I sees Buckra, what look as if
he hab no rights on dis plantation, grab'n up all de folks. And
Lor,' mas'r, old Bob could'nt leave mas'r no how. An, den, when da'
begins to chain de folks up-da' chain up old Rachel, mas'r!-Old Bob
feel so de plantation war'nt no-whare; and him time t'be gwine. Da'h
an't gwine t' cotch old Bob, and carry 'm way from mas'r, so I jist
cum possum ober dem-stows away yander, down close in de old corn
crib,--"
"And you eluded the sheriff to take care of me, did you, Daddy?"
interrupts Marston, and again takes the old man's hand.
"Oh, mas'r, Bob ain't white, but 'is feeling get so fo' h mas'r, he
can't speak 'em," the old slave replies, pearls glistening in his
eyes. "My feelings feel so, I can't speak 'em!" And with a brother's
fondness he shakes his master's hand.
We must beg the reader's indulgence here for the purpose of making a
few remarks upon the negro's power of observation. From the many
strange disquisitions that have been put forward on the mental
qualities of the man of colour-more particularly the African-few can
be selected which have not had for their object his
disqualification. His power of observation has been much
undervalued; but it has been chiefly by those who judge him by a
superficial scale, or from a selfish motive. In the position of mere
property, he is, of necessity, compelled to yield all claims to
mental elevation. And yet, forced to degradation, there are few
negroes on the plantation, or in the spheres of labour, who do not
note the rise and fall of their master's fortunes, study the nature
and prospects of the crop, make enquiries about the market, concoct
the best economy in managing lands, and consult among themselves as
to what would promote the interests of the whole.
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