第 6 节
作者:人生几何      更新:2021-02-19 17:02      字数:9322
  her features regular and well…defined; and her complexion was illuminated
  by the freshness of youth; beauty; and health。
  The daughter differed from both the father and visitor upon the subject
  which   they   had   been   discussing;   and   as   soon   as   an   opportunity   offered;
  she    gave    it  as  her  opinion    that   the  Bible    was   both    the  bulwark     of
  Christianity and of liberty。 With a smile she said;
  〃Of course; papa will overlook my difference with him; for although I
  am a native of the South; I am by education and sympathy a Northerner。〃
  Mr。   Wilson   laughed;   appearing   rather   pleased   than   otherwise   at   the
  manner in which his daughter had expressed herself。 From this Georgiana
  took courage and continued;
  〃'Thou   shalt   love   thy   neighbor   as   thyself。'    This   single   passage   of
  Scripture should cause us to have respect for the rights of the slave。 True
  Christian love is of an enlarged and disinterested nature。 It loves all who
  love    the   Lord    Jesus   Christ    in  sincerity;   without     regard    to  color   or
  condition。〃
  〃Georgiana; my dear; you are an abolitionist;your talk is fanaticism!〃
  said Mr。 Wilson; in rather a sharp tone; but the subdued look of the girl
  and the presence of Carlingham caused him to soften his language。
  Mr。 Wilson having lost his wife by consumption; and Georgiana being
  his only child; he loved her too dearly to say more; even if he felt disposed。
  A   silence   followed   this   exhortation   from   the   young   Christian;   but   her
  remarks had done a noble work。 The father's heart was touched; and the
  sceptic; for the first time; was viewing Christianity in its true light。
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  CHAPTER VIII
  A NIGHT IN THE PARSON'S KITCHEN
  BESIDES Agnes;  whom Mr。 Wilson had   purchased from  the   slave…
  trader;   Jennings;   he   kept   a   number   of   house…servants。   The   chief   one   of
  these    was   Sam;    who    must   be   regarded    as  second    only   to  the   parson
  himself。 If a dinner…party was in contemplation; or any company was to be
  invited; after all the arrangements had been talked over by the minister and
  his   daughter;    Sam   was    sure   to  be   consulted    on  the   subject   by   〃Miss
  Georgy;〃      as  Miss   Wilson     was   called   by  all  the  servants。    If  furniture;
  crockery;   or   anything   was   to   be   purchased;   Sam   felt   that   he   had   been
  slighted if his opinion   was not   asked。 As   to the  marketing; he  did it   all。
  He sat at the head of the servants' table in the kitchen; and was master of
  the   ceremonies。      A   single   look   from   him    was   enough     to  silence   any
  conversation   or   noise   among   the   servants   in   the   kitchen   or   in   any   other
  part of the premises。
  There is in the Southern States a great amount of prejudice in regard to
  color;    even   among     the   negroes    themselves。     The    nearer   the   negro   or
  mulatto approaches to the white; the more he seems to feel his superiority
  over those of a darker hue。 This is no doubt the result of the prejudice that
  exists on the part of the whites against both the mulattoes and the blacks。
  Sam was originally from Kentucky; and through the instrumentality of
  one of his young masters; whom he had to take to school; he had learned
  to read so as to be well understood; and; owing to that fact; was considered
  a prodigy; not only among his own master's slaves; but also among those
  of   the   town   who    knew    him。   Sam     had   a  great  wish    to  follow   in  the
  footsteps   of   his   master   and   be   a   poet;   and   was   therefore   often   heard
  singing doggerels of his own composition。
  But there was one drawback to Sam; and that was his color。 He was
  one   of   the   blackest   of   his   race。 This   he   evidently   regarded   as   a   great
  misfortune; but he endeavored to make up for it in dress。 Mr。 Wilson kept
  his   house…servants   well   dressed;   and   as   for   Sam;   he   was   seldom   seen
  except in a ruffled shirt。       Indeed; the washerwoman feared him more than
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  any one else in the house。
  Agnes had been inaugurated chief of the kitchen department; and had a
  general supervision of the household affairs。 Alfred; the coachman; Peter;
  and Hetty made up the remainder of the house…servants。 Besides these; Mr。
  Wilson owned eight slaves who were masons。                   These worked in the city。
  Being mechanics; they were let out to greater advantage than to keep them
  on the farm。
  Every   Sunday   evening;   Mr。   Wilson's   servants;   including   the   brick…
  layers; assembled in the kitchen; where the events of the week were fully
  discussed   and   commented   upon。          It   was   on   a   Sunday   evening;   in   the
  month      of  June;   that   there   was    a  party   at  Mr。   Wilson's     house;    and;
  according   to   custom   in   the   Southern   States;   the   ladies   had   their   maid…
  servants with them。 Tea had been served in 〃the house;〃 and the servants;
  including   the   strangers;  had   taken   their   seats   at   the   table   in   the   kitchen。
  Sam; being a 〃single gentleman;〃 was unusually attentive to the 〃ladies〃
  on this occasion。  He seldom let   a day  pass without spending   an hour  or
  two in combing and brushing his 〃har。〃               He had an idea that fresh butter
  was   better   for   his   hair   than   any   other   kind   of   grease;   and   therefore   on
  churning days half a pound of butter had always to be taken out before it
  was salted。 When he wished to appear to great advantage; he would grease
  his face to make it 〃shiny。〃         Therefore; on the evening of the party; when
  all the servants were at the table; Sam cut a big figure。 There he sat; with
  his   wool   well   combed   and   buttered;   face   nicely   greased;   and   his   ruffles
  extending five or six inches from his bosom。 The parson in his drawing…
  room did not make a more imposing appearance than did his servant on
  this occasion。
  〃I   jis   bin   had   my   fortune   tole   last   Sunday   night;〃   said   Sam;   while
  helping one of the girls。
  〃Indeed!〃 cried half a dozen voices。
  〃Yes;〃 continued he; 〃Aunt Winny tole me I's to hab de prettiest yallah
  gal in de town; and dat I's to be free!〃
  All   eyes   were   immediately   turned   toward   Sally   Johnson;   who   was
  seated near Sam。
  〃I 'specs I see somebody blush at dat remark;〃 said Alfred。
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  〃Pass dem pancakes an' 'lasses up dis way; Mr。 Alf。; and none ob your
  'sinuwashuns here;〃 rejoined Sam。
  〃Dat   reminds   me;〃   said Agnes;   〃dat   Dorcas   Simpson   is   gwine   to   git
  married。〃
  〃Who to; I want to know?〃 inquired Peter。
  〃To one of Mr。 Darby's field…hands;〃 answered Agnes。
  〃I should tink dat gal wouldn't frow herseff away in dat ar way;〃 said
  Sally。 〃She's good lookin' 'nough to git a house…servant; and not hab to put
  up wid a field…nigger。
  〃Yes;〃   said   Sam;   〃dat's   a   werry   unsensible   remark   ob   yourn;   Miss
  Sally。    I admires your judgment werry much; I 'sures you。 Dar's plenty ob
  susceptible an' well…dressed house…serbants dat a gal ob her looks can git
  widout takin' up wid dem common darkies。〃
  The evening's entertainment concluded by Sam's relating a little of his
  own experience while with his first master; in old Kentucky。 This master
  was a doctor; and had a large practice among his neighbors; doctoring both
  masters and slaves。        When Sam  was about fifteen years old; his master
  set him  to   grinding up ointment   and   making pills。 As   the   young student
  grew older and became more practised in his profession; his services were
  of more importance to the doctor。           The physician having a good business;
  and a large number of his patients being slaves; the most of whom had to
  call   on   the   doctor   when   ill;he   put   Sam   to   bleeding;   pulling   teeth;   and
  administering medicine to the slaves。 Sam soon acquired the name among
  the slaves of the 〃Black Doctor。〃 With this appellation he was delighted;
  and no regular physician could have put on more airs than did the black
  doctor when his services were required。 In bleeding; he must have more
  bandages; and would rub and smack the arm more than the doctor would
  have thoug