Natalie eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 236 pages of information about Natalie.

Natalie eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 236 pages of information about Natalie.
when he sees dis handsome critter; but if he don’t use her up in less dan dat time, he’ll do what he neber done afore!  I tell you, sar, it’s surprisin’ to see how much work he’ll get out ob his niggars; goes ahead ob anyting you eber heard ob; dat’s de way he’s made such a power ob money.  He says he’s tried it faithfully, year in and year out, and he’s thoroughly convinced dat de way to make anyting by dis niggar business, is to get de work; if dey wont work widout de whip, why, put it on! get dar steam up some way or oder, and when one lot gibs out, get a fresh stock!  I’ll tell you what, sir, Killall understands it; he’ll sell dar hides for shoe leather radder dan let his niggars stand idle!’ When I hear dat, missy, my bery blood boil, and ’pears like I couldn’t keep my hands off from de villain; but I know dat if I make any resistance, it fare all de worse wid Phillis, and I get sent to de whippin’-place, into de bargain; so I only grind my teeth, and look on, like I didn’t know any better; but, missy, didn’t I wish I white man den, jus’ for de sake ob sabin’ my wife and young uns? for I lib wid Phillis so long I couldn’t help feeling ’tached to her.  Ole massa, he not ’pear to like de idea ob parting wid Phillis jus den, for he know right well dat he not get anoder like her bery soon, and so he tells de trader dat de niggar ’pear bery well, but as for de real work, he got a dozen dat go ahead ob her, and if de gemman want de real workin’ niggar, dey step round de oder side de plantation; but de trader, he keep his eye on Phillis, like he understand de business too well to be put off dat way, and he say to massa, tell you what ’tis, mister, dat gal may not hab de genuine work ’bout her now, but if she get tinder old Killall’s lash, dar be no trouble bout dat, and den when she good for notin’ else, after de work all out ob her, she might keep a little ob her looks, ’nough to make her go for a hundred or so.  But massa, he not like to gib her up, and dey talk a long time togeder, and I hears de trader say,—­’de gal should square off all de old affair, wid five hundred to boot;’ till by and by massa gibs in, and de bargain was closed, bery much to de satisfaction ob both parties.  But dey not stop to ask how we like de idea ob being separated for life! dey not tink dat perhaps de mother find it hard to leabe her chil’en.  De trader ’pear bery much pleased wid his bargain, and he slipped a cord round Phillis’s arm, and tell her to go wid him.  O, missy, dat was de awfullest minute in my life!  Poor Phillis look at de chil’en, den at me, and wid one long, piercing shriek, dat I hear many times since, she clung round my neck, begging me to go wid her, to sabe her from de dreadful place where dey would take her!  But afore I could say one word, the trader, wid a dreadful curse, seize her by de throat, and in his hurry to get her away, stumbled ober one ob de young uns wid his great heaby boots, dat was made ’spressly to kick de fractious niggars, as he called it, and de chile neber breathe
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Project Gutenberg
Natalie from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.