This was a couple not quite a year married, and were down in the
catalogue as "prime." They had no children yet; Mary, with a
reprehensible lack of that tender interest in Mr. Butler's affairs that
had been exhibited in so eminent a degree by Daphney, had disappointed
that worthy man's expectations, and the baby as yet was not. But Bob
and Mary sold for $1,135 a-piece, for all that.
In another instance, Margaret, the wife of Doctor George, who was
confined on February 16, though the name of herself and family were
inserted in the catalogue, did not come to the sale, and consequently,
they were not disposed of at all. As Margaret's baby was fully four
days old at the time she was required to start on her journey to
Savannah, we can only look at her refusal to go as a most culpable
instance of perversity. Margaret should be whipped, and branded, and
otherwise kindly admonished of her great sin in thus disappointing the
reasonable expectations of so kind a master. But Mr. Butler bore with
her in a truly Christian spirit, and uttered no reproach--in public
at least. It was the more unkind of Margaret, too, because there were
six in the family who would have brought probably $4,000, and all were
detained from the sale by the contumacy of misguided Margaret.
While on the subject of babies, it may be mentioned that Amity, chattel
No. 316, wife of Prince, chattel No. 315, had testified her earnest
desire to contribute all in her power to the worldly wealth of her
master by bringing into the world at one time chattles Nos. 317 and
318, being a fine pair of twin boys, just a year old. It is not in
evidence that Amity received from her master any testimonial of his
appreciating her good behavior on this occasion, but it is certain
that she brought a great price, the four, Prince, Amity and the twins
selling for $670 a-piece, being a total of $2,680.
Many other babies, of all ages of baby-hood, were sold, but there was
nothing particularly interesting about them. There were some thirty
babies in the lot; they are esteemed worth to the master a hundred
dollars the day they are born, and to increase in value at the rate of
a hundred dollars a year till they are sixteen or seventeen years old,
at which age they bring the best prices.