CLOTELLE(有色女英雄)

VIP免费
2024-12-26 0 0 463.6KB 139 页 5.9玖币
侵权投诉
CLOTELLE
1
CLOTELLE
By William Wells Brown
CLOTELLE
2
CHAPTER I
THE SOUTHERN SOCIAL CIRCLE
FOR many years the South has been noted for its beautiful Quadroon
women. Bottles of ink, and reams of paper, have been used to portray the
"finely-cut and well-moulded features," the "silken curls," the "dark and
brilliant eyes," the "splendid forms," the "fascinating smiles," and
"accomplished manners" of these impassioned and voluptuous daughters
of the two races,--the unlawful product of the crime of human bondage.
When we take into consideration the fact that no safeguard was ever
thrown around virtue, and no inducement held out to slave-women to be
pure and chaste, we will not be surprised when told that immorality
pervades the domestic circle in the cities and towns of the South to an
extent unknown in the Northern States. Many a planter's wife has
dragged out a miserable existence, with an aching heart, at seeing her
place in the husband's affections usurped by the unadorned beauty and
captivating smiles of her waiting-maid. Indeed, the greater portion of the
colored women, in the days of slavery, had no greater aspiration than that
of becoming the finely-dressed mistress of some white man. At the negro
balls and parties, that used to be so frequently given, this class of women
generally made the most splendid appearance.
A few years ago, among the many slave-women of Richmond, Va.,
who hired their time of their masters, was Agnes, a mulatto owned by John
Graves, Esq., and who might be heard boasting that she was the daughter
of an American Senator. Although nearly forty years of age at the time of
which we write, Agnes was still exceedingly handsome. More than half
white, with long black hair and deep blue eyes, no one felt like disputing
with her when she urged her claim to her relationship with the Anglo-
Saxon. In her younger days, Agnes had been a housekeeper for a young
slave-holder, and in sustaining this relation had become the mother of two
daughters. After being cast aside by this young man, the slave-woman
betook herself to the business of a laundress, and was considered to be the
most tasteful woman in Richmond at her vocation.
CLOTELLE
3
Isabella and Marion, the two daughters of Agnes, resided with their
mother, and gave her what aid they could in her business. The mother,
however, was very choice of her daughters, and would allow them to
perform no labor that would militate against their lady-like appearance.
Agnes early resolved to bring up her daughters as ladies, as she termed it.
As the girls grew older, the mother had to pay a stipulated price for
them per month. Her notoriety as a laundress of the first class enabled
her to put an extra charge upon the linen that passed through her hands;
and although she imposed little or no work upon her daughters, she was
enabled to live in comparative luxury and have her daughters dressed to
attract attention, especially at the negro balls and parties.
Although the term "negro ball" is applied to these gatherings, yet a
large portion of the men who attend them are whites. Negro balls and
parties in the Southern States, especially in the cities and towns, are
usually made up of quadroon women, a few negro men, and any number
of white gentlemen. These are gatherings of the most democratic character.
Bankers, merchants, lawyers, doctors, and their clerks and students, all
take part in these social assemblies upon terms of perfect equality. The
father and son not unfrequently meet and dance *vis a vis* at a negro ball.
It was at one of these parties that Henry Linwood, the son of a wealthy
and retired gentleman of Richmond, was first introduced to Isabella, the
oldest daughter of Agnes. The young man had just returned from
Harvard College, where he had spent the previous five years. Isabella was
in her eighteenth year, and was admitted by all who knew her to be the
handsomest girl, colored or white, in the city. On this occasion, she was
attired in a sky-blue silk dress, with deep black lace flounces, and bertha
of the same. On her well-moulded arms she wore massive gold bracelets,
while her rich black hair was arranged at the back in broad basket plaits,
ornamented with pearls, and the front in the French style (*a la
Imperatrice*), which suited her classic face to perfection.
Marion was scarcely less richly dressed than her sister.
Henry Linwood paid great attention to Isabella, which was looked
upon with gratification by her mother, and became a matter of general
conversation with all present. Of course, the young man escorted the
CLOTELLE
4
beautiful quadroon home that evening, and became the favorite visitor at
the house of Agnes.
It was on a beautiful moonlight night in the month of August, when all
who reside in tropical climates are eagerly gasping for a breath of fresh air,
that Henry Linwood was in the garden which surrounded Agnes' cottage,
with the young quadroon at his side. He drew from his pocket a newspaper
wet from the press, and read the following advertisement:--
NOTICE.--Seventy-nine negroes will be offered for sale on Monday,
September 10, at 12 o'clock, being the entire stock of the late John Graves.
The negroes are in excellent condition, and all warranted against the
common vices. Among them are several mechanics, able-bodied field-
hands, plough-boys, and women with children, some of them very prolific,
affording a rare opportunity for any one who wishes to raise a strong and
healthy lot of servants for their own use. Also several mulatto girls of rare
personal qualities,-- two of these very superior.
Among the above slaves advertised for sale were Agnes and her two
daughters. Ere young Linwood left the quadroon that evening, he
promised her that he would become her purchaser, and make her free and
her own mistress.
Mr. Graves had long been considered not only an excellent and upright
citizen of the first standing among the whites, but even the slaves regarded
him as one of the kindest of masters. Having inherited his slaves with the
rest of his property, he became possessed of them without any consultation
or wish of his own. He would neither buy nor sell slaves, and was
exceedingly careful, in letting them out, that they did not find oppressive
and tyrannical masters. No slave speculator ever dared to cross the
threshold of this planter of the Old Dominion. He was a constant
attendant upon religious worship, and was noted for his general
benevolence. The American Bible Society, the American Tract Society,
and the cause of the Foreign Missions, found in him a liberal friend. He
was always anxious that his slaves should appear well on the Sabbath, and
have an opportunity of hearing the word of God.
CLOTELLE
5
CHAPTER II
THE NEGRO SALE
AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually
large number together to compete for the property to be sold. Farmers,
who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and
slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-
raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.
Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had
found their way to the slave sale.
In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the
result of the sale than any other of the bystanders. This was young
Linwood. True to his promise, he was there with a blank bank-check in
his pocket, awaiting with impatience to enter the list as a bidder for the
beautiful slave.
It was indeed a heart-rending scene to witness the lamentations of
these slaves, all of whom had grown up together on the old homestead of
Mr. Graves, and who had been treated with great kindness by that
gentleman, during his life. Now they were to be separated, and form new
relations and companions. Such is the precarious condition of the slave.
Even when with a good master, there is not certainty of his happiness in
the future.
The less valuable slaves were first placed upon the auction-block, one
after another, and sold to the highest bidder. Husbands and wives were
separated with a degree of indifference that is unknown in any other
relation in life. Brothers and sisters were torn from each other, and
mothers saw their children for the last time on earth.
It was late in the day, and when the greatest number of persons were
thought to be present, when Agnes and her daughters were brought out to
the place of sale. The mother was first put upon the auction-block, and
sold to a noted negro trader named Jennings. Marion was next ordered to
ascend the stand, which she did with a trembling step, and was sold for
$1200.
CLOTELLE
6
All eyes were now turned on Isabella, as she was led forward by the
auctioneer. The appearance of the handsome quadroon caused a deep
sensation among the crowd. There she stood, with a skin as fair as most
white women, her features as beautifully regular as any of her sex of pure
Anglo-Saxon blood, her long black hair done up in the neatest manner, her
form tall and graceful, and her whole appearance indicating one superior
to her condition.
The auctioneer commenced by saying that Miss Isabella was fit to
deck the drawing-room of the finest mansion in Virginia.
"How much, gentlemen, for this real Albino!--fit fancy-girl for any one!
She enjoys good health, and has a sweet temper. How much do you
say?"
"Five hundred dollars."
"Only five hundred for such a girl as this? Gentlemen, she is worth a
deal more than that sum. You certainly do not know the value of the
article you are bidding on. Here, gentlemen, I hold in my hand a paper
certifying that she has a good moral character."
"Seven hundred."
"Ah, gentlemen, that is something life. This paper also states that she
is very intelligent."
"Eight hundred."
"She was first sprinkled, then immersed, and is now warranted to be a
devoted Christian, and perfectly trustworthy."
"Nine hundred dollars."
"Nine hundred and fifty."
"One thousand."
"Eleven hundred."
Here the bidding came to a dead stand. The auctioneer stopped,
looked around, and began in a rough manner to relate some anecdote
connected with the sale of slaves, which he said had come under his own
observation.
At this juncture the scene was indeed a most striking one. The
laughing, joking, swearing, smoking, spitting, and talking, kept up a
continual hum and confusion among the crowd, while the slave-girl stood
CLOTELLE
7
with tearful eyes, looking alternately at her mother and sister and toward
the young man whom she hoped would become her purchaser.
"The chastity of this girl," now continued the auctioneer, "is pure.
She has never been from under her mother's care. She is virtuous, and as
gentle as a dove."
The bids here took a fresh start, and went on until $1800 was reached.
The auctioneer once more resorted to his jokes, and concluded by assuring
the company that Isabella was not only pious, but that she could make an
excellent prayer.
"Nineteen hundred dollars." "Two thousand."
This was the last bid, and the quadroon girl was struck off, and became
the property of Henry Linwood.
This was a Virginia slave-auction, at which the bones, sinews, blood,
and nerves of a young girl of eighteen were sold for $500; her moral
character for $200; her superior intellect for $100; the benefits supposed to
accrue from her having been sprinkled and immersed, together with a
warranty of her devoted Christianity, for $300; her ability to make a good
prayer for $200; and her chastity for $700 more. This, too, in a city
thronged with churches, whose tall spires look like so many signals
pointing to heaven, but whose ministers preach that slavery is a God-
ordained institution!
The slaves were speedily separated, and taken along by their
respective masters. Jennings, the slave-speculator, who had purchased
Agnes and her daughter Marion, with several of the other slaves, took
them to the county prison, where he usually kept his human cattle after
purchasing them, previous to starting for the New Orleans market.
Linwood had already provided a place for Isabella, to which she was
taken. The most trying moment for her was when she took leave of her
mother and sister. The "Good-by" of the slave is unlike that of any other
class in the community. It is indeed a farewell forever. With tears
streaming down their cheeks, they embraced and commended each other
to God, who is no respecter of persons, and before whom master and slave
must one day appear.
CLOTELLE
8
CHAPTER III
THE SLAVE-SPECULATOR
DICK JENNINGS the slave-speculator, was one of the few Northern
men, who go to the South and throw aside their honest mode of obtaining
a living and resort to trading in human beings. A more repulsive-looking
person could scarcely be found in any community of bad looking men.
Tall, lean and lank, with high cheek-bones, face much pitted with the
small-pox, gray eyes with red eyebrows, and sandy whiskers, he indeed
stood alone without mate or fellow in looks. Jennings prided himself
upon what he called his goodness of heat, and was always speaking of his
humanity. As many of the slaves whom he intended taking to the New
Orleans market had been raised in Richmond, and had relations there, he
determined to leave the city early in the morning, so as not to witness any
of the scenes so common on the departure of a slave-gang to the far South.
In this, he was most successful; for not even Isabella, who had called at
the prison several times to see her mother and sister, was aware of the time
that they were to leave.
The slave-trader started at early dawn, and was beyond the confines of
the city long before the citizens were out of their beds. As a slave regards a
life on the sugar, cotton, or rice plantation as even worse than death, they
are ever on the watch for an opportunity to escape. The trader, aware of
this, secures his victims in chains before he sets out on his journey. On
this occasion, Jennings had the men chained in pairs, while the women
were allowed to go unfastened, but were closely watched.
After a march of eight days, the company arrived on the banks of the
Ohio River, where they took a steamer for the place of their destination.
Jennings had already advertised in the New Orleans papers, that he would
be there with a prime lot of able-bodied slaves, men and women, fit for
field-service, with a few extra ones calculated for house-servants,--all
between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five years; but like most men who
make a business of speculating in human beings, he often bought many
who were far advanced in years, and would try to pass them off for five or
CLOTELLE
9
six years younger than they were. Few persons can arrive at anything
approaching the real age of the negro, by mere observation, unless they are
well acquainted with the race. Therefore, the slave-trader frequently
carried out the deception with perfect impunity.
After the steamer had left the wharf and was fairly out on the bosom of
the broad Mississippi, the speculator called his servant Pompey to him;
and instructed him as to getting the negroes ready for market. Among the
forty slaves that the trader had on this occasion, were some whose
appearance indicated that they had seen some years and had gone through
considerable service. Their gray hair and whiskers at once pronounced
them to be above the ages set down in the trader's advertisement. Pompey
had long been with Jennings, and understood his business well, and if he
did not take delight in the discharge of his duty, he did it at least with a
degree of alacrity, so that he might receive the approbation of his master.
Pomp, as he was usually called by the trader, was of real negro blood,
and would often say, when alluding to himself, "Dis nigger am no
counterfeit, he is de ginuine artikle. Dis chile is none of your haf-and-haf,
dere is no bogus about him."
Pompey was of low stature, round face, and, like most of his race, had
a set of teeth, which, for whiteness and beauty, could not be surpassed; his
eyes were large, lips thick, and hair short and woolly. Pompey had been
with Jennings so long, and had seen so much of buying and selling of his
fellow-creatures, that he appeared perfectly indifferent to the heart-rending
scenes which daily occurred in his presence. Such is the force of habit:--
"Vice is a monster of such frightful mien, That to be
hated, needs but to be seen; But seen too oft, familiar with its face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
It was on the second day of the steamer's voyage, that Pompey selected
five of the oldest slaves, took them into a room by themselves, and
commenced preparing them for the market.
"Now," said he, addressing himself to the company, "I is de chap dat is
to get you ready for de Orleans market, so dat you will bring marser a
good price. How old is you?" addressing himself to a man not less than
forty.
CLOTELLE
10
"If I live to see next sweet-potato-digging time, I shall be either forty
or forty-five, I don't know which."
"Dat may be," replied Pompey; "but now you is only thirty years old,--
dat's what marser says you is to be."
"I know I is more den dat," responded the man.
"I can't help nuffin' about dat," returned Pompey; "but when you get
into de market and any one ax you how old you is, and you tell um you is
forty or forty-five, marser will tie you up and cut you all to pieces. But if
you tell um dat you is only thirty, den he won't. Now remember dat you is
thirty years old and no more."
"Well den, I guess I will only be thirty when dey ax me."
"What's your name?" said Pompey, addressing himself to another.
"Jeems."
"Oh! Uncle Jim, is it?" "Yes."
"Den you must have all them gray whiskers shaved off, and all dem
gray hairs plucked out of your head." This was all said by Pompey in a
manner which showed that he knew what he was about.
"How old is you?" asked Pompey of a tall, strong-looking man.
"What's your name?"
"I am twenty-nine years old, and my name is Tobias, but they calls me
Toby."
"Well, Toby, or Mr. Tobias, if dat will suit you better, you are now
twenty-three years old; dat's all,--do you understand dat?"
"Yes," replied Toby.
Pompey now gave them all to understand how old they were to be
when asked by persons who were likely to purchase, and then went and
reported to his master that the old boys were all right.
"Be sure," said Jennings, "that the niggers don't forget what you have
taught them, for our luck this time in the market depends upon their
appearance. If any of them have so many gray hairs that you cannot pluck
them out, take the blacking and brush, and go at them."
摘要：

CLOTELLE1CLOTELLEByWilliamWellsBrownCLOTELLE2CHAPTERITHESOUTHERNSOCIALCIRCLEFORmanyyearstheSouthhasbeennotedforitsbeautifulQuadroonwomen.Bottlesofink,andreamsofpaper,havebeenusedtoportraythe"finely-cutandwell-mouldedfeatures,"the"silkencurls,"the"darkandbrillianteyes,"the"splendidforms,"the"fascinat...

展开>> 收起<<
CLOTELLE(有色女英雄).pdf

共139页,预览28页

还剩页未读， 继续阅读

声明：本站为文档C2C交易模式，即用户上传的文档直接被用户下载，本站只是中间服务平台，本站所有文档下载所得的收益归上传人(含作者)所有。玖贝云文库仅提供信息存储空间，仅对用户上传内容的表现方式做保护处理，对上载内容本身不做任何修改或编辑。若文档所含内容侵犯了您的版权或隐私，请立即通知玖贝云文库，我们立即给予删除！

相关推荐

更多
立即下载
分类：外语学习 价格：5.9玖币 属性：139 页 大小：463.6KB 格式：PDF 时间：2024-12-26

开通VIP享超值会员特权

  • 多端同步记录
  • 高速下载文档
  • 免费文档工具
  • 分享文档赚钱
  • 每日登录抽奖
  • 优质衍生服务

作者详情

相关内容

更多

热门标签

人际关系 动力学连接体 力的合成 配电装置 高考理综 全宋诗作者索引 公务员考试
/ 139
评分 收藏
分享
立即下载 VIP免费下载
客服
关注