Watch and Wait; or, The Young FugitivesOptic, Oliver
General
Watch and Wait; or, The Young Fugitives
Optic, Oliver
Fugitive slaves -- Juvenile fiction
Dandy wholly and entirely dissented from this view; but of course he was
not so impolitic as to state his views. In ten minutes more, Cyd
reappeared with another pair of boxing gloves; but these were not the
right ones. They were too large either for Dandy or his master, and the
poor boy was solemnly assured that he should be whipped when they
returned from the excursion. The coxswain was then sent, and during his
absence, Archy amused himself in pointing out the enormity of Cyd's
conduct, first in bringing one pair, and then bringing the wrong pair of
gloves.
Dandy returned in fifteen minutes, and after snarling at him for being
so long, Master Archy gave the order for the boat to push off. All the
forms were gone through with as before, and again the Edith darted down
the bayou. After a pull of five miles down the Crosscut, they reached
another and larger river. Green Point was the tongue of land between the
two streams, and here Master Archy and his coxswain landed.
CHAPTER III.
MASTER ARCHY RECEIVES AN UNLUCKY BLOW.
Green Point was a very pleasant place, to which the luxurious occupants
of the mansion at Redlawn occasionally resorted to spend a day. The land
was studded with a growth of sturdy forest trees. Formerly it had been
covered with a thick undergrowth of canes; but these, near the Point,
had been cut away, and the place otherwise prepared for the visits of
the grand people.
The day was cool and pleasant for that locality, and perhaps the
magnificent son and heir of the planter of Redlawn felt that a little
sharp exercise would be beneficial to him. He never performed any useful
labor; never saddled his own pony, or polished his own boots; never hoed
a hill of corn, or dug up a weed in the garden. He had been taught that
labor was degrading, and only suited to the condition of the negro.
Master Archy, therefore, never degraded himself. His indolence and his
aristocratic principles were in accord with each other. Though he
actually suffered for the want of something to do, he was not permitted
to demean himself by doing any thing that would develop the resources of
the fruitful earth, and add to the comfort of his fellow-beings. I am
quite sure, if the young seignior had been compelled to hoe corn, pick
cotton, or cut cane for a few hours every day, or even been forced to
learn his lessons in geography, grammar, and history, he would have been
a better boy, and a happier one.
Idleness is not only the parent of mischief, but it is the fruitful
source of human misery. Master Archy, with every thing that ingenuity
could devise and wealth purchase to employ his time, was one of the most
unhappy young men in the country. He never knew what to do with himself.
He turned coldly from his boats to his pony; then from the pony to the
gymnasium; then to the bowling alley; and each in turn was rejected, for
it could not furnish the needed recreation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account