table 
 shaking her head at me, with a laugh, and 
 saying — 
 
 " I abominate your theory. You are worse 
 than an abolitionist ; and if you preach such 
 doctrines here, we will have you tried for high- 
 treason." 
 
 As soon as she was gone, and Mr. Alsiger 
 had trotted home on his pony, which was 
 brought up shortly afterwards, Mr. Hubbard, 
 Mr. Thornton, and myself, fell into secret con- 
 clave, and debated what was next to be done. 
 
 '^ I think," said my host, ^^ the best thing 
 we can do, before the day becomes too hot, 
 will be to ride over to Beavors, take a look at 
 the plantation, see the house, which is vacant 
 just now, and, after having got some dinner at
 
 144 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 the little village hard by, return in the evening 
 by my worthy and respected cousin's house, 
 just to let him know that we have an eye 
 upon his motions. I dare say some of the 
 girls will accompany us on horseback ; and 
 their presence will make our visitation of the 
 old place less formal and less business-like. There 
 are two or three things worth seeing by the 
 way ; and we may as well spend the day after 
 this fashion as any other." 
 
 '^ You will find no dinner there that you 
 can eat," said Mr. Hubbard. 
 
 '* Leave that to me — leave that to me," re- 
 turned Mr. Thornton, with a nod of his head. 
 *^ I will cater for you; and if you do not like 
 so long a ride, you can come in the carriage." 
 
 ** Perhaps that will be better," said Mr. 
 Hubbard; ^^and, I suppose, it would be as 
 well to have me with you, in case of your 
 needing legal advice." 
 
 Thus was it soon settled ; and while Mr. 
 Thornton went to order horses and carriages,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 145 
 
 and a great many things besides, I mounted 
 tfe my own room to make some change in my 
 dress, and to give my good friend Zed a hearty 
 scolding for babbling about my affairs in a 
 strange house. 1 might as well have left it 
 alone ; for though he promised and vowed all 
 manner of things, and assured me, with many 
 a grin, that he had not an idea he was doing 
 any harm in what he had said, 1 have since 
 found that the propensity to gossip is too \/ 
 strong in the negro composition, to be curbed 
 by any reasoning or by any fear. Indeed, I 
 am inclined to believe it is part and parcel of 
 the original sin ; for certainly, if Eve had not 
 got gossipping with the serpent, she would not 
 have made such a fool of herself as she did. 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 CHAPTEE VI L 
 
 When I came down from my room, I found 
 Miss Thornton and Miss Davenport already in 
 riding costume, Mr. Byles preparing to accom- 
 pany us, and Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Hubbard 
 settling that they would drive over in the car- 
 riage, Ute-d-iete ; while before the door were a 
 number of horses of various descriptions, some 
 bearing ladies' saddles, and some equipped for 
 men. Behind the train was a good, large, 
 roomy vehicle, of a very comfortable, but old- 
 fashioned form, into which sundry servants of
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOxV. 147 
 
 various huea were placing those baskets and 
 packages, by the agency of which, I doubted 
 not, Mr. Thornton intended to insure a com- 
 fortable dinner wherever we might stop. 
 
 Having seated the ladies, the gentlemen 
 were soon in the saddle ; and away we went 
 at full speed, as if there had been a fox 
 before us, across the little bridge, and up the 
 road towards the high-way. As long as we 
 had anything like green herbs beneath our feet, 
 this was all very well ; but when we came 
 upon the public road, the dust soon compelled 
 us to slacken our pace, and proceed more 
 leisurely. The party fell speedily into what I 
 suppose was its natural arrangement : Mr. 
 Byles riding beside Miss Thornton ; I accom- 
 panying her fair cousin ; and Mr. Thornton 
 himself foiling behind to give some directions 
 to his eldest boy, who accompanied us on a 
 beautiful dark chesnut pony — which, by the 
 way, had an awkward habit of throwing out 
 her hoofs ut anything which might come be- 
 
 H
 
 148 THE ODD DOMINION. 
 
 hind her, and was consequently quite as well 
 in the rear. 
 
 Miss Davenport, as we went, was as gay as a 
 lark ; and, in the spirit of light badinage with 
 which she had begun the day, contrived to 
 tease me very heartily all the way that we 
 went. I found that she was exceedingly well 
 read, especially in modern history, and she 
 managed to twist and turn a great many of the 
 acts and deeds of Old England in such a 
 manner, as more than once to put me on the 
 defensive somewhat warmly ; and then she 
 would laugh till her eyes almost ran over, and 
 declare that Englishmen never could bear to 
 hear a word said against their country. Posi- 
 tively, I was not certain, in the end, whether I 
 did not hate her mortally. 
 
 On the whole, however, I was not sorry to 
 hear what Americans really thought of many 
 of our doings ; and I doubted not in the least 
 that Miss Davenport's views were but the 
 reflex of those most generally entertained. In
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 149 
 
 them there was much of prejudice undoubtedly ; 
 many of her facts were wrong ; many of the 
 inferences unjust ; and, almost always, the 
 motives were, I may say, ridiculously distorted. 
 Purposes and objects which never entered into 
 the head of any one Briton from the Land's End 
 to John 0' Groat's House, were ascribed to the 
 whole nation as coolly and positively as if they 
 were demonstrated certainties. Still, her free- 
 spoken comments gave me an insight into the 
 feelings with which a great part of the Ame- 
 rican people regard my countrymen, and which 
 is politely concealed from us in ordinary 
 society. 
 
 The scenery through which we passed was 
 rather flat and monotonous, and the forest in 
 general shut out all distant prospects. 
 
 Nothing of any very great interest struck 
 me by the way, except, indeed, the profusion 
 and beautiful variety of the wild flowers, still 
 in bloom, and the occasional gush of some deli-
 
 150 TEH OLD DOMINION. 
 
 cious odour from the woods as we rode along. 
 Birds of gorgeous plumage, too, were flitting 
 amongst the trees ; but, oh ! how I longed for 
 the delightful spring sounds of England — the 
 voice of the thrush, the blackbird, and the lark. 
 I would have given all the gay feathers of the 
 birds in sight, for even one song of the robin. 
 There was a bird, indeed, which did, now and 
 then, utter one or two solitary notes, as if he 
 would fain have sung if he had known how ; 
 and Miss Davenport praised his voice as if he 
 had been a nightingale. 
 
 " You do not call that singing," I said ; and 
 when I tried to give her some idea of the music 
 of our woods, she declared it was ^11 prejudice, 
 and that I was determined not to like anything 
 in America. 
 
 I had an account to settle with her, however, 
 and I resolved not to lose any opportunity. 
 Shortly after, a small bird of rather graceful 
 form flew from one branch of a tree to aLO-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 151 
 
 ther, mewing like a cat as it went, and I 
 quietly asked her if that was a singing-bird 
 also. 
 
 ** Pshaw !" she cried ; and, touched for once, 
 struck her horse with the whip, and dashed on 
 towards a gate, at which the two who had pre- 
 ceded us had already arrived. 
 
 ** Soberly, soberly, Bessy !" ejaculated Mr. 
 Thornton from behind. " Don't set off like a 
 mad thing." 
 
 ** As soberly as I can," replied Miss Daven- 
 port, laughing ; " but this man provokes me — 
 he is so intensely English." 
 
 ** Thank God !" I ejaculated as I passed 
 on. 
 
 *^ For what?" asked the gay girl, half laugh- 
 ing, half pouting. 
 
 ** First for being intensely English," I re- 
 plied ; " and, secondly, for having provoked 
 you. It was exactly what I wished ; for, to 
 say the truth. Miss Davenport, I thought it 
 was high time I should have my turn."
 
 152 THE OLD D0MI19I0N. 
 
 "Then, I shall sulk/' she said. And not a 
 word more did she speak, till, passing barns, 
 and stables, and sundry other outbuildings, the 
 uses and purposes of which 1 cannot pretend to 
 describe, we arrived at the door of a large, 
 square, red-brick house, much like, in some 
 respects, that of Mr. Thornton himself. Before 
 the bell could be rung, a neat-looking black 
 woman appeared, and told us that the family 
 (that isto say, the family who had hired the planta- 
 tion) were in Eichmond ; but upon our object 
 being explained, she very civilly told us to 
 come in, and that we were quite welcome to 
 look over the house and premises as much as 
 ever we pleased. 
 
 *' I shall stay here with Hal, and wait until 
 the carriage comes up,'' said Mr. Thornton ; 
 " but you can go in and look around. Show 
 him the portraits in the dining-room, Bessy." 
 
 Miss Davenport made no answer ; but Louisa 
 Thornton and her swain had already entered ; 
 and while she followed them, I followed her,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 153 
 
 almost mechanically. Mr. Byles manoeuvred 
 like a general, and contrived to lead his fair 
 companion exactly in the opposite direction to 
 that in which we were going ; but Miss Daven- 
 port, in obedience to her uncle's commands, 
 took her way at once to the dining-room, which 
 we entered by the third door on the left. She 
 said nothing, but looked quite grave, while I 
 opened the closed shutters, and let in the day- 
 light. It seemed to me that she was carrj'ing 
 on her sulky humour seriously; and, returning 
 from the window, I held out my ^ hand to her, 
 saying— 
 
 ^^ Let us make peace." 
 
 She started,; but gave me her hand, answer- 
 iiig— 
 
 " You are mistaken, cousin, I think. You 
 cannot suppose that I am so silly as to turn 
 jest into earnest — at least I hope not. But I 
 cannot be gay here. This place is full of 
 memories to ms. In it, all the earlier part of 
 my life was spent, under the care of that dear 
 H 5
 
 154 T!'E OLD DOMINION. 
 
 and wise old lady." And she pointed with her 
 hand to one of two pictures which hung over 
 the large mantel-piece. 
 
 " They are very happy memories, it is true," 
 she continued ; ^^ yet, my dear cousin, it 
 strikes me that memory has the effect of moon- 
 light, softening the harsher things of life, and 
 saddening the brighter." 
 
 The heart of Bessy Davenport was speaking 
 now. I had got the key, and I never lost it 
 again. 
 
 *' It is very true," I answered, gravely. " My 
 own early years were very happy ones. I love 
 the spots where they passed ; I like to dwell 
 upon their memories ; but it is with a sort 
 of mournful pleasure. Man, wi h his eager 
 aspirations for new things, never loves to lose 
 aught of that which he has once possessed ; 
 and often, when I sit by the fireside with my 
 sister, in the old hall, she and I fall into 
 reveries, longing both of us, I know, to give 
 back tangible life and human energy to those
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 155 
 
 who once sat there with us, and substance and 
 reality to the spectres of remembrance. But 
 indeed I knew not that this had been your 
 early home. Otherwise I do not think I should 
 have let you come here with us." 
 
 ** Oh, yes," she answered, " I am very fond 
 of spending long hours here. My mother died 
 wlien I was four years old : my father died 
 before her. There was so.ne dispute about my 
 property : my cousin Robert tried hard to cheat 
 me out of everything ; and this was judged the 
 best home for me during my early youth. A 
 happier home it could not have been ; for dear 
 aunt Bab would never send me to school, bat 
 taught me almost everythiug herself, that she 
 could teach, and said she was determined 
 to ma^ke an English lady of me. ^ You know 
 that is impossible,' she added, with one of her 
 light smiles. The rebel blood is too strong 
 in me for that." 
 
 ^^ And who is that gentleman ?" I asked, 
 pointing to the other picture which hung over
 
 IdQ THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 the mantle, and which represented a fine 
 looking old man in a blue uniform. 
 
 *' Oh, that is Colonel Thornton," she replied. 
 ^' They are both fine pictures, the one by 
 Copley, the other by Stuart. But there is 
 a third you should look at, by some English 
 artist, I do not know whom." A.nd she turned 
 towards the opposite wall. 
 
 There, to my surprise, I beheld a perfect and 
 masterly copy of the portrait of my own father, 
 which hangs up in our hall. As I gazed at it, 
 I just caught Miss Davenport's eyes turning 
 from the picture to my own face ; and the next 
 moment she said, '^ Should I have needed any- 
 thing but that picture, Sir Eichard, to tell me 
 who you really are ?" 
 
 I felt something rising in my eyes, as I 
 gazed here, in a foreign land, at the features 
 which I lal sd often stood to contemplate in 
 my ow^n home, an 1 remembered that picture was 
 a pledge of early affection between brother and 
 sister which had existed unbroken to the
 
 THE OLD DOMINION?. 157 
 
 end of life. I quietly drew Miss Davenport's 
 arm through my own and turned away out of 
 the room. 
 
 She said nothing for some minutes, but 
 seemed unconsciously to take her way up the 
 stairs where we could hear the voices of Miss 
 Thornton and Mr. Byles, apparently in very 
 gay conversation. At the first landing she 
 stopped, however, saying, ^* And so you have a 
 sister ? I am very glad of it. Having a sister 
 humanizes a man, and gives him something to 
 think about besides himself." 
 
 *' I have indeed a very dear and very beauti- 
 ful sister," I replied. ^'But do you not think, 
 Miss Davenport, that having a wife might 
 humanize a man as well as having a sister?" 
 
 '' Ah 1" she cried, looking up with one of her 
 gay smiles again, '* are you a married man 
 then. Sir Eichard ?" 
 
 '* No," I answeied, ^* I am not so happy. 
 But pray answer my question ?" 
 
 "And is your sister married ?" she asked.
 
 15S TBE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 "No, indeed," I replied; "but she is six 
 years younger than I am. And now answer 
 my question, as I have answered yours." 
 
 "No, no," she responded, " not now. My 
 answer would have to be a saucy one ; and I 
 cannot make such here." 
 
 " Weil then, perhaps, I may ask it some- 
 where else," I said, laughing. 
 
 What force she attributed to ray words I 
 knew not, but she quietly slipped her arm 
 out of mine, and ran up the other flight of 
 steps. 
 
 As we reached the top, we heard, through 
 the window, at the end of the long corridor 
 which we had now reached, the sound of car- 
 riage-wheels below ; and, looking out, we saw 
 Mr. Hubbard handing Mrs. Thornton from the 
 carnage, while Mr. Thornton was giving 
 various directions to the servants. 
 
 " I fear my aunt will make herself ill with 
 this jaunt," said Miss Davenport, evidently a 
 little desirous of changing the conversation.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 159 
 
 " She is in very delicate health. Does it not 
 strike you, Sir Eichard, that American ladies 
 are very weakly creatures, compared with 
 Englishwomen ? I must make an exception 
 in my own favor ; for aunt Bab used to make 
 me walk five or six miles a day, or ride or 
 skip or take one sort of violent exercise or 
 another during half of my time. In every 
 thing else, I was quite a spoiled child ; but 
 in this she was inexorable, and I am reaping 
 the benefit of it now." 
 
 *^ I have indeed remarked,'^ I said, ^* that 
 the ladies of this country are not so strong as 
 those of Europe ; but 1 cannot help thinking 
 that the climate is more enervating." 
 
 " Xot a bit of it," she cried ; *' that is one 
 of your prejudices again, lam sure. We get 
 feeble and d.lieate because we take no exercise, 
 and live altogether in a sort of artificial 
 manner. It is worse in the South than in the 
 North, a great deal, because here, with the 
 multitude of servants we have, a southern girl
 
 160 THE OLD DOMINIOX. 
 
 hardly learns the use of her feet or her hands. 
 The only time for exercising the first, is at a 
 ball, and the second when she plays on the 
 piano. She gets up in the morning, and sits 
 down in an arm-chair, and says ^ Julia, bring 
 me my slippers ; Susannah comb my hair :' 
 and so the whole day goes on. Climate has 
 nothing to do with it. It is want of free air 
 and proper exercise, bad hours and all that 
 sort of thing — We are up here uncle," she con- 
 tinued speaking to Mr. Thornton, who was 
 calling to know where we were ; and in a 
 moment after, the whole party were re- as- 
 sembled. 
 
 We then walked over the house, yisited the 
 stables and outbuildings, and made a tour 
 through the ]S"egro cabins, which lay at a little 
 distance behind 
 
 The condition, mode of life, and treatment of 
 the negro population in the country, were of 
 course subjects of great interest to me ; and as 
 these were the first rural slaves I had seen, I
 
 THE OLD lOMINION. 16 1 
 
 asked a good many questions, in which Mr. 
 Thornton aided and joined me. All the people 
 seemed happy and contented — at least there 
 was nothing to shew the contrary ; yet, in 
 one or two cases — amongst some of the 
 younger men especially — 1 imagined I perceived 
 a sort of reserve — a holding back of their 
 thoughts, as if they were either unwilling or 
 afraid to speak out boldly. 
 
 I called Mr. Thornton's attention to this fact, 
 as we turned back towards the house ; and ho 
 replied — 
 
 " It is very possible that such is the case, 
 especially here. The family who have hired 
 the plantation are not Virginians, as I hardly 
 need tell you ; for such a thing as a gentleman 
 hiring another plantation in Virginia is hardly 
 known. Mr. Stringer is a northern man, who 
 has bought some property near, which he is 
 getting into order, and on which he is build- 
 ing a house in the modern style. lie has not 
 been long enough in the South, to understand
 
 162 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 our ways ; and they say his negroes are 
 treated rather hardly, as is frequently the case 
 with northern men, when they first come here. 
 The general prejudice is that they make the 
 harshest masters ; but I believe the cause of 
 their exacting too much is, that they do not 
 understand the character of the Negro, nor 
 his capabilities — that they expect from him 
 more than he can perform either physically or 
 intellectually. Indeed how can they under- 
 stand all the peculiarities of these poor people 
 as well as we can, who have been brought up 
 amongst tbem ; played with them in our child- 
 hood, and grown with them from youth to 
 manhood ? The best way for you to form an 
 accurate judgment on these subjects will be, 
 to set out in the morning early, and take a 
 walk alone through my plantation or any of 
 those in the neighbourhood: talk with the 
 people in the fields, or in the cottages; tell 
 them you are an Englishman, and want to 
 know something about them. No man amongst
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. J 63 
 
 US has any thing to conceal, I believe, Mr. 
 Howard ; and perhaps you may satisfy your- 
 self that a great deal of unjust prejudice has 
 been excited in regard to the condition of the 
 negroes." 
 
 ^*But still I cannot help thinking this 
 slavery is a very great evil, Mr. Thornton," I 
 replied. 
 
 *' Perhaps so," he said thoughtfully ; ^* yet 
 it is one which exists. It is not of our mak- 
 ing ; and I can see no escape from it, either 
 with benefit to the poor people themselves, 
 safety to the state, or justice to the master. 
 I could discuss this question a long while with 
 you, and may do so some day. In the mean- 
 time, examine and judge for yourself; and 
 we can then talk of it more fairly. But it is a 
 subject, depend upon 'it, which has many 
 aspects ; and no man who has not examined 
 it under all, is competent to reason upon it. 
 Abstract propositions have very little bearing 
 upon complicated facts."
 
 164 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 I knew there was a great deal of truth in 
 what he said. Such an institution (if it de- 
 serves that name) when it has lasted several 
 centuries, and, in fact, grown with the growth 
 and strengthened with the strength of a state, 
 must have carried its roots very deep — too 
 deep indeed for any wise man to attempt to 
 eradicate it without great precaution. The 
 case of the serfs in Europe, in ^ncient times, 
 was very different. There was no outward 
 mark of distinction upon them : they were of 
 the same races, the same classes of intellect, 
 the same capabilities, the same characteristics — 
 as their lords. It was there, class -servage, 
 here, it is race-servage ; and the distinction is 
 a very important one. Nevertheless, I was 
 not convinced that such a thing as slavery 
 should exist any where, or in any circum- 
 stances. Eut to deal fairly with the question, 
 I resolved to do what Mr. Thornton suggested : 
 to examine accurately ; and, I doubted not, 
 that I should have as good an opportunity of
 
 THE OLD DOMIXION. 165 
 
 doing so, as any Englishman ever had — per- 
 haps better. 
 
 As we walked on towards the house, I per- 
 ceived that the eyes of my host and Mr. Hub- 
 bard were frequently turned towards the sky, 
 especially about the south-west, and I saw, in 
 that direction, two or three lines of leaden- 
 looking clouds coming up over the trees. 
 
 " It is going to rain, my dear," said Mrs. 
 Thornton ; " had we not better have the car- 
 riage up, and get home ?" 
 
 " If a storm be coming, it would catch you 
 long ere you could get there," replied her hus- 
 band. '^ There is a drop or two already, upon 
 my word. Well, ^let it come down,' as Banquo's 
 murderer says. We can but dine here, while 
 it goes on. It will be but a thunder- burst. 
 Here, Harry, run and tell Dick and Jupiter to 
 bring all the things out of the carriage, into 
 the dining-room. We will take the house by 
 storm ; and, in the first place, 1 will go and 
 summon good old Aunt Jenny to surrender at
 
 166 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 discretion. Doubtless, as the garrison is but 
 small, she will make no great resistance." 
 
 Thus saying, he ran into the house. All 
 the rest followed, and we found Mr. Thornton 
 and a stout, elderly, mulatto cook, or house- 
 keeper, in the dining-room, fully agreed upon 
 terms, and, by their united strength, pulling 
 out the dining-tables to a sufficient length to 
 accommodate the number of our party. To 
 my surprise, the good, yellow woman, after 
 curtseying respectfully to Mrs. Thornton, kissed 
 Bessy Davenport warmly ; and, may I confess 
 it ? — 'there was something in the universal love 
 which she seemed to inspire wherever she 
 came, which gave me a little inclination to fall 
 in love with her too, notwithstanding the state 
 of semi-warfare wherewith our acquaintance 
 had commenced.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION, 167 
 
 CHAPTER Ylir. 
 
 EvEEYTHiNG except poetry is pleasant when 
 improvised ; and our dinner that day was an 
 example. In less than a quarter of an hour 
 we had on the table excellent cold ham and 
 roast fowls, eggs in a variety of forms, and 
 several bottles of good wine. Fried chickens 
 followed; and though the rain now poured 
 down in torrents, such as I have never seen 
 elsewhere, no, not in the far east — though the 
 thunder roared, and the lightning blazed, some 
 times in three or four streaks at once, we were
 
 168 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 as gay a party as ever gathered round a social 
 board. Bessy Davenport had recovered her 
 spirits ; Louisa Thornton seemed resolved to 
 laugh the thunder down ; Mr. Hubbard was 
 full of quaint humour, and only now and then 
 expressed a hope that ^* it would not end in a 
 drizzle,'' as he must positively be at home 
 before dark ; and even Mrs. Thornton, though 
 she now and then put her hands before 
 her eyes, when the lightning was very vivid, 
 congratulated herself at having a house over 
 her head during the storm, and evidently felt 
 the sort of comfort which is most forcibly 
 brought home to us when we distinctly see the 
 perils or discomforts from which we are shel- 
 tered for the time. 
 
 Gradually the thunder abated; its roaring 
 voice grew fainter, and followed not so close 
 upon the blaze ; but the rain still pattered 
 down, making a sort of rushing sound upon the 
 gravel before the house, when, suddenly, young 
 Harry Thornton started up, exclaiming —
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 169 
 
 ^^ Hark ! They are bringing up the carriage, 
 I think." 
 
 " I^onsense !" said Mr. Thornton, keeping 
 his seat ^' That cannot be, my son." 
 
 But by this time both Harry and Bold Billy 
 Bjles were at the windows ; and the next 
 instant the latter exclaimed, thrown out of all 
 softer sayings by his surprise — 
 
 *^By jingo ! here is Mr. Stringer and all his 
 family, w^ith two carriages, eight horses, and 
 an ox team. I should not wonder if there 
 was a freshet down at the bridge." 
 
 Mr. Thornton did look a little abashed at 
 being caught revelling in another man's house 
 during his absence, and that a northern man 
 too ; but he recovered himself in a moment, 
 saying — " Keep your seats ladies and gentle- 
 men, keep your seats, I will warrant your 
 welcome, and we have not yet begun our straw- 
 berries and cream." 
 
 His exhortations were vain, however, upon 
 the greater part of those present ; and finding 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 170 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 that he could not restore order to the feast, 
 Mr. Thornton rose with the rest ; hut, instead 
 of going to witness the debarkation of Mr. 
 Stringer's family from the window, he sought 
 an umbrella and went down the steps to hand 
 MrF. Stringer out of the carriage. 
 
 What passed between him and the master of 
 the house I did not hear ; but I saw the latter 
 laugh and shake him by the hand ; and, a 
 moment after, he re-entered the dining-room, 
 having on his arm a lady about three and 
 thirty years of age, who looked scared and 
 somewhat aghast ; but, I think, rather from the 
 effects of the storm through which she had 
 passed than from the scene presented by her 
 own dining-room, for the sight of which she 
 had probably been prepared as she came from 
 the carriage to the house. 
 
 Three young boys, from seven to ten years 
 of age, followed close upon their mother's 
 steps ; and at last, after a short pause, appeared 
 Mr. Stringer, in whom, now without his hat, I
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 171 
 
 instantly recognised a gentleman wliom I had 
 met at dinner in New York. 
 
 " Farewell to my incognito !'^ 1 thought ; 
 but Mr. Stringer's first attention was paid to 
 Mrs. Thornton, and then to Miss Davenport, 
 who seemed an especial favourite both with 
 himself and his wife; and I had time to 
 remark, ere he noticed me, a singular looking 
 man by whom Mr. Stringer was followed. He 
 could not have measured less than six feet two 
 inches in height, while, from shoulder to 
 shoulder, I do not think the extent was more 
 than a foot. His whole frame was about an 
 equal width ; only his legs, pack them together 
 how you would, must still have remained more 
 bulky than his body. His arms were thin, and 
 his hands long and bony ; but his face, though 
 exceedingly ugly, and not improved by the ill- 
 cut, long, sandy hair which thatched his head, 
 or the rawish white skin that covered it, was 
 highly intelligent, with, a quick, eager, grey 
 I 3
 
 l72 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 eye, which ran over every thing and every per- 
 son in the room in a moment. 
 
 The dress of this apparition was of no parti- 
 cular date, and had nothing very remarkable in 
 form. I only remarked that it was all of black, 
 not very new, and that the white cravat, rolled 
 round his neck and tied in a bow, with two 
 little ends like a young pig's ears, might have 
 been whiter and, perhaps, cleaner. 
 
 While I was making my mental observations 
 upon this gentleman, who still stood near the 
 door without saying a word to any one, Mr. 
 Stringer's eyes turned upon me, and the expec- 
 ted explosion took place. 
 
 ** Why, Sir Eichard Conway!" he exclaimed, 
 ^^ this is an unexpected pleasure. Nevertheless, 
 welcome to Virginia and especially to my 
 house. My dear, allow me to introduce Sir 
 Eichard Conway." 
 
 "While my introduction to Mrs. Stringer was 
 taking place I know not what bursts of sur-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 173 
 
 prise and wonder were going on amongst the 
 rest of the party. All I do know is that Bessy- 
 Da venport was laughing heartily, and feeling, 
 I fancy, a little conceited at being the only one 
 who had discovered my secret. Mrs, Stringer 
 was pecuharly civil and condescending ; and I 
 do believe, if I had been a real live lord — a 
 thin^ less frequently found in this country than 
 mammoths and mastodons — she could not have 
 been more gratified to find me in her house. 
 
 In the mean time, the rain continued to pour 
 down without showing the slightest disposition 
 to restrain itself ; and the party from the car- 
 riage gave us a fearful account of the ravages 
 committed by the freshet, which had carried 
 away the bridge as Mr. Byles had suspected. 
 
 The wine on the table, the strawberries and 
 cream, and the remnants of the dinner of which 
 we had partaken, however, proved a very ser- 
 viceable refreshment to Mr. Stringer and his 
 battered party, so that our intrusion was rather 
 ^ benefit than otherwise to the worthy gentle-
 
 174 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 man, whose letter, annoimcing his proximate 
 arrival, had, it seemed — with a facility for get- 
 ting lost, nowhere more common to letters 
 than in Virginia — tarried by the way till its 
 writer got the start of it. 
 
 Mrs. Stringer indeed was a little fidgetty 
 about well-aired beds and sundry household 
 arrangements ; nevertheless, we all made our- 
 selves very comfortable for the next hour 
 while waiting for the rain to pass away. 
 
 As, however, it reaiained obdurate, Mr. 
 Thornton rose to depart ; and then commenced 
 on the part of our host, very pressing entreaties 
 that we would all remain the night ; and an 
 exceedingly well-devised plan for accommo- 
 dating so large a party, was explained to us 
 by Mrs. Stringer, on the spur of the moment. 
 Mr. Thornton, however, declared h^ was 
 obliged to return home ; his wife was equally 
 resolute, as well as all those who had come in 
 the carriage; whilst those who had travelled on
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 175 
 
 horseback, declared to a man, they did not 
 mind a lit lie rain. 
 
 Our host and hostess were particularly 
 pressiag that at least Miss Davenport and my- 
 self would stay ; and Mrs. Stringer reminded 
 Bessy that she had extracted a promise of a 
 long visit from her. Bessy, however, was 
 deter cuined to go ; and go we did, in as un- 
 pleasant an afternoon as ever I remember. It 
 was the will of God, however, that we should 
 not go far. As to galloping, that was out of 
 the question ; for the rain had sunk into the 
 earth, and the horses' hoofs were buried in 
 mud at every step. Mrs. Thornton insisted 
 upon taking her daughter into the carriage, 
 and leaving the horse to be led by one of the 
 negro boys. Billy Byles, deprived of his com- 
 panion, set off across the country as fast as the 
 state of the fields would permit. Mr. Thornton 
 anil his son affectionately hung about the 
 coach which was in danger of being over-
 
 176 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 turned more than once ; and, at length, the 
 former suggested to his niece, that she and I 
 should ride on, by a narrow road, (which he 
 designated, and with which she seemed well 
 acquainted), both in order to get out of the 
 rain as soon as possible, and to send some 
 oxen from the plantation to drag the carriage 
 through the ford. 
 
 Away we went then, laughing and jesting ; 
 for all Bessy's light spirits had returned, and 
 the rain seemed only to have brought them into 
 flower ; but the road was abominably bad, and 
 our progress necessarily slow. The way lay 
 principally through the woods, and every here 
 and there we came upon a dryer spot where 
 we could have a canter ; till, at length, I per- 
 ceived by my old topographic habits, that we 
 must be approaching a little river or stream, 
 which we had passed in the morning. Sud- 
 denly, we came upon it ; but Bessy pulled up 
 her horse for a moment ; and certainly the
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 177 
 
 scene before us was not of a character to in- 
 vite farther advance. The banks were very 
 steep, and the descent of the road to the edge 
 of the water nearly precipitous. Beyond 
 flowed the stream, which a few hours previ- 
 ously had rolled on clear enough, but with 
 hardly sufficient water in it to cover a horse's 
 fetlocks. Xow it rushed along between its 
 deep banks, a turbid, rapid torrent. It must 
 have risen five or six feet during those few 
 hours ; and although the surface was still tole- 
 rably smooth, owing to the want of rocks or 
 other obstructions of that kind, every here 
 and there was a whirling eddy — a dimple as it 
 were in the face of the stream, which showed 
 with what force and rapidity it was going. 
 
 " This is not agreeable,'' said Bessy Daven- 
 port; "the river seems resolved to bar our 
 way, but let us try at all events." 
 
 And she began to descend to vvards the brink, 
 " It is madness to attempt it," I exclaimed : 
 I 5
 
 r< 8 THE OLD DOMI^'ION. 
 
 ^' no horse can swim that current, Miss Daven- 
 port. For Heaven's sake, stop." 
 
 Eut Bessy could no longer stop. 
 
 The ground was of a reddish clay, now 
 thoroughly soaked with the rain ; the descent 
 some thirty feet, and, as I have said, preci- 
 pitous ; and though, when she tried to check 
 him, her poor pony made an attempt to resist 
 the impetus his first start had given him, by 
 throwing himself on his haunches, his feet 
 slipped in the mire ; and down he slid with in- 
 creasing rapidity to the very brink of the 
 water. 
 
 There he made one more violent effort to stop 
 himself; but it was worse than in vain. A part 
 of the bank gave way under him ; and over he 
 rolled with his mistress into the river. 
 
 There are times when all thought abandons 
 us, and when instinct — a much surer guide — 
 comes to our aid. But instinct has no me- 
 mories ; and I only know what I did by the 
 result.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 179 
 
 I must have sprung from my horse, dashed 
 down the steep and slippery bank, and plunged 
 into the water, before I was aware of what I 
 was doing. Ifc was the work of a moment. 
 Still I had nearly been too late, and should 
 have been so, but for one slight accident, 'fh^ 
 stream had risen so high that the branches of 
 the trees and shrubs in many places now (lipped 
 in the water ; and one of them, catching Bessy 
 Davenport's riding habit, kept her for an in- 
 stant or two from being swept down the 
 stream. That brief interruption was long 
 enough, however ; for the moment I got my 
 eyes above the water, [ saw something vvaverinL;; 
 about near the bank, looking more like a mass 
 of water- weed than a human being. I struck 
 at once towards the object, not doubting what 
 it was ; and I remember, at the same moment, 
 hearing a wild, shrill neigh, as her horsw raised 
 his head above the current, and was swept past 
 us. 
 
 lama very strong swimmer ; the tide aided ;
 
 ISO THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 and ill three strokes I was by the poor girPs side. 
 The moment after, her head and shoulders 
 were raised on my left arm ; and, though at 
 first she made an effort to grasp me with her 
 hands, yet with admirable self-command, she 
 desisted as soon as I spoke ; and I contrived to 
 draw her to the bank and catch hold of some 
 of the shrubs. 
 
 The next three or four minutes — for really 
 I know not how long it was— proved more 
 terrible than all that went before. They were 
 only like the struggles of some hideous dream. 
 The tree I grasped, gave way under our weight, 
 and roiled into the stream ; but I caught another 
 as we were falling back — a long, stiff, snake- 
 like vine-stem— they grow here wild to the 
 most enormous size — and it held firm. But 
 the steep and slippery bank afforded no foot- 
 ing, and back I slipped every time I attempted 
 to ascend. 
 
 I was nearly in despair; but despair some- 
 times lends energy, and suggests means. The
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 181 
 
 only way was to use the vine-stem as a sort of 
 cable and to pull myself up by it ; but the 
 difficulty was to do so with one hand ; for my 
 left arm bore a burden I would not have parted 
 from, but with life. 
 
 However, I dug my feet into the bank ; and 
 though, this time, I got sufficient hold to sup- 
 port me, I knew that if I relaxed my grasp for 
 an instant, she and I must both fall back into 
 the river. I almost fancied at one time, indeed, it 
 would be best to try the river again, and see if 
 I could not support her to some easier landing- 
 place ; but before I did so, I turned and looked 
 at her. Her eyes were open and fixed upon 
 my face. 
 
 "Canyon hold the vine for a moment ?" I 
 said; "for a single moment, till I run my 
 hand further up ?'' 
 
 " I will try," she answered, and grasped the 
 stem with both her hands. By a violent effort, 
 I reached over and caught the frail thing that 
 sapported us, some two or three feet above,
 
 182 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 without relaxing my hold of Bessy herself, and 
 then drew her up, till her feet were completely 
 above the water. 
 
 '' !N'ow if we can reach that old troe," I said, 
 *' round which this vine has been twining, you 
 are safe." 
 
 The greater danger was now indeed passed, 
 and what between her efforts and mine — 
 though every step had its peril, and I feared 
 each instant that the vine-stem would give 
 way under our repeated efforts to ascend — we 
 at length reached the stump of the old tree, 
 which was still rooted firmly in the ground. 
 
 There I seated her, with her back against 
 the trunk, and felt fully repaid for all my 
 day's work, when I parted the wet hair from 
 her beautiful forehead, with my own hands, 
 and twisted it up behind her ears. 
 
 Bessy said nothing ; but held down her 
 head and w^ept ; and I easily understood that 
 there was One to be thanked in silence, even 
 before myself.
 
 THE OLD DOMI>IO]S-. 183 
 
 I gave her time to recover herself a little ; 
 but as soon as she began to look up again, I 
 said, in a gay tone — 
 
 *' And now, my dear Bessy, I have got to 
 carry you back to Beavors. Thank Heaven, 
 you are very light ; and we are not likely to meet 
 many people ; for you, having lost your ha tand 
 I mine, and both having acquired a remark- 
 able portion of mud upon our garments, we are 
 not the most respectable looking couple that 
 ever journeyed through the world together." 
 
 ^' For Heaven's sake, do not jest at present, 
 Kichard," she answered. " You men cannot feel 
 these things as we women do. I do not be- 
 lieve I shall ever jest again when I think of 
 the danger I have brought upon myself, and 
 into which I have drawn you. But where is 
 your horse ? Mine, poor follow, is drowned, of 
 course. Poor Ned ! I am very sorry for him ; 
 but from the way in which he fell, he must be 
 drowned.'^ 
 
 *' Very lucky for you he did fall that way,
 
 184 THE OLD EOMINION. 
 
 my dear cousin,'' I replied ; '* otherwise he 
 would probably have struck you with his hoof, 
 and you would have been killed. Where my 
 horse is, may be another question. I left him 
 at the top of the bank ; for you were in such a 
 hurry, my dear girl, that there was no time to 
 tie him up ; and 1 had much ado to catch you, 
 as it was." 
 
 '* He has gone home, I dare say," replied 
 Bessy ; " but perhaps you had better see." 
 
 *^ First, I must carry you up to the road," 
 replied I. But for a time she would not 
 consent, saying she could climb very well. 
 Her riding-habit, however, caught, her at 
 every step, and at length she was obhged to 
 let me do as I pleased, till I safely landed her 
 upon the road, within sight of the spot where 
 our unfortunate adventure commenced. 
 
 There stood the horse, almost precisely 
 where I left him, though in a very different 
 attitude , his head was bent down, his neck 
 and muzzle stretched out almost in a straight
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 185 
 
 line from his shoulders towards the water, and 
 his eyes fixed eagerly upon the current as, red 
 and turbid, it rushed by. It seemed to me as 
 if with that strange sort of intelligence which 
 characterizes the dog, the horse, and the ele- 
 phant, he was waiting for our return, and 
 watching eagerly to see us re- appear by the 
 same way we went. 
 
 ** Now," I said, '^ we can get back more 
 easily ; for I dare say, with your country 
 education, you can contrive to ride upon a 
 somewhat unusual saddle, and I will walk by 
 your side to prevent your slipping off." 
 
 "I could ride him without any saddle at 
 all," said Bessy, with a smile. 
 
 The horse was soon caught, and she placed 
 upon his back. 
 
 The clouds were now beginning to break ; 
 patches of blue were visible here and there, 
 and the rain had almost ceased. I could have 
 wished, indeed, that it had not turned fine 
 quits so soon — that it had continued even to
 
 186 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 drizzle a little ; for there was something 
 strangely out of harmony with our draggled 
 and miserable appearance in the bright sun- 
 shine which soon burst forth. It seemed to 
 make us look more ridiculous than ever. But 
 it had one good effect ; for it brought some 
 of the negroes out into the fields, and we had 
 an opportunity of sending some team.s of oxen 
 to assist Mr. Thornton and his party across the 
 ford and to give him information of all that had 
 occurred to us. We coupled the tale, however, 
 with the assurance that Miss Davenport and 
 myself were quite safe, and that all we wanted 
 was dry clothes to enable us to pass the night 
 comfortably at Beavors. 
 
 When we reached that place, as misfortune 
 would have it, the whole family of Mr. Stringer, 
 including the tall gaunt man in black, were 
 standing under the porch, gazing forth upon 
 the country refreshed by the shower ; and 
 every sort of exclamation of wonder and 
 commiseration burst forth upon us when
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 187 
 
 we presented ourselves wet, be-dabbled 
 with mud, uud with total loss of head- 
 gear. 
 
 '' Why my pretty young lady," exclaimed 
 Mr. Stringer, unable to refrain from a smile, 
 " I hardly knew you when I first saw you 
 coming in such an awkward condition." 
 
 *' It is very lucky. that you do see me at all," 
 replied Bessy ; ^' for, if it hadn't been for 
 my cousin here — who nearly lost his life 
 to save mine — I should have been twenty 
 miles down the Xansemoud river by this 
 time." 
 
 '' Come in, come in, my dear Bessy," said 
 Mrs. Stringer, ^' and do not stand talking in 
 your wet clothes. You can tell us all about it 
 afterwards." And with motherly care she 
 took her fair young friend away into the house, 
 while Mr. Stringer himself conducted me to a 
 room up stairs, and offered me all the resources 
 of bis ov/n wardrobe. As he was about five 
 inches shorter than myself, and at least two
 
 188 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 inches less in width across the shoulders, the 
 selection was somewhat difficult. I contrived 
 to get into a loose morning gown, however ; 
 and w^ith a happy thought — unhappily frus- 
 trated of effect — Mr. Stringer sent a servant to 
 ask the loan of a pair of pantaloons from the 
 Eeverend Mr. Mc Grubber, which 1 found was 
 the name of his lanky friend in black. A 
 moment after, the negro returned with a grin 
 which showed his white teeth from ear to ear, 
 saying, *^ Massa Mc Grubber's compliments, 
 but he can't. Him's only got one pair, and 
 them's on." 
 
 The laugh which followed from Mr. Stringer 
 and myself did me fully as much good as the 
 glass of mulled wine which my worthy host 
 insisted upon my swallowing. As there was 
 no other resource, I determined to go to bed, 
 till my own clothes could be dried and 
 cleansed, or till some fresh apparel w^as 
 brought over from the plantation of Mr.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 189 
 
 Thornton ; and what between a little fatigue, 
 the sultry weather, and the mulled wine, I 
 fell sound asleep soon after Mr. Stringer left 
 me, and began dreaming of Bessy Daven- 
 port.
 
 190 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 I WAS awakened out of one of the sweetest 
 dreams in the world — though, unlike most 
 story-tellers, I will not tell you all about it — 
 by some one coning into my room with a 
 light. 
 
 I never was more astonished in my life. It 
 seemed to me I had not been asleep ten 
 minutes ; and yet the sun, who had a full 
 couple of hours course when 1 lay down, had 
 now gone to bed too, and all without was
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 191 
 
 darkness. Another testimony to the fact of 
 my long sleep, was the face of my good old 
 friend Zed, who came grinning up with a pair 
 of bags over his arm, and a note from Mr. 
 Thornton ; showing that our friends had arrived 
 safely at home, had received our messages, and 
 had sent us over the wherewithal to make our- 
 selves comfortable or, at all events, cleanly. 
 Mr. Thornton's note treated our adventure 
 more lightly than he probably would have 
 done, had he been aware of the full extent of 
 danger ; but he recommended me strongly to 
 accept Mr. Stringer's invitation to stay at his 
 house for a day or two, saying, '' You will be 
 much nearer the scene of action, and, if I am 
 not mistaken, affairs will be brought to a crisis 
 sooner than we expected by the discovery of 
 your being actually in the country. I will be 
 over with you early to-morrow ; and if possible, 
 will bring Hubbard Vv4th me. We can then 
 begin the campaign in real earnest, should it 
 be necessary."
 
 192 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 Having read this epistle and undergone a 
 number of exclamations, mingled with laugh- 
 ter, from old Zed, I proceeded as rapidly as 
 possible to dress myself and descended to the 
 parlor, which I found vacant of all but a 
 Negro servant, engaged in arranging tables 
 and chairs, which possibly had not been found 
 in apple-pie order by Mrs. Stringer on her 
 return. The man informed me, however, 
 that his master and mistress vrere dressing for 
 dinner, which, to say sooth, 1 was not sorry 
 to hear ; for though I had eaten one good 
 dinner already, I had somehow contrived in 
 the intervening time to recover an appe- 
 tite. 
 
 The first of the party who appeared in the 
 room was the fair companion of my perils, 
 with all traces of the mishaps of the day 
 obliterated from her appearance, though she 
 w^as perhaps a little paler than usual. She 
 gave me her tiny little hand at once, say- 
 ing—
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 193 
 
 *' I am glad to find you alone, Sir Eichard ; 
 for I really have not had time to thank you ; 
 and T fear you must think me very ungrate- 
 ful." 
 
 ^' I shall indeed think you so," I answered, 
 *' if you ever give me such a formal name 
 again. Call me Eichard — cousin Eichard — 
 anything of that kind you like ; but never use 
 that cold word Sir any more." 
 
 **Ay, then you are not such a terrible 
 aristocrat after all," said Bessy, with one of her 
 bright smiles. 
 
 *^ As much as ever," I answered ; " though 
 I suspect not half so much as you are, at heart. 
 But, without a jest Bessy, it is impossible for 
 me, after all we have gone through together, 
 to be anything to you but Eichard Conway, 
 or you to be anything, to me but Bessy Daven- 
 port. Sometimes in a life, five minutes are 
 equal to five years ; and by such measure must 
 we calculate in the length of our acquaintance 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 THE OLD DOMINION, 
 
 an hour or two out of this day. Is it a 
 bargain ?" 
 
 '' Yes, Eichard," she answered, giving me 
 her hand again. ^^ I pledge myself to it." 
 
 I was just putting the seal upon the com- 
 pact, with my lips upon that little hand, when 
 the door opened and in stalked the Eev. Mr. 
 Me Grubber. There is a sort of man in every 
 pait of the world, who is always in the place 
 where he is not wanted. He is to be pitied 
 rather than blamed, I do believe ; for I am 
 convinced it is a sort of idiosyncrasy which is 
 even recognisable in his external appearance, 
 just as particular temperaments can be dis- 
 covered by the complexion. The moment I 
 set eyes upon Mc Grubber, I could have 
 sworn he would always be in the way ; and so 
 he was. 
 
 I have said ^* in he stalked ;" but it is im- 
 possible to describe by any words, his peculiar 
 sort of locomotion. It was more like that of a
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. l95 
 
 snake standing on its tail than any tbing else. 
 His long, lean body seeraed to go first and 
 then to drag the legs after it with an effort 
 that was painful to behold. 
 
 Whether he saw w^hat I was about when he 
 entered or not, I did not know ; and, to tell 
 the truth, did not much care, although I 
 thought I detected that peculiar sort of twinkle 
 in his small grey eyes, which 1 have perceived 
 in those of curious people, when they fancy 
 they have made some pleasant little disco- 
 very. 
 
 Bessy coloured a little ; and seemed some- 
 what annoyed ; so, to break the awkwardness 
 of the whole business, I turned briskly to Mr. 
 Mc Grubber saying, *'It has become quite 
 a fine evening again, sir." 
 
 ^'I guess it has," replied the worthy minis- 
 ter, sticking his hands into his coat pockets, 
 and spreading the flaps out like a pigeon's tail 
 behind him. '^ It is warm too. I guess. Miss, 
 those bugs that come flying in at the window
 
 196 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 will knock the candles out, unless somebody 
 does something to stop them." 
 
 " Yery probably, sir," replied Bessy Daven- 
 port. " Suppose you try. You are more 
 accustomed I believe to keeping peoples' lights 
 burning than I am." 
 
 *' Profanely speaking, nay," answered Mr. 
 Mc Grubber, who, I should explain to you 
 English people, meant by '* bugs" all the tribe 
 of moths and flying insects which literally 
 load the evening air in a southern climate ; 
 and he was going on to tell us what lights 
 he professed to keep burning ; but before he 
 could favour us with more of his conversation, 
 Mr. and Mrs, Stringer appeared, the latter 
 making many apologies for being late. She 
 had found everything in disorder, she said, and 
 had really had a great deal to do. 
 
 Mr. Stringer for his part explained that they 
 kept up the custom of dining late, even in the 
 country, as he found it much more convenient on 
 all accounts; and Mr. Mc Grubber, who, I
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 117 
 
 found was the tutor of the young Stringers, 
 favored us with a discourse upon the iniquity 
 of late hours, which he seasoned with a good 
 number of texts from scripture uttered in a 
 very nasal tone. 
 
 I cannot say that I was much edified by his 
 remarks, which had a good deal of fanatical 
 impertinence in them ; and I wondered how 
 Mr. Stringer could tolerate such an inmate 
 in his family ; for he himself, though evidently 
 a weak man, was well bred and well edu- 
 cated ; and there was something atrociously 
 presuming both in Mr. Mc Grubber's manner 
 and in his conversation. It was not that he 
 thought himself as good as any body else ; for 
 that would be very easily tolerated, espe- 
 cially in an American, who, whatever may be 
 his qualities of mind, heart, or position, always 
 looks upon himself as on a par with the best 
 man that ever was born. But that which 
 makes the assumption of perfect equality 
 tolerable, renders the assumption of superiority
 
 198 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 intolerable ; and it was evident that Mr. Mc 
 Grubber thought himself vastly better than 
 any body else, and wished every one to under- 
 stand it. Yet, he had not only eloquence of 
 a peculiar sort, but considerable powers of 
 mind very much misapplied. His reasonings, 
 though full of sophistry, were answered with 
 more trouble than they deserved ; for he would 
 twist and turn like an eel. Fanaticism resembles 
 ike one hooJi: which renders an opponent in 
 argument eo dangerous. It is the all-absorbing 
 thought which converts every thing around into 
 pabulum for itself. He had read every thing 
 upon the two or three subjects with which he 
 cared to deal ; he had armicd himself with all 
 the weapons of his party, and provided him- 
 self with shields and places of retreat against 
 any opponent tco strong for him ; yet though 
 he evidently thought conviction, defeat, yet 
 it was not entirely from vanity he strove. 
 
 Fanaticism on any subject is, I believe, a 
 mixture of passion and self-conceit ; and ho
 
 THE OLD DOMTNIOX. 199 
 
 certainly was not without the former, as after 
 events convinced me. To all these peculiar 
 traits he added an insatiable curiosity, which 
 he had no reserve in trying to gratify. During 
 dinner he asked me at least a hundred imperti- 
 nent questions about m^^self, my family, my 
 object in \'isiting America, my profession, my 
 age, my fortune — someputiutheformofgue'^ses, 
 some with most straightforward impudence ; and 
 when, in the end, I told him I did not think 
 myself called upon to gratify the unreasonable 
 curiosity of every stranger as to my private 
 affairs, he answered — 
 
 " Waal, I guess you're right in that ; but I 
 should think you did not come over here with- 
 out some particular business, and any citizen of 
 this republic may just ask what that business 
 is." 
 
 y.r. Stringer and Bess^y burst into a laugh, 
 and Mrs. Stringer looked considerably annoyed. 
 
 Laughter often does more than argument ; 
 and Mr. Mc Grubber was effectually silenced for
 
 200 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 the remainder of the evening. Indeed, shortly 
 after the dessert Tras put upon the table, the 
 worthy gentleman, who drank no wine and 
 hated every body that did, rose unceremo- 
 niously, and left the room, nor did he make 
 his appearance again that night. 
 
 I know few things more pleasant than when, 
 with a feeling of security upon one, after a 
 perilous and eventful day, we sit down with 
 our fellow adventurers to chat quietly over the 
 various incidents which excited our feelings 
 and stimulated, perhaps, many a passion at the 
 time, but which have now all the calm of me- 
 mory about them. Nothing could be more 
 tranquil or charming than the two hours which 
 now succeeded. We talked over all that had 
 happened ; we recalled not only events but 
 thoughts and fc lings ; and brief lapses would 
 often occur in the conversation when, (I know 
 not what Bessy Davenport wa . doing) I was 
 scrutinising, though not too closely, certain 
 sensations or emotions of my own heart, a little
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 201 
 
 anxious to know what they all meant, yet un- 
 willing to examine them too closely lest I 
 should stop them in their play. 
 
 Once I asked myself if I was falling in love 
 with Bessy Davenport — with her whom I did 
 not know the morning before, and of whom I 
 could not have said, that very morning, whe- 
 ther I liked or disliked her. But just then, 
 waking out of a reverie of her own, she sud- 
 denly raised her eyes, quiet and thoughtful, 
 but full of light, to my face, and I concluded 
 that my question was a very foolish question 
 indeed, which I would never put to my own 
 heart again, but leave that inscrutable inner- 
 man to speak for himself when he thought 
 proper. 
 
 As onr eyes met, a slight colour came up in 
 her cheek, bat she rose quietly, saying — 
 
 *^Now I will sing you one song, and then I 
 will go to-bed, only praying that I may not 
 dream of being drowned all night. What shall 
 it be, cousin Eichard ?"
 
 202 THE OLD DOMIKION. 
 
 I was incapalile of deciding, not knowing 
 what she sang ; and so, taking a seat at the 
 piano, she chose for herself a little, quiet, 
 simple Italian air, such as the peasants sing in 
 the Abriizzi, which never find their way into 
 operas, but have more real melody in them 
 than ]ialf the opera airs in the world. Then, 
 starting up, she wished us all "Good night,'' 
 and left up. 
 
 We separated within a few minutes after ; 
 for Mr. and Mrs. Stringer were fatigued with 
 their day's expedition, and I gladly went to 
 my room with the intention of meditating over 
 many things. 
 
 I was disappointed, liowever ; for there was 
 my good friend Zed, ready to pour upon me a 
 whole budget of news, in his somewhat inco- 
 herent, but voluble, way. First and foremost 
 was the account of Mr. Thornton's journey 
 home. How the carriage had stuck in the 
 ford, but had been got out quite safe ; how 
 Master Hal. had been thrown by his pony into
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 203 
 
 a pool of mud, and come out as red as an 
 "Ingin." Then, what consternation they were all 
 in when the news arrived of the accident which 
 had befallen us ; and then, how, just as he was 
 coming away with my clothes. Miss Bessy's 
 horse, with the saddle quite turned round 
 under his belly, had come tr^'tting and neigh- 
 ing up to the house. 
 
 This last piece of information was very grati- 
 fying to me ; fer I knew Bessy monrned for 
 her good steed ; and whatever interested her, 
 was begiiining to interest me also. It was 
 never discovered, 1 may remark, how the poor 
 brute got out of the river, but it is sup- 
 posed he drifted down to a spot some two miles 
 below, where the eastern bank became flat ; 
 and, landing there, found his way home. 
 
 Zed, I found, judged the accident which had 
 brought me back to ]3eavors, a very lucky one, 
 inasmuch as the great camp-meeting he had 
 mentioned, was to be held within a mile or two 
 of the house. " Ah I massa," he cried, '' such 
 meeting as you hear there you never see.
 
 204 THE OLD DOillNIOX. 
 
 " Gorr a mighty ! I shouldn't wonder if you 
 Trere converted yourself.'' 
 
 ** What n^akes you judge, Zed, that I am 
 not converted already ?" I asked. 
 
 The poor fellow giinned, and did not seem to 
 know what to reply, finding himself on the 
 horns of a dilemma. So his only course was to 
 sigh and shake his head as if he thought me in 
 a very perilous condition of mind. 
 
 I have remarked, however, that negroes, 
 when they become puzzled with any question, 
 are very dexterous in carrying the conversa- 
 tion off to something else ; and so Zed now 
 favored me with a long catalogue of the 
 preachers who were to hold forth upon this oc- 
 casion, naming, amongst the rest, Mr. Mc Grub- 
 ber, by whom I certainly did not expect to be 
 either converted or very much edified. Two 
 or three other names were mentioned, how- 
 ever, which I had heard spoken of with re- 
 spect ; and I resolved to go, at all events, to 
 witness such a spectacle, at least, once in my
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 205 
 
 life, as a camp-meeting must present. Let me 
 use a school -boy phrase and say, I determined 
 to go '' for the fun of the thing.'^ 
 
 I slept very well in the earlier part of the 
 night ; but I can never sleep more than a cer- 
 tain time during the twenty-four hours ; and, 
 consequently, with the first ray of daylight, 
 my eyes were open. I felt strongly inclined 
 to lie still and meditate ; but as I never in- 
 dulge such things, where the meditation is 
 sure to be fruitless, I rose, dressed myself, 
 and went down stairs. 
 
 The house was still shut up, and nobody 
 was stirring ; but, to my surprise, I found two 
 negroes asleep on the benches in the hall ; and 
 I afterwards discovered that it was a very 
 common custom of domestic servants, even 
 where good beds were provided for them, to lie 
 down upon any bench or set of chairs they 
 could find, and sleep out the night there, with- 
 out covering or pillow. The door of the house, 
 too, was unlocked; and, indeed, very little
 
 206 THE OLD DOMI>'IOy. 
 
 precaution of any kind seemed taken in this 
 country against intruders. 
 
 One would think this was an evidence of 
 an innocent and virtuous population, were not 
 the inference contradicted by the long and 
 terrible list of crimes and ofiPences which every 
 newspaper shows each day. For want, then, 
 of an}'- better solution of tliis enigma of care- 
 lessness, I could only set it down to the ac- 
 count of that utter indifference to life and 
 security which is so observable throughout the 
 whole land. 
 
 Taking up a stick which I saw in the hall, 
 I walked out, very careless as to what course I 
 followed, and proceeded, I dire say, two miles, 
 without seeing a living soul. It was by this 
 time five o'clock, yet nobody was in the fields 
 — a clear proof that the negroes are not so 
 much overworked, in Virginia, at least, as has 
 been generally reported. Tiie morning air 
 was fresh and balmy, rather cool than other- 
 wise, with no indications of the heat which
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 207 
 
 was to follow the higher rising of the sun. 
 The whole fields, and especially tlie edges of 
 the woods, were gemmed with beautiful 
 flowers ; and it had a strange and curious 
 effect to see shrubs, and trees, and plants, 
 which we in England, look upon as rare and 
 and delicate, blooming wild and uncultivated 
 all around. Innumerable birds and beasts — 
 ay, and even reptiles — were fluttering, run- 
 ning or gliding in different directions ; and it 
 was clearly an hour at which the presence of 
 man did not warn inferior animals to seek the 
 shelter of the thicket or the brake. 
 
 1 cannot say that the aspect of the country 
 was very picturesque. It was a flat, alluvial 
 plain, through which the rivers and streams 
 had easily worn deep channels, as they poured 
 on towards the sea ; and it was only on the 
 banks of these, that anything like landscape 
 beauty was to be seen. The one I reached 
 that morning, which was the limit of my walk, 
 much resembled that which had nearly made a
 
 208 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 supper of Bessy Davenport and me the day 
 before. I know not even now, whether it was 
 the same or not. During the warm night, the 
 water left by the rain, had either evaporated 
 into the air, or had been sucked up by the 
 light and penetrable soiL Everything had be- 
 come dry, except where the river, evidently 
 greatly fallen since the preceding evening, 
 wended quietly on its way, no longer hurried 
 by the mass of waters pressed within its nar- 
 row banks. 
 
 By the side of the stream sat a negro, 
 fishing, and as this was the first human being 
 I had seen since I set out, I thought I might 
 as well go down and talk with him. When I 
 came near, I perceived he was one of the finest 
 formed men I had ever beheld, tall and power- 
 ful, with very little of the usual deformity of 
 his race. He had indeed the thick lips, the 
 nose flattened — though not very much — and 
 the woolly hair of his race ; but there was no 
 bowed shins, or large hands and feet ; yet, as
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 209 
 
 far as I could judge from his colour, he was of 
 unmixed African blood. He did not conde- 
 scend to lift his head when I came near, but 
 continued his occupation, still gazing upon the 
 glistening but somewhat turbid water. 
 
 ** Have you had good sport ?" asked I. 
 
 '*I have caught no fish," he answered, 
 abruptly ; and then turning round for the first 
 time, he looked to see who was the interro- 
 gator. 
 
 '^ Is not the water too muddy, still ?" I in- 
 quired, somewhat struck by the man's manner 
 and tone. 
 
 *' Those who would catch large fish, must 
 fish in troubled waters," answered he, gravely, 
 casting in his line again. *' T shall catch when ^^ 
 the appointed time comes. IS'othing, happens, 
 master, but at its appointed time, whether it 
 be great or small." 
 
 I confess I was not a little surprised at such 
 a reply from such a man. I had heard of 
 negroes who displayed as great natural powers
 
 210 THE OLD LOMINFON. 
 
 of mind as men c f the white races ; but I never 
 yet had met with one. In all whom I had 
 seen there was a certain lack of intellect. 
 Quick comprehension there might be — often 
 rapid combination, cunning seeming to supply 
 the place of reasoning powers ; but it was more 
 like the comprehension, the c .inning of a child, 
 exercised only upon the objects near at hand, 
 without the power of generalization or remote 
 deduction. In fact, this man's words afforded 
 the first attempt at any thing like a grasp of 
 a wide and comprehensive idea which I had 
 ever met with in his race, and they excited my 
 curiosity greatly. 
 
 ^' I agree perfectly with you," I answered. 
 'M am a full believer in a special Providence ; 
 yet it would seem but a small and undignified 
 exercise of that Divine power to make you 
 catch a fish at one moment more than 
 another." 
 
 '* What is small, and what is great to God 
 Almighty ?" asked the man, still keeping his
 
 THE OLD DOMIXIOX. 211 
 
 eyes on the stream. *^ He made the emmet 
 as well as the biggest of beasts ; he made the 
 grain of sand as well as the mountain. How 
 can you tell, master, how small events may 
 affect great ones ? My catching a fish, now or 
 then, may, by giving food and comfort to a 
 family, allay their discontent ; an 1, putting 
 off its outbreak, induce them to go on in quiet, 
 till some further relief comes — in its due 
 season also. Does not the Bible tell us that 
 not a sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed ? 
 Everything is by God's will ; everything is in 
 God's time. What is small ? What is great 
 to Him ? In a universe, everything has its 
 proper place, every event its proper moment ; 
 and the derangement of the lea.st would destroy 
 the order of the whole. My time too will come 
 for whatever I have to do ; and I am ready to 
 do God's will, whatever it may be." 
 
 I never was more astonished in my life than 
 by this man's discourse. I had heard Hindoos 
 many a time speak in a somewhat similar way ;
 
 212 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 but they are proverbially a thoughtful, specu- 
 lative — I may almost say a metaphysical race ; 
 but to hear such words from a poor despised 
 negro — from one of a class to whom the higher 
 ranges of thought seem forbidden, as well by 
 capability as by education, was very strange. 
 
 While he had been speaking, he had only 
 turned his face to me once ; and when he 
 ceased, I mused for a minute or two, not jump- 
 ing at a conclusion at once, but asking myself, 
 first, whether he had learned all this from 
 some one else, like a parrot. Eejecting that 
 suspicion speedily, as contradicted by his whole 
 tone and manner, I next considered whether it 
 was likely or unlikely that every faculty of the 
 mind would be equally developed. Grasp of 
 intellect, logical power he certainly possessed ; 
 but a good many (perhaps) subordinate qualities 
 and faculties are requisite to make such gifts 
 available for man's conduct, either towards his 
 fellow man or towards his God. I had nearly 
 come to the conclusion that it was almost
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 2l3 
 
 certain he must possess them, when suddenly 
 a laugh — the unmeaning, almost idiotic laugh 
 of the negro race broke from his lips, followed 
 by- 
 
 ** Ah, master, I've caught you !-' 
 
 And I saw him pulling a large fish towards 
 the shore. 
 
 It seemed that this was all he wanted. He 
 showed it to me with a sort of child-like 
 triumph ; and then, throwing away the pole 
 with which he had been fishing, and rolling up 
 his line, he walked some way by my side, as I 
 took my path homeward. 
 
 I was anxious to know more of this man, 
 and tried to put him upon some of those tracks 
 which I thought might bring forth the pecu- 
 liarities of his mind. He seemed a little shy, 
 however, in answering my inquiries, and in 
 following any train of thought which was 
 placed before him. This was natural enough 
 in one of an enslaved race, in whose bosoms 
 there must always be some feeling of wrong
 
 214 THE OLD DOMI.NIOK. 
 
 and oppression, so long as there is vanity in the 
 human heart, however kindly they may be 
 treiited — however incapable they may be of 
 taking care of, directing, and providing for 
 themselves. They will always feel an uncon- 
 geniality — a want of sympathy with the domi- 
 nant race, and shrink into themselves, more or 
 less, when brought into communication with 
 their masters. My companion gave me his 
 name — IN'athaniel Turner — aud told me where 
 he lived, which was not far distant ; but only 
 once was I able to bring from him a spark of 
 that intellectual fire which he had previously 
 displayed, and which, even now, was half smo- 
 thered by that cunning which is comm.on to 
 savages and children. In stating that I was 
 an Englishman, I alluded to our having eii an- 
 cipated our slaves in the West India islands ; 
 and I could see a sort of eager light break 
 forth from his eyes ; but it was quenched the 
 next moment, as if he still entertained some 
 doubts and suspicions.
 
 THE OLD DOMIXION. 215 
 
 "Well, master," he said, ^^I can't tell whe- 
 ther you are right or wrong in freeing the 
 slaves. I suppose you did it, because you 
 thought you had no right to make them slaves 
 at first. But if you did think so, there was a 
 great deal more to be done than merely to give 
 them back their liberty. You had taken agreat 
 deal more from them than freedom ; you had 
 taken from them their country, their home, their 
 habits ; and, T think, you were bound either to 
 restore to them all the things of their former 
 state, or to take good care of them, and fit 
 them for the state into which you had brought 
 them. However, I am a poor, foolish man, 
 and know nothing about these things. I have 
 been a slave all my life, and I have had very 
 good masters. I doubt not it will all be 
 brought right in the end ; and, porhaps, we 
 niggers are placed in the situation proper for 
 us. At all events, it is God's will, and so, we 
 ought to be content. Xow it's possible, this 
 fish, here in my band, would rather have been
 
 216 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 sonie great shark, or some beast, or some bird, 
 or even, perhaps, a man ; but God willed it 
 otherwise : if not, he would never have been 
 hanging on my hook. But should the pot say- 
 to the hand that fashioned it, ^why madest thou 
 me so ?' I was born of a different colour from 
 you and your friends, and that difference of colour 
 is a great difference in this world. Content is 
 everything, good master, and I am very well 
 content as I am — so long as it is Godh will I 
 should he so^ 
 
 The last words were spoken after a pause, 
 and with a good deal of emphasis ; and, anxi- 
 ous to know more of his thoughts and feelings, 
 I replied — 
 
 *^ Ay, but the difficulty is, in the complica- 
 tion of this world's affairs, to discover what is 
 God's will, and what is man's " 
 
 " Whatever is, is God's will," he answered ; 
 and then added, in a slow tone, ^' His will will 
 always be revealed in due time. If man cannot 
 see clearly, God will give him eyes ; and when
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 217 
 
 his time comes, all must be accomplished. 
 There is no standing against the hand of God ; 
 and let no man imagine that His judgment is 
 not right." 
 
 By this time we had arrived at a spot about 
 a mile from Beavors, and I could perceivOj walk- 
 ing along the edge of a wood enclosed with a 
 snake fence, a figure, which something within 
 me told me at once was Bossy Davenport, 
 come forth to take her usual morning's 
 walk. She was advancing directly towards 
 us ; and, on seeing her, I left my sable compa- 
 nion, and proceeded to join her. 
 
 *' Why, who have you been talking to ?" 
 she asked, as I came up. '' It looks like Nat 
 Turner." 
 
 ^^No other," I answered. ^^Do you know 
 anything of him ?" 
 
 *'0h, yes," she exclaimed; ^^he is a very 
 extraordinary man indeed, and lives not far off 
 at Mr. Travis's, the next plantation. All the 
 negroes look ujjon him as a sort of prophet, and 
 
 VOLc T. L
 
 218 THE OLD DOMINION". 
 
 certainly his powers of mind are so superior to 
 those of slaves in general that they may well 
 do so. No one knows who taught him to read ; 
 and, if asked, he says no one taught him — it 
 came to him of itself. Of course that is non- 
 sense ; but, undoubtedly, he is a very extraor- 
 dinary man, and his manners and language are 
 far above his race." 
 
 " That I clearly perceived," I answered ; 
 '' yet I could see a good many negro traits — at 
 least I thought so. I should much like to see 
 more of him. What is his general character ?" 
 
 ^^ Excellent," she replied. ^^ He is, I have 
 heard, a kind, good creature; but most austere 
 and self-denying ; eats very little, drinks 
 nothing but water, and does not associate much 
 with the other negroes, though he has a very 
 great influence over them when he pleases to 
 exert it. But he is quiet and inoffensive ; and, 
 therefore, his influence is beneficial rather than 
 otherwise. In his hours of leisurs he may be 
 seen reading at the door of his cabin, while the
 
 THE OLD rOMIXION. 2l9 
 
 ethers are dancing and singing^ and, indeed, 
 his conduct might be an example to many a 
 white man I wot of." 
 
 '* Should such a man be kept in slavery, 
 Bessy ?" I asked, ^Yith a sigh. 
 
 *^ You must not put such questions to me, 
 cousin Eichard," she answered. ^'All we 
 women in Virginia are, more or less, abolition- 
 ists, except when we encounter some of the 
 northern fanatics, and then we stand upon the 
 defensive, telling them they have no right to 
 meddle with us. Indeed, one-half of the State 
 is in favour of emancipation ; and I should not 
 wonder if an act for that purpose were to pass 
 next year ; though, heaven knows what we 
 should do with the poor creatures if we did 
 free them, for nine out of ten are quite incapa- 
 ble of taking care of, or providing for, them- 
 selves. I suppose we should have to becoixe 
 the slaves in their place, and work for them, 
 for, assuredly, no negro will work for himself 
 or hny on« else if he can help it — no, cousin, 
 L 2
 
 / 
 
 220 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 not even the paragon, Nat. Turner. He has, 
 indeed, as you say, a good number of the 
 African traits, and seems to have, as it were, 
 two characters, one full of power and capability, 
 and the other feeble and not to be cultivated — 
 at least, so Mr. Travis says. He is, moreover, 
 marvellously superstitious — a believer in all 
 sorts of signs and portents. You should go 
 and see him in his cabin, Eichard ; he would 
 take it as a great compliment." 
 
 ^' I will some day," I answered. ^^But now, 
 whither are you bending your steps ?" 
 
 *^ Wherever fancy leads, and the air is fresh- 
 est," answered Bessy. 
 
 *^ Then take my arm and let us seek it," I 
 rejoined. 
 
 '^ No, no," she replied, laughing ; " you do 
 not know our ways. No young lady takes a 
 man's arm without being engaged to him." 
 
 *^ Then take mine," I said, in the same gay 
 tone. 
 
 She looked suddenly up in my face, and,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 221 
 
 seeing that I was smiling, she said, in the 
 words of the song she had sung the night 
 before — ^^ Tu mi lurlL — But indeed it is 
 against' our customs." 
 
 *^ Very prudish customs indeed, dear Bessy," 
 I answered. 
 
 She instantly passed her arm through mine, 
 saying — *' There ! you shall not call we pru- 
 dish, at least. I abhor a prude. Coquette, I 
 dare say you have called me in your heart, a 
 hundred times already. But you are wrong 
 there too, cousin mine. Having resolved, long 
 ago, never to marry, I make use of my inde- 
 pendence, and say what I like to any one ; but 
 that is all. I care not one straw for admiration 
 or anything of the kind." 
 
 ** Are you then the woman whose resolutions 
 can never be changed ?" I asked. 
 
 ^^ The woman !" she exclaimed, with a toss 
 of the head. ^' Bo you mean to imply that 
 every woman is weak and irresolute ?" 
 
 " Kot at all," I answered. '^That does not
 
 222 THE OLD DOMINION". 
 
 follow, dear eousin. A woman would show 
 herself more weak by keeping a resolution 
 founded upon mistaken grounds, than by break- 
 ing it. You are not so weak as to keep your 
 resolution if you have good cause for casting it 
 away.'' 
 
 *' As what ?" she asked. *' What cause can 
 I ever have 1" 
 
 *' Love,'' I answered. ^*^ If you found a man 
 who loved you sincerely, and whom you could 
 love in return, you would break it to-morrow, 
 and do well." 
 
 Bessy turned a little red, and then a little 
 pale, and cast down her bright eyes. lu order 
 to change the conversation, I made some obser- 
 vations upon the extreme beauty of the wild 
 flowers ; but it was with difficulty I called her 
 mind back from the train of thought it was 
 pursuing. 
 
 ^' I think I shall go home," she said at 
 length; '^for these people breakfast early, in 
 order to let their boys have full advantage of sweet
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 223 
 
 Mr. Mc Grubber's conversation during the day. 
 Good lack, good lack, cousin Eicbard ! but this 
 love and marriage which we were talking of 
 just now are strange things in their way. 
 Who would ever have thought that extraordi- 
 nary Mc Grubber could have found any woman 
 upon the face of the earth to marry him ? 
 And yet he did ; and a sweet, pretty little 
 creature I am told she was. She is dead now, 
 happily for her. It was what the old women 
 call a happy release. I am sure I should have 
 thought so if I had been his wife. So now to 
 return to our subject, let me say that, when I 
 see such wonderful things happening as sane 
 women marrying Mc Grubbers, no woman may 
 be confident of what may happen to herself; 
 and, therefore, I cannot positively say that I 
 will not break my resolution ; but, if I do, 
 'twill not be with my own consent." 
 
 " You are a little paradox altogether, Bessy," 
 I said.
 
 224 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 '^Then don't try to find me out," she an- 
 swered ; " for you never can do it.'' 
 
 *^ I have done it already," replied I, with a 
 significant nod of my head. 
 
 ^^Then pray tell me all about it," she cried, 
 '' for I really know nothing of the subject my- 
 self." 
 
 '*I will tell you all about it some day, 
 Bessy," I answered ; ^^ that I promise you ; 
 but I think I had better not begin such a long 
 discourse at present ; for I see something very 
 lank and very black coming this way, and, if 
 I mistake not, its name is Mc Grubber." 
 
 '^ Oh, then for heaven's sake let us get out 
 of his way," said Bessy, after having gazed for 
 a moment in the direction in which I had been 
 looking. "It is, it is, the great Mc Grubber. 
 Let us turn into the wood, here. A path 
 leads round in a way in which no human 
 greyhound, if he had legs three times as long, 
 could catch us."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 225 
 
 Thus saying, she led me along rapidly, till 
 we were fairly into the wood, and then burst 
 out into one of her clear, merry laughs at the 
 idea of having baffled poor Mo Grubber. 
 
 That he had seen us, I was perfectly cer- 
 tain ; and that, in the peculiar sort of charity 
 which I attributed to him, he would not assign 
 the best motive to our getting out of his way, 
 I thought very probable ; but, of course, I had 
 too much discretion even to suggest to Bessy, 
 that if her merely walking arm-in-arm with 
 me was likely to be construed into an engage- 
 ment between us, our flying into the woods 
 from the presence of a parson, was likely to be 
 more misconstrued still. 
 
 Bessy, however, had a bold, free way of 
 settling all these things for herself; and, 
 generally, I must say, she settled them very 
 well. As we went, she pointed out to me all 
 the various intricacies of the path we were 
 pursuing, which was, inieed, quite labyrin- 
 thine; and she chatted with me on many
 
 226 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 subjects, quite different from those which had 
 gone before. 
 
 When we arrived at the house, we found 
 Mrs. Stringer busying herself about the break- 
 fast table ; and Bessy, running up to her, told 
 her at once, in one of her gayest veins, how 
 we had seen Mr. Mc Grubber coming towards 
 us, and how we had doubled upon him into the 
 wood, and passed him, unseen, within a hun- 
 dred yards. 
 
 ^' Just as I have seen a fox do before the 
 hounds/' cried Bessy. ^'If I could but have 
 dravv^n him after us, it would have been the 
 greatest sport in the world. Cousin Eiehard 
 and I would have led him through every 
 swamp, and bush, and cane-brake we could 
 find." 
 
 '^ Oh no ! you mad- cap,'* said Mrs. Stringer, 
 '' I am sure Sir Eichari would never have 
 been so unkind to the poor man. He is a bore, 
 it is Iriie ; but there is no harm in him, I sin- 
 cerely believe."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 22T 
 
 " I am not so sure of that," answered Bessy. 
 *' A man who thinks he understands everybody 
 else's business better tlian themselves, becomes 
 a very dangerous person when he makes a mis- 
 take." 
 
 '' What is a bore ?" asked Mr. Me Grubber, 
 entering the room just at this mon:ent, after 
 having evidently been listening in the hall. 
 
 Mrs. Stringer, who had used the word, grew 
 very red, and looked confused; but Bessy 
 turned upon him at once, and answered, in an 
 ordinary tone, as if she were quoting from a 
 dictionary — 
 
 ^^ Bore — A person who impertinently iu' 
 trudes upon people who do not want him, and 
 then keeps grinding them, till he nearly bores 
 a hole through them — that's in Johnson, is it 
 not, cousin Eichard ?" 
 
 Her quiet look, the man's air of stolid be- 
 wilderment, and Mrs. Stringer's confusion, 
 were, I must confesS; too much for me ; and J 
 laughed till I cried.
 
 228 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 '^ What is he laughing at ?" asked Mr. 
 Mc Grubber, in a solemn tone ; *' T see no cause 
 for such levity." 
 
 This was too much for both "Bessy and Mrs. 
 Stringer; and when Mr. Stringer entered, a 
 minute after, he found us all three laughing as 
 hard as we could laugh, and Mr. Mc Grubber 
 standing, tall and stately, in the midst, a pillar 
 of indignant solemnity. 
 
 Breakfast was not yet over, when Mr. 
 Thornton arrived on horseback ; and I perceived 
 at ouce that he was a good deal excited ; but 
 he refrained from all business matters, till the 
 party rose, inquiring into our adventures of 
 the evening before, and giving a somewhat 
 amusing account of the journey of the carriage 
 home. 
 
 *' I was very glad, to tell you the truth, 
 Bessy,'' he said, 'Hhat our good cousin here 
 was not with us. It would have been a grand 
 triumph for an Englishman to see our roads in 
 Buch a state after a shower : on one side holes
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 229 
 
 six feet deep, in which a whole wheel would 
 disappear at once, and, on the other, stumps 
 and bumps of all shapes and dimensions." 
 
 " I dare say their roads are just as bad," 
 said Bessy Davenport, " only they have not 
 such good, honest showers as we have in Vir- 
 ginia, although I believe it always rains in 
 EnglaaJ. Doesn't it, cousin Eichard ?" 
 
 " Oh, yes," I answered, smiling; " but then 
 it only rains marabout feathers, our climate is 
 so soft and gentle." 
 
 ** And you are wrong, Bessy, about the 
 roads," added Mr. Thornton; "for there can 
 be no doubt that the roads in Europe, especially 
 in England, are admirable, while ours are a 
 disgrace to a country so prosperous and so far 
 advanced in every other kind of civilization." 
 
 '* Well, you need not have admitted it to an 
 Englishman, my dear uncle," said Bessy, 
 laughing; "for my part, I am resolved never 
 to admit to any of these proud Islanders that 
 they surpass us in anything whatever. They
 
 230 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 are quite conceited enough without our en- 
 couraging their vanity." 
 
 " You show your hand, fair lady,'' I replied ; 
 " and henceforth I shall know the game you 
 are playing. I shall never contradict you any 
 more." 
 
 ^^Ob, don't say that, my dear cousin, I be- 
 seech you !" cried Bessy. '^ Without contra- 
 diction, what should I be worth ? and what 
 would you do yourself?" 
 
 I believe the devil was in me, for I drew 
 close to her, and replied to her question in a 
 whisper — 
 
 ^^ I would try to get you to go to England 
 with me, and judge for yourself, dear Bessy." 
 
 It was certainly neither a moment nor a 
 mode for making a declaration ; and 1 had not 
 the slightest intention of so doing ; but the 
 words were uttered before I knew what I was 
 about ; and that, though spoken in a jesting 
 tone, they had some significance for her mind, 
 was very evident by Bessy's countenance, for
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 23 [ 
 
 she coloured like a rose, and quitted the 
 room. 
 
 Mrs. Stringer followed ; and, as soon as they 
 were gone, Mr. Thornton exclaimed — 
 
 *' NoTT, Sir Eichard, mount your horse, and 
 ride over with me to Jerusalem directly. Hub- 
 bard has promised to meet us there ; and we 
 must open the campaign at once. We have 
 bold and daring men to deal with ; and this 
 morning early, I learned, that, notwithstanding 
 our caveat, all your poor aunt's servants were 
 sold last night to that cursed dealer, with his 
 gold chains and trinkets. "We will cut him off 
 though. Hubbard is to bring the sheriff with 
 him ; a warrant shall be issued immediately, 
 and they shall not quit Virginia if my name is 
 Thornton." 
 
 *^ I will order my horse directly," I an- 
 swered. 
 
 *' I beg your pardon for taking the liberty," 
 said Mr. Thornton; ^' but I ordered it as I 
 came up. It must be now at the door."
 
 232 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 In a few minutes, we were mounted ; and 
 by that sort of electric telegraph of gossip, 
 which seems to run through and around e very- 
 Virginia country house, the whole family and 
 servants had apparently gained information of 
 what we were about, and were collected in and 
 around the porch to see us depart. I heard 
 one dark fellow say to another, as they stood 
 about the horses, in answer to some question — 
 
 ^^ A going to stop Miss Bab's servants being 
 sold to Orleens, to be sure." 
 
 *' God bless em, Massa Thornton never let 
 that," replied the other; ^^ they stop em !" 
 
 Even Bessy Davenport was there ; and, after 
 seeming to hesitate for a moment, she came 
 up to the side of my horse just as I had 
 mounted, and said, in a low tone— 
 
 ^^ Had you not better take pistols with you, 
 cousin Kichard ? These men are often very 
 violent and lawless." 
 
 *' No, no," I answered, holding up my riding- 
 whip, which had a very heavy iron head, cast
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 233 
 
 in the form of an eagle, " I can give a good 
 account of two or three with this; and I 
 should not like to show that I meditated 
 violence myself." Bending down my head, 
 as I spoke, I added, in a whisper — " Forgive 
 me, Bessy ; I did not intend to trouble or 
 annoy you, by what I said this morning. I 
 may not be so conceited and self-confident as 
 you think all Englishmen are." 
 
 She looked up frankly in my face, and, not- 
 withstanding all the people round her, held out 
 her hand to me. I pressed it in mine for a 
 moment, and then galloped away. 
 
 At the gate leading into the main road, we 
 saw Billy Byles coming up from the right^ 
 mounted on a very handsome horse, which 
 showed a little more blood than bone, and Mr. 
 Thornton instantly hallood him up — 
 
 *^ Come along Byles," he cried, *^ come 
 along with us, you are just the sort of man we 
 want. We are going hunting."
 
 234 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 " Hunting !" echoed bold Billy, ^* hunting 
 what, in Heaven's name ?" 
 
 " A nigger-driver and his master," answered 
 Mr. Thornton. ^' Lewis, the trader, bought 
 last night, all Aunt Bab's servants, notwith- 
 standing our caveat against it, and we must 
 catch him ere he gets to the State- line, or we 
 may have trouble." 
 
 ''Tally hol'^ cried Billy Byles. ''We'll 
 give him a chase. You ride on. I'll rouse 
 the country as we go, and join you in five 
 minutes. There's Toliver, and Turner, and 
 Sam Hicks, and Whitehead and his son, all 
 close to the road, men always ready for action ; 
 and these fellows will show fight, depend upon 
 it. Stop at the cross-road just on this side of 
 Jerusalem." 
 
 ' No, no," said Mr. Thornton, " come to old 
 Scead's Hotel. You will find us there before 
 the house. We shall get information there, 
 and a warrant."
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOIS'. 235 
 
 *• Ob, warrants ! Damn warrants !" respon- 
 Billy Byles, ^' 1 am always my own warrant. 
 But go on ; I'll come, and not keep you." 
 
 On we went accordingly, at a rapid pace, 
 minding neither dust nor mud, both of which 
 were to be had on the road, as it undulated up 
 and down ; and in about three quarters of an 
 hour, we had reached the town or village of 
 Jerusalem, as the Capital seat of the County of 
 Southampton is called. I fancy it is always 
 an active, bustling little place ; but there was 
 evidently an unusual excitement in it at the 
 time ; and as we rode up towards the inn, I 
 saw my good friend, Mr. Hubbard, standing 
 by his pony, and another gentle iii an on horse- 
 back, close to him, who, Mr. Thornton informed 
 me, was the sheriff. 
 
 I have since seen several specimens of the 
 some kind in Virginia; and shall only therefore 
 say, he was a very tall, lanky man, with a good 
 carriage and a fine countenance, with tremen- 
 dously long limbs, and not a superfluous ounce
 
 236 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 of flesh or fat upon any of them. Could I 
 suppose him to have been once a beast trans- 
 formed by some beneficient fairy into a man, I 
 should say he must formerly have been a full- 
 blooded Irish stag- hound ; and his horse was 
 of the same character, all bone and sinew, but 
 a remarkably fine animal. He was equipped 
 as if for the chase, with a pair of long boots 
 which came up almost to his hips; and he had 
 a little hat stuck upon the top of his grey hair, 
 which a very slight change would have turned 
 into a jockey cap. 
 
 As soon as he saw us, he dashed very un- 
 ceremoniously through the little crowd towards 
 us ; and we learned from him, (after a brief 
 introduction between him and me from Mr. 
 Thornton,) that the warrant against Mr. Lewis 
 was already in the hands of a constable, who 
 was saddling his horse ; and that information 
 had been obtained of the course of the trader 
 and his party, they having passed through 
 Jerusalem about an hour and a half before.
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOX. 237 
 
 " Young Thornton is with him," added the 
 sheriff, addressing my companion ; ^^ and you 
 know what sort uf a fellow he is ; so we are 
 likely to have a fight for it, and had better go 
 prepared." 
 
 '^ Let us start off at once," said Mr. Thornton. 
 " As he has'got so far a-head, he may get across 
 the state- line, where your writ won't run," 
 
 By this time, Mr. Hubbard had joined us, 
 and being informed that Billy Byles was rais- 
 ing recruits, advised us to remain till he came 
 up, if he did not tarry too long, and then 
 entered upon some legal question with the 
 sheriff as to the nature, power, and extent of 
 the warrant issued — matters which I did not 
 very clearly comprehend. 
 
 " Oh, yes, my good friend," replied Mr. 
 Hubbard, to some question of the sheriff, '^ a 
 slave being clearly a chattel, notwithstanding 
 the act of 1799, you can proceed just in the 
 same manner as for the recovery of any other 
 chattel stolen or abstracted. The abductors
 
 2 38 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 can be indicted, and a warrant against them- 
 can be issued to prevent their removal of the 
 chattel from the jurisdiction of the State. Be- 
 sides, in the case of Moosa versus Ailain, Judge 
 Martin's judgment clearly shows that a slave 
 himself is entitled to the aid of a magistrate, 
 to prevent him from being illegally removed 
 from the State." 
 
 There was something very harsh to my ears, 
 as an Englishman, to hear even mild Mr. 
 Hubbard talking of a human being as a chattel ; 
 and as I could be of no use in the discussion, 
 I listened no lono:er. I thousrht, however, if 
 I could get a knowledge of the country, I 
 might employ any military science I possessed 
 in preventing the escape of our adversary. A 
 printed map could not be obtained ; but as 
 some two or three dozen persons had already 
 surrounded us, I contrived to get hold of a pen- 
 and-ink drawing of all the roads round about, 
 and a torrent of information as to marshes, 
 ditches, brakes and had places.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 239 
 
 In the meantime^ sundry horses were 
 brought out saddled, and sundry gentlemen 
 began to mount ; and before all was ready, bold 
 Billy Byles and three other gentlemen rode up, 
 with the gay and excited air of men bound for 
 some exceedingly joyful enterprise. 
 
 '^ Now then," cried Mr. Byles, ^' let's be off. 
 I hear they have taken right across for the old 
 Nottoway encampment ; but as they are going 
 in waggons, we shall catch them soon enough." 
 
 I looked at my pen-and-ink map, and saw 
 marked down on one spot, *^ Indian Yillage." 
 Two roads led towards it, one a distinct broad 
 way, and the other seemingly a narrow but 
 more direct path. 
 
 '^ Is this road passable ?" I asked, of a young 
 man standing near, and pointing to the map. 
 He could tell me nothing about it ; but another 
 said — 
 
 ** I came along it this morning. It is 
 wettish down there by the bars ; but if you 
 keep your horses' heads well up, you'll get
 
 240 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 through, I reckon. There's a little bit of a jog 
 there to the left, which is not down on the 
 plan, and if you take that, you'll come right 
 down on the palisade on t'other side. There 
 you can see by the waggon tracks, whether 
 they have gone on or not, for that rain last 
 night must have washed it pretty clean." 
 
 By this time, all were prepared to set out 
 except Mr. Hubbard, who preferred to wait our 
 return in Jerusalem ; and we made altogether a 
 party of some fifteen horse. As we rode out of 
 the town, I pointed out on the map, to the sheriff, 
 the roads I have alluded to, and proposed that 
 he and Mr. Thornton, with the main body of 
 the party should follow the wider road, while I 
 and Billy Byles, with one or two others should 
 take the narrower path, and endeavour to cut 
 Mr. Lewis's party off." 
 
 *^ No bad plan," said the sheriff, with a nod 
 of his head ; '^ but, will you have force 
 enough ?" 
 
 ^' I understand they have got several fellows
 
 THE OLD D0M1NI0]N. 24 i 
 
 with them — three Irishmen and a Dutchman, 
 besides others.'^ 
 
 *' Give me two other stout men besides Mr. 
 Byles," said I, ^' and I will undertake to keep 
 them at a stand till you come up." 
 
 *' A soldier ?" asked the sheriffj laconically. 
 
 I nodded my head. 
 
 ^' Well, go along then," he said; '^there's 
 your way up there ; then the first to the right; 
 but then mind the jog of the road to the left, 
 about seven miles on. But Byles knows all 
 about it ; he knows the country right well. 
 Here's their trail — these waggon ruts, freshly 
 made and sharp at the edges. You can easily 
 judge by these whether they have gone on ; 
 and if they have got beyond the camp you had 
 better stay there till we come. There will be 
 nothing fur it then but to ride them straight 
 down as hard as we can go." 
 
 The matter was soon explained to Mr. Byles, 
 who was ready for anything ; and after he, on 
 his best judgment, had selected two stout 
 YOL. I. M
 
 160 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 fellows to accompany us, we set off at as fast a 
 pace as we could well go, till we reached the 
 mouth of the very narrow path which we had 
 to pursue. Nor did we much slacken our 
 speed there ; although, to say the truth, it was 
 rather a perilous undertaking to ride along it 
 with such velocity ; for the boughs swung 
 across in many directions, whisking one's 
 eyes, or one's knees, or one's head every two 
 or three hundred yards. 
 
 " Now we are coming near the bad place by 
 the bar," said Billy Byles. " Keep a short 
 rein and ease them up as you go through." 
 
 And on he went, into what seemed to me, 
 neither more nor less than a morass. His 
 horse made a terrible flounder at the first 
 plunge, but was up again in a moment ; and 
 on we all went, stumbling, and sinking, and 
 rolling, but scrambling on still, till we reached 
 the other side of the had place^ and were onoe 
 more upon firm ground. 
 
 The next three or four miles were much
 
 THE OT.D rOMINTON. 16 1 
 
 more open, the road passing througli a low sort 
 of brushwood, with scattered, scrubby trees, 
 and a good deal of short grass between. We 
 took advantage of it to the uttermost, and 
 entered the thicker wood again after a gallop 
 of some twenty minutes. 
 
 ^' I think we must have distanced them," 
 said Billy Byles, slackening his speed a little ; 
 ^' the waggons cannot go more than three miles 
 an hour at their very best, and we have not let 
 the grass grow under us." \ 
 
 On we went, however, at a very quick trot ; 
 and, at the end of three miles farther, Mr. 
 Byles said, in a low tone — 
 
 '' We are coming near now. We shall soon 
 know what we are about." 
 
 At the same moment, I heard a sound, pro- 
 ceeding, apparently, from some spot not more 
 than a couple of hundred yards on our left. It 
 was a low sort of whining, complaining noise, 
 something like a door turning on rusty hinges ; 
 and I said — 
 M 3
 
 244 THE OLD DOMTNIOK. 
 
 ^'Hark! what is that ?" 
 
 '^ An un greased waggon wheel/' replied 
 Billy Byles. ^^ We have caught them, for a 
 hundred dollars." 
 
 The next instant we heard somebody in the 
 same direction whistling ^' Kate of Coleraine," 
 and Billy remarked — 
 
 *^ That is that ruffian, Matthew Leary. He 
 is alw^ays in any dirty job. He would sell his 
 own father if any body would buy him. Now 
 then, let us push on and turn sharp to the left, 
 when we get upon the main road, spreading 
 out so that we shall head them and they can't 
 
 We rode on accordingly, and in two minutes 
 more, we entered a good, wide, sandy road, 
 from which we had only been separated for 
 the last mile by an acute angle of the wood.
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 245 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 The sight which now presented itself, as we 
 wheeled to the left, was not without its interest 
 to one who had never seen such a thing before. 
 The road, as I have said, was broad, and bor- 
 dered on each side by thick wood, probably 
 part of the primeval forest ; but it was straight ; 
 and, at the distance of about a third of a 
 mile, I could see an open space, only encum- 
 bered by what seemed to me a sort of ruinous 
 stockade — in fact, the remains of an ancient 
 Indian settlement of the jS'ottoway tribe. Be-
 
 246 THE OLD POMmiON. 
 
 tween us and the stockade was a curious sort of 
 cavalcade, the head of the line not being more 
 than a hundred yards from us. Tt consisted 
 principally of four-wheeled carts or waggons, 
 apparently hired from farmers, and drawn by 
 horses of yarious degrees of fatness and size. 
 The waggons were, I think, five in number ; 
 and each was loaded as full as it could hold 
 with families of poor negroes, in every attitude 
 of grief and dejection. They sat on a little 
 straw, thrown down in the bottom of the 
 vehicle ; and soire, especially among the 
 women, had their heads bent down on their 
 knees as they sat, while others gazed around 
 with a vacant, listless look of despair. Several 
 children were amongst them ; and, in fact, 
 almost every age, from the v/hite-headed old 
 man to the infant at the breast ; for Mr. Lewis, 
 as he afterwards expressed himself, liked to 
 buy a whole lot at once, and not to separate 
 people. 
 
 Each waggon had its driver on foot, all white
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 247 
 
 men, and, I think, most of them Irishmen ; 
 but at the head of the procession came three 
 very well mounted men, the centre figure 
 being that of Mr. Lewis himself, as gaudily 
 dressed as usual. 
 
 ^* That's young Thornton on the right," said 
 Billy Byles to me, in a low tone, '^ Eobert 
 
 Thornton, the d d rascally attorney who 
 
 makes so much nnschief in the place ; and 
 that's Matthew Leary over on the other side. 
 But who the devil that is in the middle I don't 
 know." 
 
 *^ That's Lewis the trader," I answered. " I 
 came in the boat with him." 
 
 *' Oh, ho !" ejaculated Mr. Byles. '' Now 
 let's ride slowly on and have a chat with them, 
 to give the others time to come up. Keep 
 spread out, so that none of them can pass ; and 
 let me manage it. Sir Eichard ; for we may as 
 well begin quietly, so that when the fight 
 comes, we may have help near at hand, for you 
 see, all mustered, they are two to one."
 
 248 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 We accordiDgly moved slowly forward, and 
 were soon close to the advancing party. 
 
 " Good morning, Mr. Thornton," said Billy 
 Byles, in a cheerful tone. " You must have 
 been out early to have got so far from your 
 place by this time." 
 
 *' So must you, Mr. Byles," replied Thornton, 
 who to say the truth was a tall, stout, good 
 looking man, from whose appearance, I cer- 
 tainly should never have divined his character. 
 *^ You seem to have ridden hard too; your 
 horse is all in a sweat." 
 
 By this time seeing their leaders stop to 
 converse, the drivers of the waggons had 
 brought them to a halt ; while Mr. Lewis had 
 noticed me with a somewhat shy inclination of 
 the head, as if he suspected at once that some- 
 thing was not all right ; and Mr. Leary began 
 to talk in a low tone to one of the two men 
 who accompanied us. 
 
 '* We have been hunting," said Billy Byles,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 249 
 
 in answer to Eobert Thornton's last observa- 
 tion. 
 
 ^* Hunting !" exclaimed the other ; *' hunting 
 on the first of June !" 
 
 " Ay, ay, I know it is out of season ; but 
 you see I watnted to give our English friend 
 here a sight of some sport such as he does not 
 have in his own country. Have you seen any- 
 thing of the rest of our party? for we have cut 
 across, hoping to join them about here." 
 
 " No," answered Thornton ; ^ we have seen 
 nobody since we started, neither man nor 
 beast. Now, Mr. Byles, I must wish you good 
 morning, for I have business on hand." 
 
 '* So I see," retorted Billy Byles, not moving 
 out of the way a step. " A nice lot of negroes 
 upon my word. Why, hang it, there's old 
 Lydia, who was Mrs. Bab Thornton's woman !" 
 
 *' Perhaps so," said Thornton, impatiently ; 
 '^ but I must get on. Come along, boys !" 
 
 " Stop, stop, Thornton !" exclaimed Billy 
 M 6
 
 250 THE OLD DOMINION". 
 
 B^^Ies. ^^11 ave got something to say to you in 
 private — a little hint which may be serviceable 
 to you.'' 
 
 " Say it out then," returned Thornton, with 
 a flush upon his cheek. ^* I don't care a cuss 
 about secrets ; and I'm in a hurry." 
 
 '' Why then the fact is," said Billy Byles, 
 '• that a warrant is out against you and one 
 Lewis, together with other parties, for certain 
 offences which I dare say you know, better 
 than I do. And you will not be allowed to go 
 on depend upon it." 
 
 '^ And who the devil will stop me ?" de- 
 manded Mr. Thornton, with his face turniug 
 very red and the veins of his temples swelling 
 up. 
 
 " In the first place, I will," answered Billy 
 Byles ; '^ and if we are not enough here, there 
 will be plenty more up in a minute, who will 
 stop you quite effectually." 
 
 *' You will stop me, will you ?" cried
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 251 
 
 Thornton, putting his hand in his pocket and 
 setting his teeth hard. '^ Where's your war- 
 rant, sir, Where's your warrant ?-' 
 
 At the same time, Mr. Lewis, who had 
 turned rather white, looked back to the 
 drivers of the waggons, exclaiming, '' Come 
 up, come up, my men, and move these gentle- 
 men's horses out of the way." 
 
 '' I'll move them," cried Mr. Kobert Thorn- 
 ton, drawing a brace of small pistols out of his 
 pocket. '^ It you have a warrant, Mr. Byle^, 
 produce it. If not, stand out of my way or 
 
 by I'll shoot you as dead as mutton « 
 
 Here's one for you, and one for your John Bull 
 accomplice. Curse me, if I had him by my- 
 self half an hour, if I would not give him such 
 a whipping for the love I bear his country as 
 would send him back howling." 
 
 He paused for a minute, to see if his brag- 
 gadocio would have any effect. But Billy 
 Byles continued right before him, and I only 
 smiled, taking care however to grasp my heavv-
 
 252 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 headed riding-whip by the middle in case he 
 should proceed to any act of violence. At the 
 sarr.e time, the men from the waggons began to 
 come up. Mr. Leary brandished a stout stick 
 which he carried ; and I thought I heard a 
 noise of trotting horses not far off. The next 
 minute, the click of Thornton's pistol-lock was 
 audible ; and, with one glance to see that it 
 was properly capped, be raised it right in the 
 direction of my bold friend. 
 
 "Dammee, fire if you dare!" cried Billy 
 Bjles. 
 
 Bat I saw that no time was to be lost ; and 
 the head of my hunting-whip descended upon 
 Mr. Thornton's knuckles with such a blow as 
 to make him instantly relax his hold; and 
 down went the pistol to the ground, going off 
 amongst the hordes' feet, but hurting no one. 
 
 In the meantime, Mr. Leary had engaged in a 
 struggle with one of the stout farmers who had 
 accompanied, us, and both having been pulled 
 from their horses, were rolling over and over
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 253 
 
 on the ground together. Mr. Lewis was still 
 beckouingto the men behind to come up ; but 
 they seemed very little inclined to obey, and 
 moved but slowly towards the spot where hard 
 blows were going. 
 
 Thornton, with the other pistol in his 
 hand, had now turned upon me ; but Mr. 
 Byles spurring his horse upon him, caught him 
 by the collar, and threw him back ; and the 
 other farmer, riding up, pulled him oQ his 
 horse and wrenched the pistol fairly out of 
 his grasp. At the same time, the sheriff and 
 his party began to appear from behind the old 
 stockade, and there was soon a sufficient force 
 on the field to render further resistance 
 unavailable. 
 
 When they saw Mr. Henry Thornton's face 
 in the approaching party, the negroes who had 
 sat seeo.ingly stupified in the waggons, not 
 comprehending what was going on, rose up 
 and gave a cheer, mingled with a loud and
 
 254 THE OLD DOMIMOX. 
 
 joyful laugh, and the sheriff riding round, ex- 
 claimed, '^ Who fired that shot ?" 
 
 " It was Bob Thornton's pistol," said Billy 
 Byles ; * • but I think Sir Eichard's gentle 
 rap of the knuckles made it go off, before 
 he would have dared to fire it himself." 
 
 '^ That's a lie," ^aid Bob Thornton. " If he 
 had not knocked it out of my hand, the ball 
 would have been through your heart, you 
 purse-proud jack-ass. But I will Iring him 
 to account for it. He struck me. You saw 
 him, Mr. Lewis — you saw him Leary ; and the 
 d — ned English cur shall smart for it. You 
 all saw him strike me." 
 
 My patience was exhausted, and I jumped 
 off my horse, saying, " If you want more wit- 
 nesses, sir, you shall have them." And at the 
 same time, I laid the whip two or three times 
 pretty severely over his shoulders. 
 
 I believe he would have sprung at my throat 
 like a tiger ; but the constable coming up took
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 255 
 
 him by the collar and presented his warrant. 
 There was a strong mixture of the lawyer and 
 the bully in Robert Thornton's nature ; and the 
 sight of the legal instrumentj duly signed and 
 sealed, in an instant drew his attention in 
 another direction. 
 
 ^' This warrant is worth nothing," he said, 
 turning to the constable, after having run his 
 eye over the document ; '^ and if you arrest me 
 upon thi-^, I shall have an action for false im- 
 prisonment against you." 
 
 " I think you will find yourself mistaken," 
 said the sheriff, with a smile. " It was drawn 
 by Mr. Hubbard, and he does not often make 
 mistakes." 
 
 " Oh ! ho ! old Hubbard again !" cried the 
 other. "Some day, I shall have to knock that 
 old fooPs brains out, I'm afraid." 
 
 " Ay, they have stood in your way more 
 than once, Bob," said Mr. Henry Thornton. 
 
 '' "Well, we will bail this, of course," said
 
 256 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 the other, without taking any notice of what his 
 relation had said. 
 
 ^* That must be done at Jerusalem," said the 
 sheriff; ^* so you had better mount your horse, 
 and come along, sir." 
 
 ** Wait one moment," said Eobert, looking at 
 me. " I want a word or two with this gentle- 
 man first." 
 
 ^* 1^0 violence, gentlemen, no violence," said 
 the sheriff. 
 
 ^' Oh, no violence in the world," answered 
 Eobert Thornton ; ^*only I wish to know who 
 my new acquaintance is." 
 
 Thus saying, he walked a little aside, beckon- 
 ing me to follow ; but Billy Byles, who seemed 
 to have a thorough knowledge of the gentle- 
 man, whispered, as I went — 
 
 ^' Don't be provoked to challenge him by 
 anything he can say. lie wants the choice of 
 weapons, and he'll choose something you're 
 not accustomed to."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 257 
 
 The hint was a good one ; and I really felt 
 much obliged to him for it, as the people in 
 this part of the world not unfrequently settle 
 affairs of honour in various wild and unac- 
 customed ways, which would have strangely 
 shocked old Brantome, and which, assuredly, 
 were not anticipated in his book on duels. 
 
 As soon as we had got a little distance from 
 the rest, out of ear-shot, but not out of sight, 
 Mr. Eobert Thornton made me a low bow, as 
 if about to begin a very polite conversation, 
 and said — 
 
 " In the first place, sir, I wish to inquire the 
 name of a gentleman with whom my acquaint- 
 ance has commenced so auspiciously — his 
 name, state, quality, and degree." 
 
 " I will satisfy you immediately," I replied. 
 ^* My name is Sir Eichard Conway ; my state, 
 an English gentleman, visiting Virginia ; my 
 quality, a Baronet of Great Britain ; and my 
 
 degree, a major upon half-pay of the 
 
 regiment of dragoons."
 
 258 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 '* Well, then, Sir Eichard Conway, baronet, 
 major, etc., I look upon you as a d — d black- 
 guard and scoundrel.'' Aud he stared me 
 straight in the face. 
 
 ^* My dear sir,'' I answered, with a calm 
 smile, *' 1 have had the honour of horse- whip- 
 ping you already, in the presence of several 
 other people. I do not think it necessary to 
 repeat it, as you can't easily take the past 
 horse- whipping off; but if it will be any grati- 
 fication to you, I will do it." 
 
 " Well, sir, for a soldier, you seem cursed 
 hard to take an insult," he answered, with a 
 sneer. 
 
 ''Not at all," replied I. " I have insulted 
 you publicly, and on purpose. Your bad opi- 
 nion of me 1 consider as no insult, but rather a 
 compliment — at all events, till you have wiped 
 out the horse-whipping you have received. 
 And now, if you have nothing else to say, I 
 shall w ish you good morning." 
 
 '' Stay, stay 1" he cried, with his face very
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. '159 
 
 much flushed ; ^' you must give me satisfaction 
 for this." 
 
 "Very good," I answered. "I am quite at 
 your service, wherever you please to name. 
 You had better send some friend to my friend, 
 Mr. Byles, and they will, together, arrange the 
 preliminaries. I am myself staying at the 
 house of Mr. Stringer, called Beavors, and shall 
 remain there for a week. After that, I shall 
 most likely be at Mr. Henry Thornton's ; but 
 Mr. Byles, 1 presume, will be found at his 
 own house, and you must communicate with 
 him." 
 
 Thus saying, I made him a bow and left 
 him, not at all sorry, I must confess, to have 
 thrown the onus of the challenge upon lim ; 
 for the idea of bowie-knives in a dark room, or 
 blunderbusses in a saw- pit, does not at all meet 
 my notions of the Code of Honour. 
 
 We then mounted our horses, and after some 
 little difficulty in the arrangements, Mr Lewis 
 and Mr. Eobert Thornton being looked upon
 
 260 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 as prisoners, (though not under personal re- 
 straint) pursued our way back to Jerusalem ; the 
 sheriff leading the party, and several other gen- 
 tlemen following the waggons which contained 
 the negroes, to prevent the possibility of any of 
 the personsconcerned escaping, as many doubts 
 were entertained whether Mr. Lewis might not 
 take the first opportunity of dashing away for 
 the State-line. 
 
 Yarious conversations, of course, took place; 
 and I soon found an opportunity of communi- 
 cating to Mr. Byles what had passed between 
 Mr. Eobert Thornton and myself, and of re- 
 questing him to act as my friend upon the 
 occasion. 
 
 "Certainly, certainly,'' he answered ; ''you 
 managed it capitally. Now let me hear your 
 views as to the time, place, mode, and weapon. 
 I can lend you the best rifle in the world." 
 
 " Excuse me," I answered ; " pistols are the 
 weapons we always use in England ; and I 
 certainly should prefer them. As to the place,
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. I6l 
 
 you must appoint that for me, as I do not know 
 the country. All the other arrangements I 
 must leave to you ; they are quite indifferent 
 to me, except that I should like it over as 
 soon as possible, for no business, especially 
 business of this kind, should be long de- 
 layed.'' 
 
 " But have you got pistols with you ?" he 
 asked. 
 
 ^^ Nothing but a pair for the pocket," I an- 
 swered ; ^' but surely they can be obtained in 
 the neighbourhood." 
 
 *^ No tools worth using," he replied ; ^' but I 
 know where to get them. That, however, may 
 delay us for three or four days. Still I 
 doubt if that won't be too soon for him. He 
 doe-s not want courage when his blood is up ; 
 but it soon cools down, and then the lawyer 
 comes over him again." 
 
 *^ We must not give it time to cool," I an- 
 swered ; " and I have a very good excuse for
 
 262 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 hurrying things on, as a stranger in the land 
 whose stay must necessarily be uncertain." 
 
 Having arranged all that matter with Mr. 
 Byles, I joined Mr. Henry Thornton, who was 
 looking somewhat grave, but did not in any 
 way refer to the personal altercation between 
 his relation and myself. At Jerusalem, which 
 we reached after a somewhat tiresome ride, we 
 found Mr. Hubbard, and one or two magis- 
 trates. A longj legal discussion ensued, first 
 as to the validity of the writ, and next as to 
 the amount of bail which was to be taken 
 from Mr. Lewis and Mr. Thornton who, I 
 found, were charged with a conspiracy to de- 
 fraud certain persons, amongst whom I was 
 one. There is no need to enter into any of the 
 details of these matters ; suffice it, that Eoberi 
 Thornton easily procured the necessary sure- 
 ties, and that, after much difficulty, Mr. Lewis 
 did the same. 
 
 The great question, however, was in regard
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 263 
 
 to the custody of good aunt Bab's negroes, 
 whom Mr. Robert Thornton very much wished 
 to carry back to his father's plantation. The 
 sheriff peremptorily interfered, however ; 
 and, notwithstanding some threats and many 
 arguments, took possession of them himself, to 
 hold them for the lawful owner. 
 
 The greater portion of the day had been 
 consumed by these proceedings, and the whole 
 party were glad to separate and get to their 
 several homes. I wended my way back to Mr. 
 Stringer's, accompanied, as far as the gate on 
 the high-road, by Mr. Henry Thornton and 
 bold Billy Byles. There they left me, and I 
 pursued my way alone, revolving all the little 
 incidents of the day. I am always sorry when 
 I suffer anger to overcome me, and I regretted 
 having struck the pitiful trickster, opposed to 
 me, more than the one blow which was neces- 
 sary to knock the pistol out of his hand. I 
 felt a certain degree of self-reproach, and, per-
 
 264 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 hapSj-some lingering shadow of the kind re- 
 mained upon my face. 
 
 Under the porch of Mr. Stringer's house, 
 when I arrived, were several members of the 
 family and Miss Davenport, reading or work- 
 ing in the shade. A thousand questions were 
 poured upon me as to the course and end of 
 our adventure ; but none came from Bessy ; 
 though her look was raised to my face, and 
 her eyes seemed to question mine. 
 
 "Was there any resistance?" asked Mr. 
 Stringer. 
 
 ii Yery slight," I replied ; " one worthy gen- 
 tleman thought fit to draw a pistol, but it was 
 knocked out of his hand, and went off upon the 
 ground." 
 
 " Eobert Thornton, of course," said Bessy, 
 ^* bully and knave combined." 
 
 I nodded my head, and the conversation 
 went on, till Air. and Mrs. Stringer retired 
 from the porch to prepare for dinner, calling
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 265 
 
 their little boy who was there to accom- 
 pany them. Bessy Davenport had contrived 
 to get a knot in the silk she was working, and 
 she remained for a minute or two longer. The 
 first minute was passed in silence ; but she 
 twice looked up in my face, and then said, 
 suddenly — 
 
 " Cousin Eichard, there is something you 
 have not told us. I see it in your face." 
 
 '^ I have told you really all about the pur- 
 suit and capture of these people," I replied, 
 laughing. *' You don't wish me, I hope, to 
 relate all that occurred in regard to warrants, 
 and bail, and custody of negroes ; for really 
 the worthy gentlemen's law-terms were beyond 
 my comprehension," 
 
 She shook her head somewhat sadly, say- 
 ing— 
 
 " You are insincere, as all men are with all 
 women." 
 
 "• No, indeed, Bessy," I answered, taking 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 266 THE OLD DOxMINION. 
 
 the vacant seat by her side. ^^ I have told you 
 all that is necessary for you to know." 
 
 She started up, breaking the silk thread in 
 two between her fingers, and exclaimed — 
 
 ^* Well, perhaps you have. But I do hope, 
 Cousin Ptichard, that you are not going to risk 
 a valuable life against one that should only be 
 ended by the hangman. There, I won't hear 
 any more about it now, whether you are going 
 to speak sincerely or insincerely. I look upon 
 these things very differently from many of the 
 girls in this neighbourhood. I look upon the 
 men who fight duels as great fools or great 
 villains, and think there are but two cases in 
 which a man is bound to fight : one, when he 
 has received so great an injury, and the other, 
 when he has inflicted so great an injury, that it 
 is impossible for him and his opponent to live 
 upon the same earth together." 
 
 Thus saying, she ran away and left me ; 
 and, at dinner, there was no trace upon her 
 countenance or in her manner of the more
 
 THE 01 D DOMINION. 267 
 
 serious thoughts and feelings which I knew 
 were in her mind. She was, indeed, if any- 
 thing, gayer than usual; and amused us during 
 the greater part of the evening with singing 
 the merriest negro songs she could select. Sud- 
 denly, however, she changed entirely the tone 
 of her music, and poured forth one of the most 
 melancholy and touching strains I ever heard, 
 beautifully suited to her exquisitely sweet 
 voice, which, even in her gayest and happiest 
 moments, had an expression in it that made one 
 feel a thrill, not of melancholy, but of some- 
 thing very nearly approaching it. 
 
 ^^ Heigh ho !'' she exclaimed, rising as soon 
 as that song was over. " Now that I have made 
 myself and all of you sad, I'll go to bed and 
 sleep it off, as the drunkards do.'' 
 
 "Stay a moment," I said. '^ Eemember, 
 you promised to show me where my new ac- 
 quaintance Nat Turner lives." 
 
 ^'Did I ?" she answered. " I don't remem- 
 ber ; but I'll do it, cousin ; and, as you are 
 N 3
 
 268 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 curious in ebony, I'll introduce you to a stick 
 of another tree ; but a very curious one too — 
 one of the best old men that ever lired and one 
 of the wisest also, though he is a pure Afri- 
 can. There's something curious about Nat 
 Turner, something mysterious, supernatural; 
 but if ever there was a pure, gentle minded 
 Christian — an Israelite without guile, it is good 
 uncle Jack." 
 
 '' When shall it be then ?" I asked. 
 
 ^^ Oh after breakfast to-morrow," she an- 
 swered. *^Mrs. Stringer fancies that if I go 
 out so early in the morning, the dews will give 
 me a fever, though they have been falling on 
 my head almost every day for one- and- twenty 
 years — there's a confession, Cousin Eichard, 
 don't I look like seventeen? I must make 
 haste, dear Mrs. Stringer, or I shall lose my 
 chance. Women are looked upon as old 
 women at two-and-twenty. Dear me ! What 
 a deal to be done in one year — to find some- 
 body to fall in love with — to get him to fall
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 269 
 
 in love with me — to fall in love with him my- 
 self (that's the most difficult and longest task 
 of them all) — to get married (but that's 
 nothing ; it can be done in half an hour) — and 
 to get all my wedding clothes ready. But, 
 good night, good night. I'll go and arrange 
 it all with Julia while she is combing my 
 hair ; and I dare say I shall get through — 
 with patience and perseverance."
 
 270 THE OLB I^OMINIOX. 
 
 eUAFrER XI. 
 
 It was a beautiful morning, and the breakfast 
 was oyer by eight o'clock, notwithstanding the 
 tremendously long grace with which Mr. Mo 
 Grubber thought fit to season it. There was 
 some chance, therefore, of a cool walk, although 
 1 could not think Mrs. Stringer's plan a ^ood 
 one ; for it seems to me that the early morn- 
 ings and the late evenings are the only endur- 
 able periods in a V^irginian summer. 
 
 Bessy Davenport ran up stairs to get some 
 covering for her head; and I stood in the
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 271 
 
 porch waiting for her, ready for our visit to 
 my mysterious negro, and to the no less re- 
 markable personage to whom she had promised 
 to introduce me. But a moment before she 
 come down, who should appear but Billy 
 Byles coming round from the stable where 
 he had put up his horse. 
 
 " It is all arranged," he said, speaking in 
 a low tone, and shaking me by the hand. ^* On 
 Saturday morning at six, in Hunter's wood." 
 
 " Why, that is three days still," I said, 
 somewhat annoyed at the delay. 
 
 ^^We couldn't arrange it otherwise," he 
 answered; ** the pistols stuck in Bob Thorn- 
 ton's throat desperately. He did not care a 
 
 d n, how he fought you for that matter — 
 
 muskets and buck-shot as lief as any other 
 way ; but he should have to send for pistols. 
 I told him we were in the same predicament, 
 but that pistols it must be ; and so we fixed 
 Saturday morning to give him time. You
 
 272 THB OLD DOMINION. 
 
 had better come over and dine with me on 
 Friday and take a bed at .^^ 
 
 Just then appeared Bossy Davenport and he 
 stopped short; but I answered at once as if 
 he had concluded his sentence, '^ With a 
 great deal of pleasure, at what hour do you 
 dine ?'^ 
 
 ^' Oh, at three, at three,'^ answered Billy 
 Byles. '^ I have not got into these peoples^ 
 bad habits yet." 
 
 ** Indeed I" cried Bessy coming up. "I did 
 not know that you ever let any bad habit pass 
 you, Mr. Byles, without trying it on at 
 least." 
 
 ^^ You are a wicked little satirist, Miss Bessy," 
 he answered ; " but I know the cause of your 
 malice; you are angry at my taking Sir Eichard 
 away from you, to dine with me on Friday." 
 
 '^ If you don't do any worse with him than 
 that, I don't care," said Bessy ; " but I doubt 
 you both, I tell you. Come, Cousin Eichard, 
 let us go, or we shall have a warm walk back.'-
 
 TffE OLD DOMINION. 273 
 
 And leaving Mr. Byles, we walked on towards 
 the edge of the forest. For the first hundred 
 yards or so, Bessy walked on profoundly 
 silent, with her eyes fixed upon the ground ; 
 but then she looked up, with a sigh and a 
 sad shake of the head, saying, " It won't do, 
 Eichard." 
 
 It were needless to deny, that the interest 
 displayed in my fate by such a lovely creature, 
 produced very sweet emotions ; but still there 
 was no possibility of making any reply to what 
 she said, without subjecting myself to ques- 
 tions which I could not answer sincerely ; and 
 therefore, affecting not to have heard her speak^ 
 I tried to lead her mind away in some other 
 direction. Though I think she saw the object, 
 she gave in to it quietly ; and we walked on 
 for about a mile, talking of various matters of 
 mere passing interest. Our way lay through 
 the woods ; and I may notice here how much 
 more of the land, especially in this state of 
 Virginia, is uncultivated than we generally 
 N 5
 
 274 THE OLB DOMINIOIT. 
 
 imagine in England. When we talk of a plan-^ 
 tation, we think of a wide tract of country, 
 all smoothly laid out in maize, or tobacco, or 
 cotton or rice, and don't comprehend that per- 
 haps two thirds of that plantation will be 
 forest, either the first or second growth. I 
 must remark too that a good deal of the coun- 
 try, especially on the sea-board, has gone back 
 to forest ; the earlier colonists having been 
 like prodigals newly come into a fortune, 
 and exhausted their lands, with unvarying 
 crops, principally of tobacco. Thus, what was 
 once, we have every reason to believe very 
 fertile soil, will now only bear pine or other 
 trees of hardy habits. 
 
 At length we came to a small open space, 
 between the wood through which we had 
 passed, and another beyond. It could not be 
 more than a hundred and fifty yards wide, 
 but extended on either hand as far as the eye 
 could see, like a long avenue through the forest. 
 The grass with which the ground was covered
 
 THE OLD DOMINIO:^. 275 
 
 was very green and soft, being sheltered, ] 
 suppose, from the heat of the sun by the woods 
 on either side, and fertilized by the moisture 
 which trees invariably draw around them. 
 
 ^' This is a curious interval in the woods," 
 I said, looking up and down. ^^ I should almost 
 be tempted to think a river once flowed down 
 here." 
 
 " Oh, no," she answered, " they have a 
 tradition in the country that it was caused by 
 what they call here a flaw of wind, which broke 
 clear through the forest, like a hemmed-in 
 warrior cutting his way through his enemies. 
 The trees that the blast overthrew, have long 
 since decayed ; but the path that he made for 
 himself, still remains. Man boasts his mighty 
 deeds ; but when will king or conqueror leave 
 such permanent traces of his footsteps as are 
 here ?" 
 
 " And yet, dear Bessy," I answered, " man 
 can occasionally hew for himself ways more 
 magnificent, more indelible than this. The
 
 276 IHE OLD BCfMINfOir. 
 
 forest around may be cut down, the roots rot 
 away, the plough-share pass over where we 
 stand, and not a trace be left. But the mighty 
 human mind, when nobly and rigorously 
 exerted, opens out, for everlasting ages, paths 
 which millions follow every day, and which 
 are never blotted out. He who sweeps away 
 the prejudices of a race — he who opens out a 
 wide and noble path for the human mind — he 
 who leads an Exodus from any land of darkness 
 to a land of light, performs a more powerful 
 and more permanent work than the tempest — 
 ay, and one more beneficent." 
 
 '' True, true," she cried, eagerly, " very 
 true ; but such thoughts set my little weak 
 brain whirling. I should like to have been a 
 man, and done some great deeds ; but here I 
 am, a miere Yirginian girl, no stronger than a 
 butterfly, and fit only for small thoughts, and 
 petty personal adventures. But, talking of 
 adventures, I could make your hair stand on 
 end, if 1 chose, by a tale of what happened in
 
 THE OLD DOMINIOK. 277 
 
 this wood, through which we are going. It 
 has beea called 'The Hunter Wood,' ever 
 since." 
 
 " And what is it ?" I asked. 
 
 *' No, no," she answered, ** I won't tell you 
 now ; I should only frighten myself ; and in 
 ten minutes, we shall be at Nat Turner's cot- 
 tage, for this is the boundary of Mr. Travis's 
 property. We will come back the other way, 
 for the sun will then throw the shade more 
 northerly, and that will bring us to the house 
 where uncle Jack, as they call him, pays a 
 yisit every year." 
 
 ^* Is that the old man you spoke of yester- 
 day ?" I asked. 
 
 '*Yes; and very old he is," she replied; 
 " how old, nobody knows, exactly, but he 
 must be more than ninety, for he was brought 
 from the coast of Africa, they say, when a 
 good big boy, more than eighty years ago, in 
 one of the last slave-ships that ever came to 
 Virginia." 
 
 y
 
 278 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 *^ He is a slave then," I said. 
 
 ^^ Oh no," she answered; '^he is so very 
 much loved and respected, that several people 
 joined together and purchased his freedom." 
 
 ^^ He must indeed be an extraordinary man, 
 to create such feelings in his favour," I re- 
 marked. 
 
 " The most extraordinary thing of all, per- 
 haps," added she, ^^ is that he has not the 
 slightest touch of the negro pronunciation. I 
 dare say, you must have remarked, cousin 
 Richard, that none of them can ever learn to 
 speak English properly ; that there is always a 
 sort of thickness, a difficulty, about their 
 utterance ; and some sounds they cannot form 
 at all. But this old man speaks as good 
 English as you do." 
 
 ** That is indeed extraordinary," I answered; 
 " for so universal is that difficulty of utter- 
 ance, which you mention, in the African race, 
 whatever language they are speaking, that I 
 imagine it to proceed from a natural defect. I
 
 THE OLD DOMINI 01?^. 279 
 
 have heard they talk both French and Spanish 
 in the same peculiar manner that they talk 
 English." 
 
 " Hear this man talk in a dark room, and 
 you would not know him from an American/' 
 said Bessy. 
 
 But I had soon an opportunity of judging 
 for myself; for shortly after, we came in sight 
 of two or three cabins, with a larger house 
 peeping over the trees at some little distance. 
 Approaching the hut, farthest from us, I 
 knocked at the door on my fair companion's 
 suggestion. Wo had heard voices speaking 
 within ; and, on entering, we found the cabin 
 tenanted by two negroes, who were seated at a 
 small table, with a bowl of milk, and some 
 bread made of Indian corn between them. The 
 first was my friend, Nat Turner, and a power- 
 ful, though spare man he was. The other was 
 fully as dark in complexion, and had probably 
 once been as strong in form ; but he was now
 
 280 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 an old man, with the wool upon his head as 
 white as snow, and a good many wrinkles in 
 his dingy skin. He was well dressed in black, 
 with very white linen, and a white neck-cloth 
 tied in what I may call clerical style. I 
 should have judged him to have been a man of 
 about seventy, and stout and hale for his age ; 
 but, nevertheless, this was Bessy Davenport's 
 negro. Jack; and, I must say, there was some- 
 thing very reverent and prepossessing in his 
 appearance, as he rose and made us a respectful, 
 but not servile, bow. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Turner," I said, *' I promised to 
 pay you a visit ; and Miss Davenport has been 
 kind enough to guide me ; otherwise, as a stranger 
 in the land, I might have missed my way." 
 
 *^ You are very welcome, sir," answered Nat. 
 " Pray, Miss Bessy, take dis stool. Here is 
 good uncle Jack, whom you know." 
 
 Bessy held out her hand to uncle Jack, 
 who shook it kindly ; but he did not miss an
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 281 
 
 opportunity of reproof; and looking sadly at 
 Nat Turner, he shook his head, saying — 
 
 " Whom callest thou good ? There is none 
 good but one — that is God." 
 
 ^* Well, I meant good as this world goes," 
 answered Nat Turner. 
 
 " There is so little difference between any 
 two of us," replied the old man, /' that no one 
 has a right to claim or receive the title of good ; 
 far less to arrogate superiority over other bre- 
 thren." 
 
 ** That is an admirable text you have 
 quoted, my friend," I said ; *^ but do you know, 
 I one time heard a man make it an argument 
 against the Divinity of our Saviour ?" 
 
 " He was very much mistaken," answered 
 Uncle Jack, mildly. *'The young man to 
 whom he spoke had addressed him as a man, 
 and called him ^Good master,' looking upon him 
 as nothing but a man. Christ reproved him 
 for calling any mere man good, and in so doing,
 
 282 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 spoke of himself in his human character. That 
 man must have heen very hard pressed for an 
 argument against a belief that was too power- 
 ful for him." 
 
 " The case of many a man, I fear/' replied I ; 
 '* but do not let us interrupt your breakfast, 
 Mr. Turner," I continued, turning to Nat. 
 
 " It matters not to me when I eat or when 
 I drink," answered Nat Turner, in what seemed 
 to be a somewhat stilted tone. *^The man 
 who wishes to bring the body under the mind, 
 must not care about such things. I have often 
 gone without food for three days." 
 
 "I should think that must require some 
 practice and preparation," I observed, some- 
 what inclined to smile ; *^ and unless it was 
 done from necessity, I do not see the use of 
 it." 
 
 **Nor 1 either," said uncle Jack; " food 
 and drink were given to us for our natural 
 support, and while we reverence God's bless-
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 283 
 
 ings, by using the in moderately, we should 
 show our thankfulness for them, by using 
 them as He wills," 
 
 "The use was very great," exclaimed Nat 
 Turner, in a more excited tone than before ; 
 *^ and as for preparation, I have accustomed 
 myself to abstinence from my childhood. I 
 knew from my earliest years that I was born 
 for great things. What placed that mark upon 
 my forehead before my birth ?" And he laid 
 his finger upon a sort of scar on his brow re- 
 sembling a cross. But before I could examine 
 it accurately, he went on in the same tone — 
 *^ Who taught me things which happened 
 before I was born, and which were only known 
 to my mother and my father? If it was 
 God who did this, why did he do so but to 
 show that he intended me to — to — do great 
 things ?" 
 
 I looked round to uncle Jack, beginning to 
 think that the man was going mad ; and the
 
 284 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 old man, taking my glance as a question, an- 
 swered — 
 
 ^' All the people will tell you it is as he says, 
 sir. But I think Nat lets his mind rest too 
 much upon such things. I fear it may do him 
 harm. He has plenty of strong, good sense, 
 and if he will but continually seek God's grace 
 to use it right, he may, indeed, do great things 
 amongst the poor people who surround him. 
 But the quickest walker goes farthest wrong, 
 when he does not take the right way, and I 
 fear that may be Nat's case." 
 
 "No fear, no fear," cried the other. " God, 
 who willed me to be what 1 am, will teach me 
 to do what I have to do." Then, dropping his 
 voice into an almost sepulchral tone, he added, 
 *^ He will give me a sign — He has promised 
 it." 
 
 Uncle Jack shook his head very gravely, and 
 Bessy Davenport, who had not yet spoken, re- 
 marked —
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 185 
 
 " We are often inclined, Nat, to misunder- 
 stand signs. Take care that you don't apply 
 to yourself signs that may be intended for the 
 whole world. Don't you remember, when 
 there was an eclipse a little while ago, you said 
 it was a sign sent to you ?" 
 
 *^ I don't know what you mean by an eclipse," 
 answered the man, gloomily; *^ but I know 
 there was a sign, and a terrible sign too. How- 
 ever," he continued, in a more cheerful tone, 
 *^ every one must read such things by the lights 
 he has got, and the Lord will not suffer those 
 whom He favours to mistake. He will direct 
 us," he added, with a sigh, and then seemed 
 inclined to change the conversation. 
 
 I tried to keep it in the same course, for I 
 wanted to hear more of his views on such sub- 
 jects; but, with a great deal of skill — I might al- 
 most say, cunning — he avoided it ; and I purposely 
 brought up the subject of freedom and slavery. 
 The old preacher spoke upon it frankly and 
 freely enough, and with a degree* of liberality
 
 286 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 towards the ra asters, which greatly surprised 
 me. He said that the great majority were 
 excellent, good, and kind-hearted people, and 
 that, if they were all such, his race would be 
 much more happy under their management, 
 than they could be under their own. 
 
 *' The great evil of slavery, sir," he conti- 
 nued, ^' is the possibility of any extent of ill- 
 treatment. Where such a possibility exists, 
 the thing will occur. It is true, I have no 
 opportunity of comparing any other state of 
 society with this ; and for aught I know, there 
 may be evils as great, or greater, in all others. 
 I cannot remember my own country at all dis- 
 tinctly. Some vague, general notions I have 
 about it ; and, if they be correct, I was a great 
 deal worse oflP theie than I am here; but I 
 cannot be sure whether these notions come 
 from my own recollections, or from what I have 
 read or heard. One thing, however, is certain, 
 slavery has existed in all ages. The Hebrews 
 had their bond-servants, and they themselves
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 287 
 
 were hewers of wood and drawers of water to 
 the King of Egypt.'' 
 
 " Ay, but they rose and delivered them- 
 selves, and God helped and directed them ;" 
 said Nat Turner, with a peculiar flash in his 
 dark eye. 
 
 *^ He is a God of justice and strong to de- 
 liver," said a voice at the door, speaking in a 
 very nasal tone ; and turning round, to my 
 surprise, I saw the lanky and extraordinary 
 figure of the Eev. Mr. Mc Grubber. 
 
 Nat Turner started forward, and shook him 
 by the hand, and uncle Jack made him a formal 
 and, I thought, somewhat stiff bow. Bessy 
 Davenport gave me a rueful and yet a merry 
 glance ; and, judging that we should not profit 
 much by what was likely to follow, I prepared 
 to take my departure. 
 
 Nat Turner, however, instantly began the 
 
 ' conversation with his visitor, who was evidently 
 
 an old acquaintance and friend, by calling upon 
 
 him to tell uncle Jack all that he had been
 
 288 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 telling him the day before. ^* You will con- 
 vince him but I can't," cried the man, not 
 heeding a cloud that came over Mr. Mc 
 Grubber's brow, and a quick sign that he made 
 to him to be silent. " His heart seems as hard 
 as the nether millstone towards his own 
 people." 
 
 " My heart is not hard, Nathaniel," an- 
 swered uncle Jack ; ^^ but I love my own 
 people too well to try and make them discon- 
 tented, with a situation from which they can- 
 not escape, but which may be ameliorated, if 
 they show themselves peaceable, quiet, and 
 faithful. It is my duty to preach peace and 
 good- will, resignation to the will of God and 
 dependence upon His mercy ; and not to sti- 
 mulate men's passions, either in a right or 
 wrong cause, to conduct which may end, God 
 only knows how." 
 
 While the two negroes had been speaking, 
 Mr. Mc Grubber had evidently been upon 
 thorns ; though, at the end of uncle Jack's
 
 THE OLD DOMINION 289 
 
 reply, be had put on a look of meek and pious 
 i-esignation. 
 
 '' Far be it from me, brotber,," be said, *^to 
 stimulate men's passions or induce tbem to act 
 in any violent and basty manner, God forbid 
 that I sbould bring poor people into trouble, or 
 do anything, which is not pointed out by 
 calm reasoQ and religion. But we are told 
 that we shall not spare to speak God's truth ; 
 and when T am asked what is right and what 
 is wrong, must I not say what is right ? Ay, 
 if any poor soul demands of me, ^ Has my 
 fellow-man a right to keep me in bondage ?' 
 would' st thou have me reply ^ Yea ' or * I^ay V 
 I preach the truth, brother ; let the results be 
 what they may. That is in God's hand, not 
 mine." 
 
 Uncle Jack shook bis head, with a somewhat 
 melancholy look; but merely said, **The 
 Apostle teaches us to be obedient to the 
 powers that are ; and again, we are told that 
 servants should obey their masters. He who 
 
 VOL. J. o
 
 290 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 teaches differently, I cannot look upon as 
 speaking by the Holy Spirit, and I fear that 
 evil will come of it." 
 
 Thus saying, he left the cabin ; and Bessy 
 Davenport and I followed, after having taken 
 leave of Nat Turner. I thought, as I walked 
 away, that I heard the voice of Mr. Mc Grub- 
 ber, raised loudly and harshly ; and I doubted 
 not that poor Nat was receiving a stout reproof 
 for having betrayed to the ears of others, the 
 nature of the reverend gentleman's communica- 
 tions with himself. 
 
 On the whole, my visit had a good deal dis- 
 appointed me. My first interview with Nat 
 Turner had impressed me with an idea that he 
 was very much more superior to the rest of his 
 race than I found him upon farther acquaint- 
 ance. That he was superior, there could be no 
 doubt ; but I thought I had discovered traits 
 in him that day of almost all the peculiar weak- 
 nesses of the African race. That he was 
 cunning, superstitious, and conceited, was very
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 291 
 
 clear ; and there was something in the expres- 
 sion of his face and the glance of his eye, 
 which inclined me to believe that there might 
 be a certain degree of ruthless cruelty and 
 fierce passion within, though now concealed, if 
 not subdued, by the command he had acquired 
 over himself. 
 
 In comparing the two negroes with each 
 other, one thing was very remarkable. In 
 Uncle Jack you could not, as Miss Davenport 
 had already indicated, trace the slightest 
 vestige of the African pronunciation. What I 
 may call Virginian- isms he unquestionably 
 had : there was a certain intonation aud also a 
 pronunciation of some letters and syllables 
 which in England we do not consider English ; 
 for instance, he pronounced the word " to " as 
 we should pronounce " toe ;'' but nothing at 
 all negro could be detected in it. On the con- 
 trary, Nat Turner, though he had evidently a 
 good command of language, and could express 
 2
 
 192 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 himself with great fluency and propriety, had 
 that sort of thick and jerking utterance which 
 characterises the African race. 
 
 Uncle Jack was walking on slowly before us, 
 and Bessy and I soon overtook him ; but the 
 good old man seemed unwilling to enter any 
 farther upon the subjects we had been dis- 
 cussing. 
 
 ^' Mr. Mc Grubber/' he said, " was a very 
 good man, he had no doubt ; but he did not 
 think a very discreet one." As to Nat Turner, 
 he remarked, *' It was grievous to him to see a 
 man fitted for better things, delude himself by 
 vain imaginations. 1 believe. Miss Bessy," he 
 continued, looking with a smile at my fair 
 companion, '' half the faults of men and 
 J women arise from vanity. This poor youth 
 Nat, if he did not believe himself lar greater 
 than he is, would be far better than he is. But 
 he is a good young man, and means well to all, 
 I do believe."
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 293 
 
 Soon after, we left him, and went upon our 
 way, discussing between ourselves the charac- 
 ters of those whom we had just left. 
 
 ** I cannot help thinking," I said, *^ that 
 Mr. Mc Grubber is a rather dangerous man in 
 this part of the country." 
 
 " He is a very odious one," answered Bessy, 
 in the true woman spirit ; for ladies, my dear 
 sister, you must acknowledge, place the agree- 
 able qualities in comparison with the more im- 
 portant ones, higher in estimation than men 
 do. 
 
 '^ He must have been speaking," I continued, 
 *' of things he did not wish us to hear, and 
 was evidently in a great fright, when Nat 
 Turner alluded to them." 
 
 " Oh, that was quite clear," answered 
 Bessy. " Uncle Jack clearly intimated, I 
 thought, that the man had been trying to in- 
 stigate the slaves against their masters. He 
 is an abolitionist, we all know ; and I have a
 
 294 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 great mind to talk to Mr. Stringer about it, 
 but it may make mischief." 
 
 " Every man has a right to his own opinion, 
 of course," I said ; ** but I can imagine 
 nothing more unpardonable than for a foolish 
 fanatic to come into a state, not his own, and 
 attempt, in his vain self-conceit, to cause a 
 violent change in the relations of the different 
 classes of society without a consideration of all 
 the consequences." 
 
 "The cor.sequences would be frightful," ex- 
 claimed Bessy. " Were the slaves to get the 
 mastery, imagination itself cannot picture what 
 would be the result. They are so violent in 
 their temper — their passions are so uncontrolla- 
 ble, that the very thought makes one shudder. 
 Did you ever see a negro in a passion. Cousin 
 Richard? It is the most frightful thing you 
 ever beheld. He looks, and acts, and speaks, 
 and, I am sure, feels, more like a demon than 
 a human creature, I recollect when I was
 
 THE OLD DOMIXIOX. 295 
 
 living with dear Aunt Bab, there was a girl in 
 the house, who had taken a peculiar and sort 
 of irrational fancy for one of the small orna- 
 ments on the mantel -piece. Twice she had 
 been detected and stopped in attempting to 
 purloin it ; but, at length, one day it was 
 gone. Nobody doubted who had got it ; and 
 my aunt ordered the girl's room to be searched. 
 I was preseut, though quite a little thing ; and 
 I remember her quite well, standing in the 
 middle of the room, silent and motionless, her 
 eyes following the other servants as they made 
 the examination, with an expression I shall 
 never forget. For some time, they found 
 nothing, and she was beginning to look quite 
 triumphant ; but, at length, the object of 
 search was discovered hidden away in the most 
 cunning manner — suspended, in fact, by 
 threads underneath the bed. The moment it 
 was disclosed, she burst forth, not with any 
 contrition, but with rage and fury, such as I
 
 296 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 never saw in another human being. She 
 stamped, she raved, she cried, she poured forth 
 words so fast that no one could understand 
 them ; and she ended by tearing her clothes to 
 pieces like a mad thing." 
 
 " And what did my aunt do ?" I asked. 
 
 " Just what might be expected of her," an- 
 swered Bessy. " 'Tis rather a sad story ; but 
 Aunt Bab was not to blame. She looked at 
 her very gravely, and said — 
 
 *' ' Have you gone mad, Juno ? You must 
 remain here till you have recovered yourself, 
 and are able to listen like a reasonable being ; 
 and I will then come and talk to you. Now 
 it would be of no use.' 
 
 *' She then left her, ordering her to be locked 
 in. But we had not been gone five minutes, 
 when one of the servants came running in to 
 say, that Juno had jumped out of the window, 
 and was dreadfully hurt. My aunt would not 
 suffer me to see her, and all I know further
 
 THE OLD do:jinion. 297 
 
 is, that she lingered for about five weeks, and 
 then died ; and Aunt Bab wept very bitterly 
 over the poor misguided creature, as she called 
 her.'' 
 
 " It is a sad picture of human nature, in- 
 deed," I said ; " and from what I see of the 
 negro population, I am inclined to attribute less 
 power to education and more to race than I 
 once did." 
 
 " The more you see of them, the more you 
 will think so," answered Bessy. *^ Good edu- 
 cation might, and I have no doubt does, pro- 
 duce a great deal of improvement ; but as no 
 cosmetic that ever was tried will n.ake a black 
 man white, so I don't believe any education 
 will make his mind and character those of a 
 white man. And yet, this good old preacher, 
 uncle Jack, appears to be an extraordinary ex- 
 ception." 
 
 *^ It does not seem to me," I replied, '^ that 
 that proves anything. The fair test might
 
 £98 THE OLD DOMINION. 
 
 be, to take a certain number of children of dif- 
 ferent races, and educate them from the 
 earliest period exactly upon the same system, 
 and then judge of the race by the average 
 number of each which you found capable, in a 
 certain time, of arriving at an ascertained 
 point of cultivation. Thus, if out of a hundred 
 Anglo-Saxon children, ten should reach the 
 highest proposed point in ten years, and only 
 one negro, we might conclude that the Anglo- 
 Saxon race was far more susceptible of culti- 
 "^^ vation than that of the negro. But solitary 
 instances prove nothing. And now, my dear 
 Bessy, let us, for Heaven's sake, talk of some 
 other subjects, for otherwise, we shall both of 
 us sink into philosophers — a degradation for 
 which, I am sure, nature never intended 
 us." 
 
 *' I suspect you intend to be saucy, Eichard," 
 answered my- fair companion; '•' but, in sober 
 sadness, we have had a very grave and
 
 THE OLD DOMINION. 299 
 
 solemn walk of it — very different from 
 yesterday's." 
 
 "" And I like yesterday's style best," I 
 said. 
 
 But though we changed to lighter tones 
 throughout the rest of the walk homeward, we 
 came upon none of those exciting, perhaps I 
 may say dangerous, topics, in which we had 
 previously indulged. I believe the truth is, 
 with every young man and every young 
 woman while unconscious of danger — uncon- 
 scious that there is near them what, in common 
 gallantry, I must not call a precipice, but a great 
 leap to be taken or not, at their pleasure, which 
 nevertheless, they may still chance to fall over 
 unawares — they go on sporting up to the very 
 edge of the bank, and then, when finding 
 themselves so near it, they pause and look 
 down with some degree of doubt, and draw a 
 little back and avoid the brink, till resolution 
 comes, and over they go. 
 
 Thus our talk on the way. homeward, was
 
 £00 THE OLD DOMIKION. 
 
 very common-place ; and, at about a hundred 
 yards from the house, amongst the peach-trees, 
 we met Mr. Stringer, and with him, to my sur- 
 prise, my Norfolk friend, Mr. Wheatley. 
 
 EKD or VOL. I, 
 
 T. C. Newby Printer, 30, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Sq.
 
 M 
 
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 UNIVERSmr OF ILLINOtS-URBANA 
 
 3 0112 079561202 
 
 
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