Hatchie, the Guardian Slave; or, The Heiress of Bellevue: A Tale of the Mississippi and the South-westOptic, Oliver
General
Hatchie, the Guardian Slave; or, The Heiress of Bellevue: A Tale of the Mississippi and the South-west
Optic, Oliver
African Americans -- Fiction; Enslaved persons -- United States -- Fiction
Dr. Vaudelier, accompanied by Dalhousie and his wife, removed to New
Orleans, where they spent many happy years, devoted to those pure
principles of truth and justice which the events of our history
contributed not a little to create and strengthen.
Vernon,--or, as he has changed his character, we may venture to change
his name,--Jerome Vaudelier, went to California in the first of the
excitement; where, amid the temptations of that new and dissolute land,
he yet maintains the integrity he vowed to cherish on the night of the
attack upon Cottage Island.
Uncle Nathan and Pat Fegan spent a few days at Bellevue, and then
started for the North. The honest yeoman, either on account of the many
adventures they had passed through together, or because Pat was a true
convert of his, had taken quite a fancy to the Hibernian, and insisted
that he should accompany him home. Pat became a very worthy man, after
abandoning the "critter," which had been his greatest bane. For three
years he served our New Englander faithfully on the farm, at the end of
which period his desire to get ahead prompted him to take a buxom Irish
girl to his bosom, and go to farming on his own hook. A visit of Henry
and Emily, about this time, to the worthy farmer, contributed to forward
this end; for Pat, with Celtic candor and boldness, stated to them his
views and purposes. Before the heiress left, Pat's farm was bought and
paid for, besides being well stocked, by her princely liberality.
Jerry Swinger and his wife, who had rendered such important services to
Emily, were not forgotten. The honest woodman disdained to receive
compensation for any service he or his good wife had rendered, but Emily
found a way to render them comfortable for life, without any sacrifice
of pride on their part.
One year after the events which close our history the great mansion at
Bellevue was the scene of gay festivities. Dr. Vaudelier and his
daughter, and Dalhousie, and Jerry Swinger and all his family, were
there, because, in the hour of its owner's greatest happiness, she could
not be without those who had been her friends in the season of
adversity. All the country round was there,--New Orleans was
there,--everybody was there, to witness the nuptials of the fair heiress
and the gallant Captain Carroll.
The great drawing-room was brilliantly illuminated. The happy couple
entered the room, and stood up before Mr. Faxon. A step behind Emily,
watching the proceedings with as much interest as a fond father would
witness the espousal of a beloved daughter, stood Hatchie. Race and
condition did not exclude him from the proud and brilliant assemblage
that had gathered to honor the nuptials of his mistress.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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