My grandmother was much cast down.  I had my secret hopes; but I must fight my battle alone.  I had a woman’s pride, and a mother’s love for my children; and I resolved that out of the darkness of this hour a brighter dawn should rise for them.  My master had power and law on his side; I had a determined will.  There is might in each.

XVI.  Scenes At The Plantation.

Early the next morning I left my grandmother’s with my youngest child.  My boy was ill, and I left him behind.  I had many sad thoughts as the old wagon jolted on.  Hitherto, I had suffered alone; now, my little one was to be treated as a slave.  As we drew near the great house, I thought of the time when I was formerly sent there out of revenge.  I wondered for what purpose I was now sent.  I could not tell.  I resolved to obey orders so far as duty required; but within myself, I determined to make my stay as short as possible.  Mr. Flint was waiting to receive us, and told me to follow him up stairs to receive orders for the day.  My little Ellen was left below in the kitchen.  It was a change for her, who had always been so carefully tended.  My young master said she might amuse herself in the yard.  This was kind of him, since the child was hateful to his sight.  My task was to fit up the house for the reception of the bride.  In the midst of sheets, tablecloths, towels, drapery, and carpeting, my head was as busy planning, as were my fingers with the needle.  At noon I was allowed to go to Ellen.  She had sobbed herself to sleep.  I heard Mr. Flint say to a neighbor, “I’ve got her down here, and I’ll soon take the town notions out of her head.  My father is partly to blame for her nonsense.  He ought to have broke her in long ago.”  The remark was made within my hearing, and it would have been quite as manly to have made it to my face.  He had said things to my face which might, or might not, have surprised his neighbor if he had known of them.  He was “a chip of the old block.”

I resolved to give him no cause to accuse me of being too much of a lady, so far as work was concerned.  I worked day and night, with wretchedness before me.  When I lay down beside my child, I felt how much easier it would be to see her die than to see her master beat her about, as I daily saw him beat other little ones.  The spirit of the mothers was so crushed by the lash, that they stood by, without courage to remonstrate.  How much more must I suffer, before I should be “broke in” to that degree?

I wished to appear as contented as possible.  Sometimes I had an opportunity to send a few lines home; and this brought up recollections that made it difficult, for a time, to seem calm and indifferent to my lot.  Notwithstanding my efforts, I saw that Mr. Flint regarded me with a suspicious eye.  Ellen broke down under the trials of her new life.  Separated from me, with no one to look after her, she wandered about, and in a few days cried herself sick.