In the afternoon when the body had been prepared for the grave, the
sorrowing friends gathered around, tearfully noting the look of peace
and rest which had stolen over the pale, dead face, when all traces of
the death agony had passed away by the contraction of the muscles.
"That is just the way she looked yesterday," said a sad-eyed woman,
whose face showed traces of a deep "and fearful sorrow."
Louis drew near, for he was eager to hear any word that told him of
Minnie before death had robbed her of life, and him of peace. He came
near enough to hear, but not to interrupt the conversation.
"She was at my house yesterday, trying to comfort me, when I was telling
her how these Secesh used to _cruelize_ us."
"I was telling her about my poor daughter Amy, and what a sprightly,
pert piece she was, and how dem awful Secesh took my poor chile and
hung'd her."
"Hung'd? Aunt Susan, Oh how was dat?" said half a dozen voices.
"Well, you see it was jist dis way. My darter Amy was a mighty nice
chile, and Massa could truss her wid any ting. So when de Linkum Sogers
had gone through dis place, Massa got her to move some of his tings over
to another place. Now when Amy seed de sojers had cum'd through she was
mighty glad, and she said in a kine of childish way, 'I'se so glad, I'm
gwine to marry a Linkum soger, and set up house-keeping for myself.' I
don't spect she wer in arnest 'bout marrying de sojer, but she did want
her freedom. Well, no body couldn't blame her for dat, for freedom's a
mighty good thing."
"I don't like it, I jist loves it," said one of Aunt Sue's auditors.
"And I does too, 'cause I'd rather live on bread and water than be back
again in de old place, but go on, Aunt Susan."
"Well, when she said dat, dat miserable old Heston----"
"Heston, I know dat wretch, I bound de debil's waiting for him now, got
his pitch fork all ready."
"Well, he had my poor girl tookened up, and poor chile, she was beat
shameful, and den dey had her up before der sogers and had her tried for
saying 'cendiary words, and den dey had my poor girl hung'd." And the
poor old woman bowed her head and rocked her body to and fro.
"Well," she continued after a moment's pause, "I was telling dat sweet
angel dere my trouble, and she was mighty sorry, and sat dere and cried,
and den she said, 'Mrs. Thomas, I hope in a better world dat you'll see
a joy according to all the days wherein you have seen sorrow!' Bless her
sweet heart, she's got in de shining gate afore me, but I bound to meet
her on de sunny banks of deliberance.
"And she was at my house yesterday," said another. "She cum'd to see if
I wanted any ting, and I tell'd her I would like to hab a little
flannel, 'cause I had the rheumatiz so bad, and she said I should hab
it. Den she asked me if I didn't like freedom best. I told her I would
rather live in a corn crib, and so I would. It is hard getting along,
but I hopes for better times. And den she took down de Bible, and read
wid dat sweet voice of hers, about de eagle stirring up her nest, and
den she said when de old eagle wanted her young to fly she broked up de
nest, and de little eagles didn't known what was de matter, but some how
dey didn't feel so cumfertable, 'cause de little twigs and sticks stuck
in 'em, and den dey would work dere wings, and dat was de way she said
we must do; de ole nest of slavery was broke up, but she said we mus'n't
get discouraged, but we must plume our wings for higher flying. Oh she
did tell it so purty. I wish I could say it like she did, it did my
heart so much good. Poor thing, she done gone and folded her wing in de
hebenly mansion. I wish I was 'long side of her, but I'se bound to meet
her, 'cause I'm gwine to set out afresh for heben and 'ternal glory."
And thus did these stricken children of sorrow unconsciously comfort the
desolate and almost breaking heart of Louis Lacroix. And their words of
love and hope were like rays of light shimmering amid the gloomy shadows
that overhung his suddenly darkened life.
Surely, thought Louis, if the blessings and tears of the poor and needy
and the prayers of him who was ready to perish would crystalize a path
to the glory-land, then Minnie's exit from earth must have been over a
bridge of light, above whose radiant arches hovering angels would
delight to bend.
While these thoughts were passing through his mind, a knock was heard at
the door, and Louis rose to open it, and then he saw a sight which shook
all his gathered firmness to tears. Headed by the eldest of Minnie's
scholars came a procession of children, each one bearing a bunch of
fairest and brightest flowers to spread around the couch of their
beloved teacher. Some kissed her, and others threw themselves beside the
corpse and wept bitter, burning tears. All shared in Louis' grief, for
all had lost a dear, good friend and loving instructor.
Louis summoned all the energies of his soul to bear his mournful loss.
It was his task to bow to the Chastener, and let his loved one go,
feeling that when he had laid her in the earth that he left her there in
the hope of a better resurrection.
Life with its solemn responsibilities still met him; its earnest duties
still confronted him, and, though he sometimes felt like a weary watcher
at the gates of death, longing to catch a glimpse of her shining robes
and the radiant light of her glorified face, yet her knew it was his
work to labor and to wait.
Sorrow and danger still surrounded his way, and he felt his soul more
strongly drawn out than ever to share the fortunes of the colored race.
He felt there were grand possibilities stored up in their future. The
name of the negro had been associated with slavery, ignorance and
poverty, and he determined as far as his influence could be exerted to
lift that name from the dust of the centuries and place it among the
most honored names in the history of the human race.
He still remained in the South, for Minnie's grave had made the South to
him a sacred place, a place in which to labor and to wait until peace
like bright dew should descend where carnage had spread ruin around, and
freedom and justice, like glorified angels, should reign triumphant
where violence and slavery had held their fearful carnival of shame and
crime for ages. Earnestly he set himself to bring around the hour when
Peace, white-robed and pure, should move
O'er rifts of ruin deep and wide,
When her hands should span with lasting love
The chasms rent by hate and pride.
And he was blessed in his labors of love and faith.
Conclusion
And now, in conclusion, may I not ask the indulgence of my readers for a
few moments, simply to say that Louis and Minnie are only ideal beings,
touched here and there with a coloring from real life?
But while I confess (not wishing to mis-represent the most lawless of
the Ku-Klux) that Minnie has only lived and died in my imagination, may
I not modestly ask that the lesson of Minnie shall have its place among
the educational ideas for the advancement of our race?
The greatest want of our people, if I understand our wants aright, is
not simply wealth, nor genius, nor mere intelligence, but live men, and
earnest, lovely women, whose lives shall represent not a "stagnant mass,
but a living force."
We have wealth among us, but how much of it is ever spent in building up
the future of the race? in encouraging talent, and developing genius? We
have intelligence, but how much do we add to the reservoir of the
world's thought? We have genius among us, but how much can it rely upon
the colored race for support?
Take even the _Christian Recorder_; where are the graduates from
colleges and high school whose pens and brains lend beauty, strength,
grace and culture to its pages?
If, when their school days are over, the last composition shall have
been given at the examination, will not the disused faculties revenge
themselves by rusting? If I could say it without being officious and
intrusive, I would say to some who are about to graduate this year, do
not feel that your education is finished, when the diploma of your
institution is in your hands. Look upon the knowledge you have gained
only as a stepping stone to a future, which you are determined shall
grandly contrast with the past.
While some of the authors of the present day have been weaving their
stories about white men marrying beautiful quadroon girls, who, in so
doing were lost to us socially, I conceived of one of that same class to
whom I gave a higher, holier destiny; a life of lofty self-sacrifice and
beautiful self-consecration, finished at the post of duty, and rounded
off with the fiery crown of martyrdom, a circlet which ever changes into
a diadem of glory.
The lesson of Minnie's sacrifice is this, that it is braver to suffer
with one's own branch of the human race,--to feel, that the weaker and
the more despised they are, the closer we will cling to them, for the
sake of helping them, than to attempt to creep out of all identity with
them in their feebleness, for the sake of mere personal advantages, and
to do this at the expense of self-respect, and a true manhood, and a
truly dignified womanhood, that with whatever gifts we possess, whether
they be genius, culture, wealth or social position, we can best serve
the interests of our race by a generous and loving diffusion, than by a
narrow and selfish isolation which, after all, is only one type of the
barbarous and anti-social state.
Notes
1. The following two paragraphs are for the most part illegible. I have
reproduced below as much of the text as can be deciphered.
The whole South is in a state of excitement [ ... ]
[ ] nurture
[ ] and re-
[ ] high
[ ] be for
[ ] they are [ ] and only remember they are rebels[? ].
They [urge the agenda?] and their brothers in their
[mistaken?] folly. Like the women of Carthage [ ] ancient
and magnificent city was [ ]
they were ready to sacrifice their [ ] and if
need be would have cut [ but it have been] so
dear to their hearts [ ]
2. The original reads "Josiah."
3. The original reads "Joseph."
4. The original reads "Josiah."
5. The original reads "Josiah."
6. The original reads "Anna."
7. The original reads "Minnie."
End of Project Gutenberg's Minnie's Sacrifice, by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper