"What a sweet child!" says one, as they close round.
"Make a woman when she grows up!" rejoins another, twirling his
cane, and giving his hat an extra set on the side of his head.
"Take too long to keep it afore its valuable is developed; but it's
a picture of beauty. Face would do to take drawings from, it's so
full of delicate outlines," interposes a third.
An old gentleman, with something of the ministerial in his
countenance, and who has been very earnestly watching them for some
time, thinks a great deal about the subject of slavery, and the
strange laws by which it is governed just at this moment. He says,
"One is inspired with a sort of admiration that unlocks the heart,
while gazing at such delicacy and child-like sweetness as is
expressed in the face of that child." He points his cane coldly at
Annette. "It causes a sort of reaction in one's sense of right,
socially and politically, when we see it mixed up with niggers and
black ruffians to be sold."
"Must abide the laws, though," says a gentleman in black, on his
left.
"Yes," returns our friend, quickly, "if such property could be saved
the hands of speculators"--
"Speculators! speculators!" rejoins the gentleman in black, knitting
his brows.
"Yes; it's always the case in our society. The beauty of such
property makes it dangerous about a well-ordained man's house. Our
ladies, generally, have no sympathy with, and rather dislike its
ill-gotten tendencies. The piety of the south amounts to but little
in its influence on the slave population.
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