The law gives her no protection
for her virtue; the ruffian may violate it, and Heaven only can
shelter it with forgiveness. As for Blackett, he has no forgiveness
in his temperament,--passion soars highest with him; he would slay
with violent hands the minion who dared oppose its triumph.
About this time, Mr. Blackett, much to his surprise, finds a storm
of mischief brewing about his domestic domain. The Miss Blacketts,
dashing beauties, have had it come to their ears over and over again
that all the young men about the city say Annette Mazatlin (as she
is now called) is far more beautiful than any one of the Blacketts.
This is quite enough to kindle the elements of a female war. In the
south nothing can spread the war of jealousy and vanity with such
undying rage as comparing slave beauty with that of the more
favoured of the sexes. A firman of the strongest kind is now issued
from the portfolio of the Miss Blacketts, forbidding the wretched
girl entering the house; and storms of abuse are plentifully and
very cheaply lavished on her head, ere she puts it outside the
cabin. She was a nasty, impudent hussy; the very worst of all kind
of creatures to have about a respectable mansion,--enough to shock
respectable people! The worst of it was, that the miserable white
nigger thought she was handsome, and a lot of young, silly-headed
men flattered her vanity by telling the fool she was prettier than
the Blacketts themselves,--so said the very accomplished Miss
Blacketts.
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