Plantation life; Virginia -- Social life and customs
"Now there is one thing, which if you can do, will convince me you
came from Virginia. Go in my kitchen and make me some old Virginia
beat-biscuit, and I will believe everything you have said!"
"I think I can do that, sir," said Robert, and going in the kitchen,
rolled up his sleeves and set to work.
This was a desperate moment, for he had never made a biscuit in his
life, although he had often watched the proceeding as "Black Mammy,"
the cook at home, used to beat, roll and manipulate the dough on her
biscuit box.
"If I only could make them look like her's!" thought he, as he beat,
and rolled, and worked and finally stuck the dough all over with a
fork. Then cutting them out, and putting them to bake, he watched them
with nervous anxiety until they resembled those he had often placed on
the table at home.
Astonished and delighted with his success, he carried them to the
American Minister, who exclaimed: "Now I _know_ you came from old
Virginia!"
Robert was immediately installed in Mr. M.'s house, where he remained a
faithful attendant until Mr. Mason's death, when he returned with the
family to America.
Arriving at New York he thought it impossible to get along by himself,
and determined to find his master. For this purpose he employed
a policeman, and together they succeeded in recovering "the lost
master"--this being a singular instance of a "slave in pursuit of his
fugitive master."
The "gold-tipped" man expressed much pleasure at his servant's
fidelity, and handing him a large sum of money desired him to return
to Paris, pay his bill, bring back his gold dressing box and toilette
articles, and, as a reward for his fidelity, take as much money as he
wished and travel over the continent.
Robert obeyed these commands, returned to Paris, paid the bills,
traveled over the chief places in Europe and then came again to New
York. Here he was appalled to learn that his master had been arrested
for forgery, and imprisoned in Philadelphia. It was ascertained that
the forger was an Englishman and connected with an underground forging
establishment in Paris. Finding himself about to be detected in Paris
he fled to New York, and other forgeries having been discovered in
Philadelphia, he had been arrested.
Robert lost no time in reporting himself at the prison, and was grieved
to find his master in such a place.
Determining to do what he could to relieve the man who had been a good
friend to him, he went to a Philadelphia lawyer, and said to him: "Sir,
the man who is in prison, bought me in Virginia, and has been a kind
master to me; I have no money, but if you will do your best to have him
acquitted, I will return to the South, sell myself and send you the
money."
"It is a bargain," replied the lawyer. "Send me the money, and I will
save your master from the penitentiary."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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