|
Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
||||
 |
||||
|
Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
||||
|
|
||||
|
“Are you going so soon?” “Yes. St. Clare’s brother has written, and he and the lawyer think that the ser- vants and furniture had better be put up at auction, and the place left with our law- yer.” “There’s one thing I wanted to speak with you about,” said Miss Ophelia. “Augustine promised Tom his liberty, and began the legal forms necessary to it. I hope you will use your influence to have it perfected.” “Indeed, I shall do no such thing!” said Marie, sharply. “Tom is one of the most valuable servants on the place,- it couldn’t be afforded, any way. Besides what does he want of liberty? He’s a great deal better off as he is.” “But he does desire it, very earnestly, and his master promised it,” said Miss Ophelia. “I dare say he does want it,” said Marie; “they all want it, just because they are a discontented set,- always wanting what they haven’t got. Now, I’m princi- pled against emancipating, in any case. Keep a negro under the care of a master, and he does well enough, and is respectable; but set them free, and they get lazy, and won’t work, and take to drinking, and go all down to be mean, worthless fel- lows. I’ve seen it tried, hundreds of times. It’s no favor to set them free.” “But Tom is so steady, industrious, and pious.” “O, you needn’t tell me! I’ve seen a hundred like him. He’ll do very well, as long as he’s taken care of,- that’s all.” |
