THE PARSON POET
"Unbind, unbind my galling chain,
And set, oh! set me free:
No longer say that I'll disdain
The gift of liberty."
THROUGH the persuasion of Mr. Peck, and fascinated with the
charms of Georgiana, Carlton had prolonged his stay two months
with his old school-fellow. During the latter part of the time he
had been almost as one of the family. If Miss Peck was invited
out, Mr. Carlton was, as a matter of course. She seldom rode
out, unless with him. If Mr. Peck was absent, he took the head of
the table; and, to the delight of the young lady, he had on
several occasions taken part in the family worship. "I am glad,"
said Mr. Peck, one evening while at the tea table, "I am glad,
Mr. Carlton, that my neighbour Jones has invited you to visit him
at his farm. He is a good neighbour, but a very ungodly man; I
want that you should see his people, and then, when you return to
the North, you can tell how much better a Christian's slaves are
situated than one who does nothing for the cause of Christ." "I
hope, Mr. Carlton," said Georgiana, "that you will spend the
Sabbath with him, and have a religious interview with the
Negroes." "Yes," replied the parson, "that's well thought of,
Georgy." "Well, I think I will go up on Thursday next, and stay
till Monday," said Carlton; "and I shall act upon your
suggestion, Miss Peck," continued he; "and try to get a
religious interview with the blacks. By-the-by," remarked
Carlton, "I saw an advertisement in the Free Trader to-day that
rather puzzled me. Ah, here it is now; and, drawing the paper
from his pocket, "I will read it, and then you can tell me what
it means:
'To PLANTERS AND OTHERS.--Wanted fifty Negroes. Any person having
sick Negroes, considered incurable by their respective
physicians, (their owners of course,) and wishing to dispose of
them, Dr. Stillman will pay cash for Negroes affected with
scrofula or king's evil, confirmed hypochondriacism, apoplexy, or
diseases of the brain, kidneys, spleen, stomach and intestines,
bladder and its appendages, diarrhoea, dysentery, &c. The highest
cash price will be paid as above.'
When I read this to-day I thought that the advertiser must be a
man of eminent skill as a physician, and that he intended to cure
the sick Negroes; but on second thought I find that some of the
diseases enumerated are certainly incurable. What can he do with
these sick Negroes?" "You see," replied Mr. Peck, laughing, "that
he is a doctor, and has use for them in his lectures. The doctor
is connected with a small college. Look at his prospectus, where
he invites students to attend, and that will explain the matter
to you." Carlton turned to another column, and read the
following:
"Some advantages of a peculiar character are connected with this
institution, which it may be proper to point out. No place in the
United States offers as great opportunities for the acquisition
of anatomical knowledge. Subjects being obtained from among the
coloured population in sufficient numbers for every purpose, and
proper dissections carried on without offending any individuals in
the community!"
"These are for dissection, then?" inquired Carlton with a
trembling voice. "Yes," answered the parson. "Of course they wait
till they die before they can use them." "They keep them on
hand, and when they need one they bleed him to death," returned
Mr. Peck. "Yes, but that's murder." "Oh, the doctors are licensed
to commit murder, you know; and what's the difference, whether
one dies owing to the loss of blood, or taking too many pills?
For my own part, if I had to choose, I would rather submit to the
former." "I have often heard what I considered hard stories in
abolition meetings in New York about slavery; but now I shall
begin to think that many of them are true." "The longer you
remain here the more you will be convinced of the iniquity of the
institution," remarked Georgiana. "Now, Georgy, my dear, don't
give us another abolition lecture, if you please," said Mr. Peck.
"Here, Carlton," continued the parson, "I have written a short
poem for your sister's album, as you requested me; it is a
domestic piece, as you will see." "She will prize it the more for
that," remarked Carlton; and taking the sheet of paper, he
laughed as his eyes glanced over it. "Read it out, Mr. Carlton,"
said Georgiana, "and let me hear what it is; I know papa gets off
some very droll things at times." Carlton complied with the young
lady's request, and read aloud the following rare specimen of
poetical genius:
"MY LITTLE NIG.
"I have a little nigger, the blackest thing alive,
He'll be just four years old if he lives till forty-five;
His smooth cheek hath a glossy hue, like a new polished boot,
And his hair curls o'er his little head as black as any soot.
His lips bulge from his countenance--his little ivories shine--
His nose is what we call a little pug, but fashioned very fine:
Although not quite a fairy, he is comely to behold,
And I wouldn't sell him, 'pon my word, for a hundred all in gold.
"He gets up early in the morn, like all the other nigs,
And runs off to the hog-lot, where he squabbles with the pigs--
And when the sun gets out of bed, and mounts up in the sky,
The warmest corner of the yard is where my nig doth lie.
And there extended lazily, he contemplates and dreams,
(I cannot qualify to this, but plain enough it seems;)
Until 'tis time to take in grub, when you can't find him there,
For, like a politician, he has gone to hunt his share.
"I haven't said a single word concerning my plantation,
Though a prettier, I guess, cannot be found within the nation;
When he gets a little bigger, I'll take and to him show it,
And then I'll say, 'My little nig, now just prepare to go it!'
I'll put a hoe into his hand--he'll soon know what it means,
And every day for dinner, he shall have bacon and greens."