And who was the father of Jake? Don’t know. But may it not be possible
that he was a Governor, or some other big personage? Perhaps, while
Jake is being sold at auction to the highest bidder, his natural
brothers and sisters are sitting in splendid parlors, or in the
drawing-room of some fashionable hotel, ‘up North.’ May not one of
Jake’s natural brothers be a Judge of the Supreme Court, and the other
a learned minister of the gospel? How does it happen that, while one of
the children of the same father is a rich and high-standing favorite of
the people, the other child is sold at public auction, like a valuable
mule? Can it be the little difference in their color? Well, let the
former brother stay for some years in South America, or in some other
warm climate, and I am sure his color would show no great difference
from that of his brother who is sold at auction. Why, then, shall
the one brother be treated as a beast, and the other brother as a
gentleman? Can any one of my learned readers solve this problem for me?
No. 32. Willis, field hand, 24 years, sold for $1350--and
No. 32½. Lucy Scott, field hand, 25. She is not placed upon the
platform. Why? We cannot say; but the distressed face of the poor woman
tells us that she has been sold privately to a personage, of whom they
say that he is a member of the church, but who in reality may prove to
be a demon.
No’s 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37.
A very good-looking pair is first put upon the platform. Davy, a good
vegetable-gardener, 50 years old, and his wife Harriet, about 45,
together with their daughters, Cassy and Scilla, twins, 14 years, and
Amy, 12 years. Really, I would give something if you could see the
daguerreotype of this family standing upon the platform, to be sold at
auction. But, no--I recall the wish. Thank God that you cannot see that
picture, because it would haunt you like a dreadful vision.
I remember an event which I heard related while I was in France. A
young French lady had occasion to visit a picture gallery. Her eyes
fell upon a large picture, representing the martyrs thrown before wild
beasts, at the time of the Roman Emperor Dioclesian. The expression
of agony in the features of the bleeding Christians was so fearfully
given, that the maiden fell into hysterics, and she never recovered
from the effect of her terror.
I will not attempt to imagine the anguish and horror that my fair
female readers would have felt, if they could have witnessed the
picture of that poor distressed family--the despairing features of
those three innocent girls upon that slaughter-bench, like three
faultless lambs offered for sacrifice! All five were sold for $3000.
No. 38. Big Bill, cooper, 55 years, and
No. 39. Winey, his wife--(to sell a wife at auction!--what a sacrilege
of the sacred name!) 54 years old. Both together were sold for $1850.
No. 40. Tom, field hand, 28 years, and
No. 41. Matilda, 25 years. For both, $2250. One family.
No. 42. Shad, field hand, 38 years--
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