Complete Works of Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Complete Works of Harriet Beecher Stowe Page 126

by Harriet Beecher Stowe


  A light form, dressed in a pretty white wrapper, came fluttering across the bridge as Clayton ascended the steps of the porch. Perhaps our readers may recognize in the smoothly parted brown hair, the large blue eyes, and the bashful earnestness of the face, our sometime little friend Fanny; if they do not, we think they’ll be familiar with the cheery “Ho! ho! ho!” which comes from the porch, as our old friend Tiff, dressed in a respectable suit of black, comes bowing forward. “Bress de Lord, Mas’r Clayton, — it’s good for de eyes to look at you! So you’s come to see Miss Fanny, now she’s come to her property, and has got de place she ought for to have. Ah, ah! Old Tiff allers know’d it! He seed it, — he know’d de Lord would bring her out right, and he did. Ho! ho! ho!”

  “Yes,” said Fanny, “and I sometimes think I don’t enjoy it half as well as Uncle Tiff. I’m sure he ought to have some comfort of us, for he worked hard enough for us, — didn’t you, Uncle Tiff?”

  “Work! bress your soul, didn’t I?” said Tiff, giggling all over in cheerful undulations. “Beckon I has worked, though I doesn’t have much of it to do now; but I sees good of my work now’days, — does so. Mas’r Teddy, he’s grow’d up tall, han’some young gen’leman, and he’s in college, — only tink of dat! Laws! he can make de Latin fly! Dis yer’s pretty good country, too. Dere’s families round here dat’s e’enamost up to old Virginny; and she goes with de best on ‘em, — dat she does.”

  Fanny now led Clayton into the house, and, while she tripped upstairs to change her morning-dress, Tiff busied himself in arranging cake and fruit on a silver salver, as an apology for remaining in the room.

  He seemed to consider the interval as an appropriate one for making some confidential communications on a subject that lay very near his heart. So, after looking out of the door with an air of great mystery, to ascertain that Miss Fanny was really gone, he returned to Clayton, and touched him on the elbow with an air of infinite secrecy and precaution.

  “Dis yer ain’t to be spoken of out loud,” he said. “I’s ben mighty anxious; but, bress de Lord, I’s come safely through; ‘cause, yer see, I’s found out he’s a right likely man, beside being one of de very fustest old families in de State; and dese yer old families here ‘bout as good as dey was in Virginny; and, when all’s said and done, it’s de men dat’s de ting, after all; ‘cause a gal can’t marry all de generations back, if dey’s ever so nice. But he’s one of your likeliest men.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Russell,” said Tiff, lifting up his hand apprehensively to his mouth, and shouting out the name in a loud whisper. “I reckon he’ll be here to-day, ‘cause Mas’r Teddy’s coming home, and going to bring him wid him; so please, Mas’r Clayton, you won’t notice nothing; ‘cause Miss Fanny she’s jest like her ma, — she’ll turn red clar up to her har if a body only looks at her. See here,” said Tiff, fumbling in his pocket and producing a spectacle-case, out of which he extracted a portentous pair of gold-mounted spectacles; “see what he give me, de last time he’s here. I puts dese yer on of a Sundays, when I sets down to read my Bible.”

  “Indeed,” said Clayton; “have you learned, then, to read?”

  “Why, no, honey, I dunno as I can rightly say dat I;s larn’d to read, ‘cause I’s ‘mazing slow at dat ar; but, den, I’s larn’d all de best words, like Christ, Lord, and God, and dem ar; and whar dey’s pretty thick, I makes out quite comfortable.”

  We shall not detain our readers with minute descriptions of how the day was spent: how Teddy came home from college a tall, handsome fellow, and rattled over Latin and Greek sentences in Tiff’s delighted ears, who considered his learning as, without doubt, the eighth wonder of the world; nor how George Russell came with him, a handsome senior, just graduated; nor how Fanny blushed and trembled when she told her guardian her little secret, and, like other ladies, asked advice after she had made up her mind.

  Nor shall we dilate on the yet brighter glories of the cottage three months after, when Clayton, and Anne, and Livy Ray were all at the wedding, and Tiff became three and four times blessed in this brilliant consummation of his hopes. The last time we saw him he was walking forth in magnificence, his gold spectacles set conspicuously astride of his nose, trundling a little wicker wagon, which cradled a fair, pearly little Miss Fanny, whom he informed all beholders was “de very sperit of de Peytons.”

  APPENDIX I

  NAT TURNER’S CONFESSIONS

  As an illustration of the character and views ascribed to Dred, we make a few extracts from the “Confessions of Nat Turner,” as published by T. R. Gray, Esq., of Southampton, Virginia, in November, 1831. One of the principal conspirators in this affair was named Dred.

  We will first give the certificate of the court, and a few sentences from Mr. Gray’s introductory remarks, and then proceed with Turner’s own narrative: —

  We, the undersigned, members of the court convened at Jerusalem, on Saturday, the fifth day of November, 1831, for the trial of Nat, alias Nat Turner, a negro slave, late the property of Putnam Moore, deceased, do hereby certify that the confession of Nat to Thomas R. Gray was read to him in our presence, and that Nat acknowledged the same to be full, free, and voluntary; and that furthermore, when called upon by the presiding magistrate of the court to state if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him, replied he had nothing further than he had communicated to Mr. Gray. Given under our hands and seals at Jerusalem, this fifth day of November, 1831.

  JEREMIAH COBB. [Seal] THOMAS PRETLOW. [Seal] JAMES W. PARKER. [Seal] CARR BOWERS. [Seal] SAMUEL B. HINES. [Seal] ORRIS A. BROWNE. [Seal]

  State of Virginia, Southampton County, to wit: —

  I, — James Rochelle, Clerk of the County Court of Southampton in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Jeremiah Cobb, Thomas Pretlow, James W. Parker, Carr Bowers, Samuel B. Hines, and Orris A. Browne, Esqrs., are acting justices of the peace in and for the county aforesaid; and were members of the court which convened at Jerusalem, on Saturday, the fifth day of November, 1831, for the trial of Nat, alias Nat Turner, a negro slave, late the property of Putnam Moore, deceased, who was tried and convicted as an insurgent in the late insurrection in the County of Southampton aforesaid, and that full faith and credit are due and ought to be given to their acts as justices of the peace aforesaid.

  In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the court aforesaid to be affixed, [Seal] this fifth day of November, 1831.

  JAMES ROCHELLE, C. S. C. C.

  Everything connected with this sad affair was wrapt in mystery until Nat Turner, the leader of this ferocious band, whose name has resounded throughout our widely extended empire, was captured.

  Since his confinement, by permission of the jailer I have had ready access to him; and, finding that he was willing to make a full and free confession of the origin, progress, and consummation of the insurrectory movements of the slaves, of which he was the contriver and head, I determined, for the gratification of public curiosity, to commit his statements to writing, and publish them, with little or no variation from his own words.

  He was not only the contriver of the conspiracy, but gave the first blow towards its execution.

  It will thus appear that, whilst everything upon the surface of society wore a calm and peaceful aspect, whilst not one note of preparation was heard to warn the devoted inhabitants of woe and death, a gloomy fanatic was revolving, in the recesses of his own dark, bewildered, and overwrought mind, schemes of indiscriminate massacre to the whites: schemes too fearfully executed, as far as his fiendish band proceeded in their desolating march. No cry for mercy penetrated their flinty bosoms. No acts of remembered kindness made the least impression upon these remorseless murderers. Men, women, and children, from hoary age to helpless infancy, were involved in the same cruel fate. Never did a band of savages do their work of death more unsparingly.

  Nat has survived all his followers, and the gallows will speedily close his caree
r. His own account of the conspiracy is submitted to the public without comment. It reads an awful, and it is hoped a useful, lesson as to the operations of a mind like his, endeavoring to grapple with things beyond its reach, — how it first became bewildered and confounded, and finally corrupted and led to the conception and perpetration of the most atrocious and heart-rending deeds.

  If Nat’s statements can be relied on, the insurrection in this county was entirely local, and his designs confided but to a few, and these in his immediate vicinity. It was not instigated by motives of revenge or sudden anger, but the result of long deliberation and a settled purpose of mind, — the offspring of gloomy fanaticism acting upon materials but too well prepared for such impressions: —

  I was thirty-one years of age the second of October last, and born the property of Benjamin Turner, of this county. In my childhood a circumstance occurred which made an indelible impression on my mind, and laid the groundwork of that enthusiasm which has terminated so fatally to many, both white and black, and for which I am about to atone at the gallows. It is here necessary to relate this circumstance. Trifling as it may seem, it was the commencement of that belief which has grown with time, and even now, sir, in this dungeon, helpless and forsaken as I am, I cannot divest myself of. Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something, which my mother, overhearing, said it had happened before I was born. I stuck to my story, however, and related some things which went, in her opinion, to confirm it. Others, being called on, were greatly astonished, knowing that these things had happened, and caused them to say, in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had shown me things that had happened before my birth. And my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying, in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on my head and breast. [A parcel of excrescences, which, I believe, are not at all uncommon, particularly among negroes, as I have seen several with the same. In this case he has either cut them off, or they have nearly disappeared.]

  My grandmother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached; my master, who belonged to the church; and other religious persons who visited the house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners, I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, — remarked

  I had too much sense to be raised, and, if I was, I would never be of any service to any one as a slave. To a mind like mine, restless, inquisitive, and observant of everything that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which it would be directed; and although this subject principally occupied my thoughts, there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not directed. The manner in which I learned to read and write not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, — so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet, — but, to the astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shown me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects. This was a source of wonder to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks; and this learning was constantly improved at all opportunities. When I got large enough to go to work, while employed I was reflecting on many things that would present themselves to my imagination; and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at a book, when the school-children were getting their lessons, I would find many things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before. All my time, not devoted to my master’s service, was spent either in prayer, or in making experiments in casting different things in moulds made of earth, in attempting to make paper, gunpowder, and many other experiments, that, although I could not perfect, yet convinced me of its practicability if I had the means. (When questioned as to the manner of manufacturing those different articles, he was found well informed.)

  I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been; yet such was the confidence of the negroes in the neighborhood, even at this early period of my life, in my superior judgment that’they would often carry me with them, when they were going on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing up among them with this confidence in my superior judgment, and when this, in their opinion, was perfected by Divine inspiration, from the circumstances already alluded to in my infancy, and which belief was ever afterwards zealously inculcated by the austerity of my life and manners, which became the subject of remark by white and black — having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer.

  By this time, having arrived to man’s estate, and hearing the Scriptures commented on at meetings, I was struck with that particular passage which says, “Seek ye the kingdom of heaven, and all things shall be added unto you.” I reflected much on this passage, and prayed daily for light on this subject. As I was praying one day at my plough, the Spirit spoke to me, saying, “Seek ye the kingdom of heaven, and all things shall be added unto you.”

  Question. What do you mean by “the Spirit”?

  Answer. The Spirit that spoke to the prophets in former days. And I was greatly astonished, and for two years prayed continually, whenever my duty would permit; and then again I had the same revelation, which fully confirmed me in the impression that I was ordained for some great ‘purpose in the hands of the Almighty. Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to strengthen me in this my belief. At this time I reverted in my mind to the remarks made of me in my childhood, and the things that had been shown me; and as it had been said of me in my childhood, by those by whom I had been taught to pray, both white and black, and in whom I had the greatest confidence, that I had too much sense to be raised, and, if I was, I would never be of any use to any one as a slave, — now, finding I had arrived to man’s estate and was a slave, and these revelations being made known to me, I began to direct my attention to this great object, to fulfill the purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I was intended. Knowing the influence I had obtained over the minds of my fellow servants, — not by the means of conjuring and such-like tricks (for to them I always spoke of such things with contempt), but by the communion of the Spirit, whose revelations I often communicated to them, and they believed and said my wisdom came from God, — I now began to prepare them for my purpose by telling them something was about to happen that would terminate in fulfilling the great promise that had been made to me.

  About this time I was placed under an overseer, from whom I ran away, and, after remaining in the woods thirty days, I returned, to the astonishment of the negroes on the plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part of the country, as my father had done before. But the reason of my return was, that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master, “for he who knoweth his Master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus have I chastened you.” And the negroes found fault, and murmured against me, saying that if they had my sense they would not serve any master in the world. And about this time I had a vision, and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened; the thunder rolled in the heavens, and blood flowed in streams; and I heard a voice saying, “Such is your luck, such you are called to see; and let it come, rough or smooth, you must surely bear it.”

  I now withdrew myself, as much as my situation would permit, from the intercourse of my fellow servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more fully; and it appeared to me, and reminded me of the things it had already shown me, and that it would then reveal to me the knowledge of the elements, the revolution of the planets, the operation of tides, and changes of the seasons. After this revelation in the year 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being made known to me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the great day of judg
ment should appear, and then I began to receive the true knowledge of faith. And, from the first steps of righteousness until the last, was I made perfect; and the Holy Ghost was with me, and said, “Behold me as I stand in the heavens.” And I looked and saw the forms of men in different attitudes; and there were lights in the sky, to which the children of darkness gave other names than what they really were; for they were the lights of the Saviour’s hands, stretched forth from east to west, even as they were extended on the cross on Calvary for the redemption of sinners. And I wondered greatly at these miracles, and prayed to be informed of a certainty of the meaning thereof; and shortly afterwards, while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven; and I communicated it to many, both white and black, in the neighborhood. And I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forms of men in different attitudes portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens. And now the Holy Ghost had revealed itself to me, and made plain the miracles it had shown me; for as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew, — and as the leaves on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, — it was plain to me that the Saviour was about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of judgment was at hand.

 

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