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
"It is well," she said, and walking up to the bedside of her dead
child, she lifted the body until it almost assumed a standing
position. "Farewell child, farewell forever!" she continued, covering
the lifeless face with kisses. "See this!" she said, turning to the
men, "see the result of beggary and starvation. Look upon it, you have
had it in your power to save me from this desolation, and rejoice in
your work. Here, take me," she added, laying down the corpse. "Take me
from the presence of the dead, for if I remain gazing at it much
longer, I will indeed go mad."
Walking up to the old woman, Mrs. Wentworth continued. "Auntie, I
leave my child's body with you. See that it is buried and mark the
spot where it rests, for oh! I feel that the day is not far distant
when my weary head will rest in peace at last, when that time arrives,
I desire to be buried by the remains of her who now lies there. For
the little boy who is here, keep him Auntie, until his father claims
him, and should his father never return, take him before some man high
in position, and tell him that a wretched mother leaves him to the
care of his country, as a momento of one of the patriot band who died
in her service."
The old negro fell upon her knees before the speaker, and burst into
tears, while even the rude policemen were touched by her remarks, Mr.
Swartz alone remained unmoved, the only feeling within him was a
desire that the work of confining her in jail should be completed.
"And now one last farewell," continued Mrs. Wentworth, again embracing
the corpse. Another instant and she was out of the room followed by
the three men, and they proceeded in the direction of the jail.
The old negro fell on her knees by the side of the bed, burying her
head in the folds of the counterpane, while the tears flowed freely
from her eyes. The little boy nestled by her side sobbing and calling
for his mother.
"Don't cry chile," said the old negro, endeavoring to console him.
"Your mammy will come back one of dese days," then recollecting the
words of Mrs. Wentworth in reference to him, she took him in her arms,
and continued, "poh chile, I will take care ob you until your father
come for you."
Thus did the good hearted slave register her promise to take care of
the child, and her action was but the result of the kind treatment she
had received from her owner. She had been taken care of when a child
by the father of her present owner, who was no other than Dr.
Humphries, and now that she had grown old and feeble, he had provided
her with a home, and supported her in return for the long life of
faithful service she had spent as his slave.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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