the tall, long-haired man that had eyed me so closely in the
slave-market a few days before. His eyes were again on me, and he
appeared anxious to speak to me, and I as reluctant to be spoken to. The
first evening after leaving New Orleans, soon after twilight had let her
curtain down, and pinned it with a star, and while I was seated on the
deck of the boat, near the ladies' cabin, looking upon the rippled
waves, and the reflection of the moon upon the sea, all at once I saw
the tall young man standing by my side. I immediately rose from my seat,
and was in the act of returning to the cabin, when he in a broken
accent said, 'Stop a moment; I wish to have a word with you. I am your
friend.' I stopped and looked him full in the face, and he said, 'I saw
you some days since in the slave-market, and I intended to have
purchased you to save you from the condition of a slave. I called on
Monday, but you had been sold and had left the market. I inquired and
learned who the purchaser was, and that you had to go to Mobile, so I
resolved to follow you. If you are willing, I will try and buy you from
your present owner, and you shall be free.' Although this was said in an
honest and off-hand manner, I could not believe the man to be sincere in
what he said. 'Why should you wish to set _me_ free?' I asked. 'I had an
only sister,' he replied, 'who died three years ago in France, and you
are so much like her, that had I not known of her death, I would most
certainly have taken you for her.' 'However much I may resemble your
sister, you are aware that I am not her, and why take so much interest
in one whom you never saw before?' 'The love,' said he, 'which I had for
my sister is transferred to you.' I had all along suspected that the
man was a knave, and this profession of love confirmed me in my former
belief, and I turned away and left him.
"The next day, while standing in the cabin and looking through the
window, the French gentleman (for such he was) came to the window while
walking on the guards, and again commenced as on the previous evening.
He took from his pocket a bit of paper and put into my hand, and at the
same time saying, 'Take this, it may some day be of service to you,
remember it is from a friend,' and left me instantly. I unfolded the
paper, and found it to be a 100 dols. bank note, on the United States
Branch Bank, at Philadelphia. My first impulse was to give it to my
mistress, but upon a second thought, I resolved to seek an opportunity,
and to return the hundred dollars to the stranger. Therefore, I looked
for him, but in vain; and had almost given up the idea of seeing him
again, when he passed me on the guards of the boat and walked towards
the stem of the vessel. It being now dark, I approached him and offered
the money to him. He declined, saying at the same time, 'I gave it to
you--keep it.' 'I do not want it,' I said. 'Now,' said he, 'you had
better give your consent for me to purchase you, and you shall go with
me to France.' 'But you cannot buy me now,' I replied, 'for my master is
in New Orleans, and he purchased me not to sell, but to retain in his
own family.' 'Would you rather remain with your present mistress, than
be free?' 'No,' said I. 'Then fly with me to-night; we shall be in
Mobile in two hours from this, and, when the passengers are going on
shore, you can take my arm, and you can escape unobserved. The trader
who brought you to New Orleans exhibited to me a certificate of your
good character, and one from the Minister of the Church to which you
were attached in Virginia; and upon the faith of these assurances, and
the love I bear you, I promise before high heaven that I will marry you
as soon as it can be done.' This solemn promise, coupled with what had
already transpired, gave me confidence in the man; and rash as the act
may seem, I determined in an instant to go with him. My mistress had
been put under the charge of the captain; and as it would be past ten
o'clock when the steamer would land, she accepted an invitation of the
captain to remain on board with several other ladies till morning. I
dressed myself in my best clothes, and put a veil over my face, and was
ready on the landing of the boat. Surrounded by a number of passengers,
we descended the stage leading to the wharf and were soon lost in the
crowd that thronged the quay. As we went on shore we encountered several
persons announcing the names of hotels, the starting of boats for the
interior, and vessels bound for Europe. Among these was the ship
_Utica_, Captain Pell, bound for Havre. 'Now,' said Mr. Devenant, 'this
is our chance.' The ship was to sail at 12 o'clock that night, at high
tide; and following the men who were seeking passengers, we went
immediately on board. Devenant told the Captain of the ship that I was
his sister, and for such we passed during the voyage. At the hour of
twelve the _Utica_ set sail, and we were soon out at sea.
"The morning after we left Mobile, Devenant met me as I came from my
state-room and embraced me for the first time. I loved him, but it was
only that affection which we have for one who has done us a lasting
favour: it was the love of gratitude rather than that of the heart. We
were five weeks on the sea, and yet the passage did not seem long, for
Devenant was so kind. On our arrival at Havre, we were married and came
to Dunkirk, and I have resided here ever since."
At the close of this narrative, the clock struck ten, when the old man,
who was accustomed to retire at an early hour, rose to take leave,
saying at the same time, "I hope you will remain with us to-night." Mr.
Green would fain have excused himself, on the ground that they would
expect him and wait at the hotel, but a look from the lady told him to
accept the invitation. The old man was the father of Mrs. Devenant's
deceased husband, as you will no doubt long since have supposed. A
fortnight from the day on which they met in the grave-yard, Mr. Green
and Mrs. Devenant were joined in holy wedlock; so that George and Mary,
who had loved each other so ardently in their younger days, were now
husband and wife. Without becoming responsible for the truthfulness of
the above narrative, I give it to you, reader, as it was told to me in
January last, in France, by George Green himself.
A celebrated writer has justly said of woman: "A woman's whole life is a
history of the affections. The heart is her world; it is there her
ambition strives for empire; it is there her avarice seeks for hidden
treasures. She sends forth her sympathies on adventure; she embarks her
whole soul in the traffic of affection; and if shipwrecked, her case is
hopeless--for it is a bankruptcy of the heart."
Mary had every reason to believe that she would never see George again;
and although she confesses that the love she bore him was never
transferred to her first husband, we can scarcely find fault with her
for marrying Mr. Devenant. But the adherence of George Green to the
resolution never to marry, unless to his Mary, is, indeed, a rare
instance of the fidelity of man in the matter of love. We can but blush
for our country's shame, when we recall to mind the fact, that while
George and Mary Green, and numbers of other fugitives from American
slavery, can receive protection from any of the Governments of Europe,
they cannot return to their native land without becoming slaves.
FINIS.
AYR: PRINTED AT THE ADVERTISER OFFICE.
Transcriber's notes:
====================
ERRATA from the original volume, applied to the text.
======
Page 8, eleventh line from bottom, _for_ villages _read_ villas
The beautiful villages [**Erratum: villas] on the opposite side of the
145, fourth line from top, _for_ Dante _read_ Whittier
our own Dante? [**Erratum: Whittier?]
205, second line from bottom, _for_ towns _read_ lawns
in the vicinity of the lakes. Magnificent towns [**Erratum: lawns]
264, seventh line from top, _for_ 1834 _read_ 1844
In the month of May, 1834, [**Erratum: 1844,] while one evening
273, eighth line from top, _for_ vanity _read_ variety
lack vanity [**Erratum: variety] or imagination, either in his public
Letter XXIII displaced to be between XII and XIII, as per editor's
footnote.
TYPOS
=====
All "Mr" replaced with "Mr." (~10%). Similarly for "Mrs".
play," was to flag [**typo: flog] his slaves severely, and
tyranny in Great Britian [**typo: Britain] found social and
passengers, forty of whom were the "Vienneise [**typo: Viennese]
we were in sight of the land of Emmitt [**typo: Emmett] and
Rev. Dr. Ritchie, of Edinburgh. [** quote deleted] "It is indeed a
by M. Duguery, [**typo: Duguerry,] curé of the Madeleine,
The column is in imitation of the Trojan [**typo: Trajan]
XVI. and Marie Antionette [**typo: Antoinette] were driven from it by
building. [** full-stop added] The speaker, in the delivery of one of
Fète. [**typo: Fête.]
soirèe [**typo: soirée] by M. de Tocqueville, Minister for
to the whole scene out of doors. The soirèe [**typo: soirée]
announced, and after a good deal of jambing [**typo: jamming] and
same basket, without any regard to birth or station. [** full-stop added]
had more interesting incidents occuring [**typo: occurring] in it than
of Raphael and David--Arc de Triomphe--Beranger [** final em-dash added]
Jardin des Plantes, and spent an hour and a-half [**typo: a half]
Were [**typo: were] at the time continually running through my
meeted [**typo: meted] out to me while at Hartwell. And the
I will see you." [** missing quote inserted] In looking across the street, I
great contrast beetween [**typo: between] the monster Institution,
The Tower is surounded [**typo: surrounded] by a high wall, and
skilful muscians; [**typo: musicians;] I have listened with delight
history, and the accumulated discoveries of byegone [**typo: bygone]
acquiline, [**typo: aquiline] his mouth rather small, and not at all
and died at Newstead Abbey, November 18, 1808." [**missing quote inserted]
with the poet and saying:-- [**colon added]
had such ruins in view when he exclaimed:-- [**colon added]
Elyses [**typo: Elysees] at Paris; and as for statuary, the latter
where the celebrated Reformer, John Knox, re-resided.[**typo: resided.]
lake is carved out and and [**typo: deleted second "and"] built up into terrace
through to the north gallery, and and [**typo: deleted second "and"] thence to
myself upon so diminutive a looking [**typo: looking a] creature.
upon the wing--the artifical [**typo: artificial] stream, the brook
seemed to have forgotton [**typo: forgotten] that this was an exhibition
"Sartar [**typo: Sartor] Resartus," and if he does not rise from its
the cloisters of Tinterran [**typo: Tintern] Abbey, in its proudest
that which has accomplished the mightest [**typo: mightiest] and
That measure was in every respect an unconsitutional [**typo: unconstitutional]
practice what they have so long professsd [**typo: professed]. (Hear,
I had writen [**typo: written] for the occasion, was unanimously
taken him back and placed him in goal [**typo: gaol], and
was kept in goal [**typo: gaol] three days, during
into my hand, and at the sametime [**typo: same time] saying,
be a 100 dols. Bank [**typo?: bank] note, on the United States
But the adherence of George Green to the re-resolution [**typo: resolution]
Apparent errata, but possibly acceptable period words: (left as-is in text).
===============
without the least difficulty, and his jestures, [**typo: gestures,]
Per OED, jesture obs. form of gesture. May be typo?
motion, and the variagated [**typo: variegated] lamps with their many
Per OED, verb variagate was known variant of variegate up to the 19th century
enemies on the 13th Vendimaire [**typo: Vendémiaire]. The Hotel de
May be British variant used at the period
observed visiters [**typo: visitors] lingering about it, as if they
May be valid past spelling
being conveyed to them by means of a pully-basket, [**typo: pulley-basket,]
Per OED, pully known variant of pulley, 15th-19th centuries
under heaven!--Perish the sum of all villanies! [**typo: villainies!]
Per OED, known alternate spelling, 16th-19th centuries
force, carrying, upsetting, engulphing [**typo: engulfing] its adversaries,
Per OED, known alternate spelling (along with ingulf and ingulph);
an example of engulph quoted from an 1871 source.
master and visiters [**typo: visitors] speak of the down-trodden
May be valid past spelling
with long curls of a chesnut [**typo: chestnut] colour hanging down
Per OED, chesnut was the most common spelling as late as 1820.
Johnson set "chestnut" as the standard...
Others found to be acceptable variants:
Bastile,
plebians,
laureat,
trode,
Shakspere.