THE MAN OF HONOUR
"My tongue could never learn sweet soothing words,
But now thy beauty is propos'd, my fee,
My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to speak."
Shakespeare.
JAMES CRAWFORD, the purchaser of Althesa, was from the green
mountains of Vermont, and his feelings were opposed to the
holding of slaves. But his young wife persuaded him into the idea
that it was no worse to own a slave than to hire one and pay the
money to another. Hence it was that he had been induced to
purchase Althesa. Henry Morton, a young physician from the same
state, and who had just commenced the practice of his profession
in New Orleans, was boarding with Crawford when Althesa was
brought home. The young physician had been in New Orleans but a
few weeks, and had seen very little of slavery. In his own
mountain home he had been taught that the slaves of the Southern
states were Negroes, if not from the coast of Africa, the
descendants of those who had been imported. He was unprepared to
behold with composure a beautiful young white girl of fifteen in
the degraded position of a chattel slave. The blood chilled in
his young heart as he heard Crawford tell how, by bartering with
the trader, he had bought her for two hundred dollars less than
he first asked. His very looks showed that the slave girl had the
deepest sympathy of his heart. Althesa had been brought up by her
mother to look after the domestic concerns of her cottage in
Virginia, and knew well the duties imposed upon her. Mrs.
Crawford was much pleased with her new servant, and often made
mention of her in the presence of Morton. The young man's
sympathy ripened into love, which was reciprocated by the
friendless and injured child of sorrow. There was but one course
left; that was, to purchase the young girl and make her his wife,
which he did six months after her arrival in Crawford's family.
The young physician and his wife immediately took lodgings in
another part of the city; a private teacher was called in, and
the young wife taught some of those accomplishments which are
necessary for one's taking a position in society. Dr. Morton soon
obtained a large practice in his profession, and with it
increased in wealth--but with all his wealth he never would own a
slave. Mrs. Morton was now in a position to seek out and redeem
her mother, whom she had not heard of since they parted at
Natchez. An agent was immediately despatched to hunt out the
mother and to see if she could be purchased. The agent had no
trouble in finding out Mr. Peck: but all overtures were
unavailable; he would not sell Currer. His excuse was, that she
was such a good housekeeper that he could not spare her. Poor
Althesa felt sad when she found that her mother could not be
bought. However, she felt a consciousness of having done her duty
in the matter, yet waited with the hope that the day might come
when she should have her mother by her side.