This little ceremony over, the wife and children (Romescos and
M'Fadden, not very good friends, were competitors for the preacher
property) are put up and sold to Romescos. That skilful and very
adroit gentleman is engaged to do the exciting business of
separating, which he is progressing with very coolly and cleverly.
The whole scene closes with selling the animal property and farming
utensils. Happy Christian brothers are they who would spread the
wings of their Christianity over such scenes!
CHAPTER XX.
A FATHER'S TRIALS.
IF modern Christianity, as improved in our southern world-we mean
our world of slavery-had blushes, it might improve the use of them
were we to recount in detail the many painful incidents which the
improved and very christianly process of separating husbands from
wives, parents from children, brothers from sisters, and friends
from all the ties and associations the heart, gives birth to.
Negroes have tender sympathies, strong loves. Reader, we will save
your feelings,--we will not recount them; our aim is not to excite
undue feeling, but to relate every-day scenes.
Days and weeks pass on drearily with Marston. Unhappy, forlorn,
driven to the last extremity by obdurate creditors, he waits the
tardy process of the law. He seldom appears in public; for those who
professed to be his best friends have become his coldest
acquaintances. But he has two friends left,--friends whose pure
friendship is like sweetest dew-drops: they are Franconia and Daddy
Bob.
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