The Trials of the Soldier's Wife: A Tale of the Second American RevolutionAbrams, Alex. St. Clair (Alexander St. Clair)
History
The Trials of the Soldier's Wife: A Tale of the Second American Revolution
Abrams, Alex. St. Clair (Alexander St. Clair)
Confederate States of America -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
The good old negro and Elsie accompanied the Doctor to Alabama, and
are now residing on the Doctor's plantation. The old woman still
resides in a cabin by herself, for no amount of persuasion could
induce her to stay at the residence, but every day she may be seen
hobbling to the house with some present for the little Alfred. The
clothes which little Ella died in, and the remainder of the wedding
gown, are kept sacredly by her, and often she narrates, to a group of
open-mouthed negro children, the sad tale of the soldier's wife,
embellishing, as a matter of course, the part she had in the eventful
drama. Her kindness to Mrs. Wentworth and Ella, was not forgotten by
the soldier, and before he left for the army, she received a
substantial reward as a token of his gratitude. She often speaks of
Ella as the little angel who "was not feared to die, case she was a
angel on earf."
Notwithstanding he had yielded to so many offers of the Doctor, Alfred
would not consent to receive Elsa from him, unless he paid back the
sum of money given for the girl. This he could not do at the time, and
it was decided that she should remain as the slave of Doctor
Humphries, until he could refund the amount. She is now serving
exclusively as the nurse of the little boy, and is as happy and
contented as any slave in the South. Her attachment to the child
increases daily, and nothing in the world could induce her to forego
the pleasure of attending to her wants. The old negro and herself are
often together, conversing of the unfortunate family of her former
master, and their remarks teem with sympathy and abound with the
affection felt by every slave for a kind and indulgent owner. Although
of a servile race, we leave these negroes, regretting that in the
hearts of many of our white people the same generous feelings do not
exist. It is sad to think that, with all the advantages of birth,
education, and position, there should be found men of Caucasian
origin, who are below the negro in all the noble attributes of
mankind. But there are many such, and while they do not elevate the
servile race, they lower, to a considerable degree, the free born and
educated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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