Part 1 Chapter 1.docx

Part 1 Chapter 1.docx

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Part1Chapter1

Part1Chapter1

LateintheafternoonofachillydayinFebruary,twogentlemenweresittingaloneovertheirwine,inawell-furnisheddiningparlor,inthetownofP----,inKentucky.Therewerenoservantspresent,andthegentlemen,withchairscloselyapproaching,seemedtobediscussingsomesubjectwithgreatearnestness.

Forconveniencesake,wehavesaid,hitherto,two_gentlemen_.Oneoftheparties,however,whencriticallyexamined,didnotseem,strictlyspeaking,tocomeunderthespecies.Hewasashort,thick-setman,withcoarse,commonplacefeatures,andthatswaggeringairofpretensionwhichmarksalowmanwhoistryingtoelbowhiswayupwardintheworld.Hewasmuchover-dressed,inagaudyvestofmanycolors,ablueneckerchief,bedroppedgaylywithyellowspots,andarrangedwithaflauntingtie,quiteinkeepingwiththegeneralairoftheman.Hishands,largeandcoarse,wereplentifullybedeckedwithrings;andheworeaheavygoldwatch-chain,withabundleofsealsofportentoussize,andagreatvarietyofcolors,attachedtoit,--which,intheardorofconversation,hewasinthehabitofflourishingandjinglingwithevidentsatisfaction.HisconversationwasinfreeandeasydefianceofMurray'sGrammar,[1]andwasgarnishedatconvenientintervalswithvariousprofaneexpressions,whichnoteventhedesiretobegraphicinouraccountshallinduceustotranscribe.

1EnglishGrammar（1795）,byLindleyMurray（1745-1826）,themostauthoritativeAmericangrammarianofhisday.

Hiscompanion,Mr.Shelby,hadtheappearanceofagentleman;andthearrrangementsofthehouse,andthegeneralairofthehousekeeping,indicatedeasy,andevenopulentcircumstances.Aswebeforestated,thetwowereinthemidstofanearnestconversation.

"ThatisthewayIshouldarrangethematter,"saidMr.Shelby.

"Ican'tmaketradethatway--Ipositivelycan't,Mr.Shelby,"saidtheother,holdingupaglassofwinebetweenhiseyeandthelight.

"Why,thefactis,Haley,Tomisanuncommonfellow;heiscertainlyworththatsumanywhere,--steady,honest,capable,managesmywholefarmlikeaclock."

"Youmeanhonest,asniggersgo,"saidHaley,helpinghimselftoaglassofbrandy.

"No;Imean,really,Tomisagood,steady,sensible,piousfellow.Hegotreligionatacamp-meeting,fouryearsago;andIbelievehereally_did_getit.I'vetrustedhim,sincethen,witheverythingIhave,--money,house,horses,--andlethimcomeandgoroundthecountry;andIalwaysfoundhimtrueandsquareineverything."

"Somefolksdon'tbelievethereispiousniggersShelby,"saidHaley,withacandidflourishofhishand,"but_Ido_.Ihadafellow,now,inthisyerlastlotItooktoOrleans--'twasasgoodasameetin,now,really,tohearthatcritterpray;andhewasquitegentleandquietlike.Hefetchedmeagoodsum,too,forIboughthimcheapofamanthatwas'bligedtosellout;soIrealizedsixhundredonhim.Yes,Iconsiderreligionavaleyablethinginanigger,whenit'sthegenuinearticle,andnomistake."

"Well,Tom'sgottherealarticle,ifeverafellowhad,"rejoinedtheother."Why,lastfall,IlethimgotoCincinnatialone,todobusinessforme,andbringhomefivehundreddollars.`Tom,'saysItohim,`Itrustyou,becauseIthinkyou'reaChristian--Iknowyouwouldn'tcheat.'Tomcomesback,sureenough;Iknewhewould.Somelowfellows,theysay,saidtohim--Tom,whydon'tyoumaketracksforCanada?

'`Ah,mastertrustedme,andIcouldn't,'--theytoldmeaboutit.IamsorrytopartwithTom,Imustsay.Yououghttolethimcoverthewholebalanceofthedebt;andyouwould,Haley,ifyouhadanyconscience."

"Well,I'vegotjustasmuchconscienceasanymaninbusinesscanaffordtokeep,--justalittle,youknow,toswearby,as'twere,"saidthetrader,jocularly;"and,then,I'mreadytodoanythinginreasonto'bligefriends;butthisyer,yousee,isaleetletoohardonafellow--aleetletoohard."Thetradersighedcontemplatively,andpouredoutsomemorebrandy.

"Well,then,Haley,howwillyoutrade?

"saidMr.Shelby,afteranuneasyintervalofsilence.

"Well,haven'tyouaboyorgalthatyoucouldthrowinwithTom?

"

"Hum!

--nonethatIcouldwellspare;totellthetruth,it'sonlyhardnecessitymakesmewillingtosellatall.Idon'tlikepartingwithanyofmyhands,that'safact."

Herethedooropened,andasmallquadroonboy,betweenfourandfiveyearsofage,enteredtheroom.Therewassomethinginhisappearanceremarkablybeautifulandengaging.Hisblackhair,fineasflosssilk,hunginglossycurlsabouthisround,dimpledface,whileapairoflargedarkeyes,fulloffireandsoftness,lookedoutfrombeneaththerich,longlashes,ashepeeredcuriouslyintotheapartment.Agayrobeofscarletandyellowplaid,carefullymadeandneatlyfitted,setofftoadvantagethedarkandrichstyleofhisbeauty;andacertaincomicairofassurance,blendedwithbashfulness,showedthathehadbeennotunusedtobeingpettedandnoticedbyhismaster.

"Hulloa,JimCrow!

"saidMr.Shelby,whistling,andsnappingabunchofraisinstowardshim,"pickthatup,now!

"

Thechildscampered,withallhislittlestrength,aftertheprize,whilehismasterlaughed.

"Comehere,JimCrow,"saidhe.Thechildcameup,andthemasterpattedthecurlyhead,andchuckedhimunderthechin.

"Now,Jim,showthisgentlemanhowyoucandanceandsing."Theboycommencedoneofthosewild,grotesquesongscommonamongthenegroes,inarich,clearvoice,accompanyinghissingingwithmanycomicevolutionsofthehands,feet,andwholebody,allinperfecttimetothemusic.

"Bravo!

"saidHaley,throwinghimaquarterofanorange.

"Now,Jim,walklikeoldUncleCudjoe,whenhehastherheumatism,"saidhismaster.

Instantlytheflexiblelimbsofthechildassumedtheappearanceofdeformityanddistortion,as,withhisbackhumpedup,andhismaster'sstickinhishand,hehobbledabouttheroom,hischildishfacedrawnintoadolefulpucker,andspittingfromrighttoleft,inimitationofanoldman.

Bothgentlemenlaugheduproariously.

"Now,Jim,"saidhismaster,"showushowoldElderRobbinsleadsthepsalm."Theboydrewhischubbyfacedowntoaformidablelength,andcommencedtoningapsalmtunethroughhisnose,withimperturbablegravity.

"Hurrah!

bravo!

whatayoung'un!

"saidHaley;"thatchap'sacase,I'llpromise.Tellyouwhat,"saidhe,suddenlyclappinghishandonMr.Shelby'sshoulder,"flinginthatchap,andI'llsettlethebusiness--Iwill.Come,now,ifthatain'tdoingthethingupabouttherightest!

"

Atthismoment,thedoorwaspushedgentlyopen,andayoungquadroonwoman,apparentlyabouttwenty-five,enteredtheroom.

Thereneededonlyaglancefromthechildtoher,toidentifyherasitsmother.Therewasthesamerich,full,darkeye,withitslonglashes;thesameripplesofsilkyblackhair.Thebrownofhercomplexiongavewayonthecheektoaperceptibleflush,whichdeepenedasshesawthegazeofthestrangemanfixeduponherinboldandundisguisedadmiration.Herdresswasoftheneatestpossiblefit,andsetofftoadvantageherfinelymouldedshape;--adelicatelyformedhandandatrimfootandanklewereitemsofappearancethatdidnotescapethequickeyeofthetrader,wellusedtorunupataglancethepointsofafinefemalearticle.

"Well,Eliza?

"saidhermaster,asshestoppedandlookedhesitatinglyathim.

"IwaslookingforHarry,please,sir;"andtheboyboundedtowardher,showinghisspoils,whichhehadgatheredintheskirtofhisrobe.

"Well,takehimawaythen,"saidMr.Shelby;andhastilyshewithdrew,carryingthechildonherarm.

"ByJupiter,"saidthetrader,turningtohiminadmiration,"there'sanarticle,now!

YoumightmakeyourfortuneonthatargalinOrleans,anyday.I'veseenoverathousand,inmyday,paiddownforgalsnotabithandsomer."

"Idon'twanttomakemyfortuneonher,"saidMr.Shelby,dryly;and,seekingtoturntheconversation,heuncorkedabottleoffreshwine,andaskedhiscompanion'sopinionofit.

"Capital,sir,--firstchop!

"saidthetrader;thenturning,andslappinghishandfamiliarlyonShelby'sshoulder,headded-

"Come,howwillyoutradeaboutthegal?

--whatshallIsayforher--what'llyoutake?

"

"Mr.Haley,sheisnottobesold,"saidShelby."Mywifewouldnotpartwithherforherweightingold."

"Ay,ay!

womenalwayssaysuchthings,causetheyha'ntnosortofcalculation.Justshow'emhowmanywatches,feathers,andtrinkets,one'sweightingoldwouldbuy,andthataltersthecase,_I_reckon."

"Itellyou,Haley,thismustnotbespokenof;Isayno,andImeanno,"saidShelby,decidedly.

"Well,you'llletmehavetheboy,though,"saidthetrader;"youmustownI'vecomedownprettyhandsomelyforhim."

"Whatonearthcanyouwantwiththechild?

"saidShelby.

"Why,I'vegotafriendthat'sgoingintothisyerbranchofthebusiness--wantstobuyuphandsomeboystoraiseforthemarket.Fancyarticlesentirely--sellforwaiters,andsoon,torich'uns,thatcanpayforhandsome'uns.Itsetsoffoneofyergreatplaces--arealhandsomeboytoopendoor,wait,andtend.Theyfetchagoodsum;andthislittledevilissuchacomical,musicalconcern,he'sjustthearticle!

'

"Iwouldrathernotsellhim,"saidMr.Shelby,thoughtfully;"thefactis,sir,I'mahumaneman,andIhatetotaketheboyfromhismother,sir."

"O,youdo?

--La!

yes--somethingofthatarnatur.Iunderstand,perfectly.Itismightyonpleasantgettingonwithwomen,sometimes,Ial'ayshatestheseyerscreechin,'screamin'times.Theyare_mighty_onpleasant;but,asImanagesbusiness,Igenerallyavoids'em,sir.Now,whatifyougetthegirloffforaday,oraweek,orso;then