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SEPTEMEER.
BY ANNIE BRADFORD.
[Here is a choice thing, full of the sweetness of
September, both of the year and of the heart.]
Sr is standing on a hill-side,
‘This fair September morn,
Watching the slanting sunbeams
Dart over the ripening corn.
Up in the dark-plumed sumach
The linnet is singing loud,
And with crimson and golden apples
The orchard trees are bowéd
Down from the fading locusts
Float lightly the yellow leaves,
And busily in the hedge-rows
The skilJful spider weaves;
Timid white morning glories
Are peeping the fences o’er—
There's beauty in all around her,
. But her spirit asketh more. _
She is thinking of one who, with her,
Math watched the spider spin,
And talked of the wondrous beauty,
Concealéd his web within; :
Of the beautiful, holy meanings
That float with the winds along,
That bloom in the humble blossom,
And breathe in the wild bird's song.
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“She had walked in a silent sorrow,
Meart-broken, till they met;
She had sought communion of mind and heart,
And found but vain regret.
And when o’er her darkened spirit
The light of his high soul fell,
It heaved with a blessed gladness,
As waves neath the moonbeams swell.
» She dared not tell him her sorrow, .
For what was she to him?
* Between them, Fate’s fierce river
Dashed, foaming to the brim.
But in his charméd presence: - | .
Her wild woes found eurcease,
And her soul a season rested
On the sunny slopes of peace,
She is thinking of Pete parting,
A SLAVE AUCTION.
[Wiliam Chambers, editor of the famous Edin-
burgh Journal, is publishing his “ Notes,” taken dur-
ing his travels in this country Jast winter. The fol-
lowing description of a Slave Auction in Richmond,
Virginia, is so graphically written, and free from
any sectional feeling on either side, that we copy it
for the instruction of our readers generally. —Ed.
Lit, Museum.
ICHIOND is known as the principal
market for the supply of slaves for the
south—a cireumstance understood to origi-
mate in the fact that Virginia, as a matter
of husbandry, breeds negro laborers for the
express purpose of sale. Having heard
that such was the case, I was interested in
knowing by what means and at what prices
slaves are offered to purchasers. Without
introduction of any kind, I was thrown on
my own resources in acquiring this infor-
mation. Fortunately, however, there was
no impediment to encounter in the re-
search. The exposure of ordinary goods in
a store is not more open to the public than
are the sales of slaves in Richmond. By
consulting the local newspapers, I learned
that the sales take place by auction every
morning in the offices of certain brokers,
who, as I understood by the terms of their
advertisements, purchased or received slaves
for sale on commission.
Where the street was in which the ‘bro:
kers conducted ‘their business, I did not
know; but the discovery was easily made.
Rambling down the main street in the city,
I found that the subject of my search was a
narrow and short thoroughfare, turning off
to the left, and terminating in a similar,
cross thoroughfare. Both streets, lined
A few brief days ag.
! When her calm featares gave not
A trace of her heavy woe;
But in a clear, low accent,
Her farewell words she gavo—
* We went to the world's wild tumult,
And she to a living grave. *
* ee . .
Softly hath Evening’s frail bark
Pushed off from the sunset shore,
And high in the night air shivers
The ghostly sycamore.
Far in the north-west crouching, .
The Bear and the Dragon lie,
And the trembling, frightened Tieiads .
Are climbing the eastern sky,
* She sits in the somber shadows,
, And thinks of the lapsing years—.
or her young life, seared and Diasted :
By grief too deep for tears. © ,
In her pale band she holdeth —
Wild blossoms, dim and dead,: «
The parting gift he gave her, .
Ere the parting words were said.
She hath suffered, since they severed,
Long years of grief and wrong,
With no one to give her counsel, «
And bid her heart be strong;
And now, in her desolation,
She yearneth but to hear
One word of his wonted Kindness,
Her stricken soul to cheer.’
Where ishe now? She gazeth
Into the silent sky, © . :
And her strained eyes search the shadows,
But they yield her no reply.
' Then to the only Solace’ ’
She looketh up in prayer,
For strength to lift her spirit. -
From the valley of despair. .
0, Intinite and Holy! : '
Sustain her sinking feet
Up to the clear, pure summits
Where Peace and Reason meet; |
So, from her Steaming forkrese,
Serenely she may
_ Down on the clouds that darken
Her young and troubled days. ’
Speak through the fruits and blossoms .
That blush in the glowing noon, », ,
Or slumber in peaceful beauty —
*Neath the holy harvest-moon; | ~
Of the time when, reiinited,
They'll ramble, hand in hand, -
And gather a happy harvest
\~ In the fair Soptember Jand.
with brick-houses, were dull and silent.
There was not a person to whom I could
put a question. Looking about, I observed
the office of a commission-agent, and into it
I stepped. Conceive the idea of a large
shop with two windows, and a door be-
tween ; no shelving or counters inside; the
interior a spacious, dismal apartment, not
well swept; the only furniture a desk at
one of the windows, and-a bench at one
side of the shop, three feet high, with two
steps to it from the floor. I say conceive
the idea of this dismal-looking place, with
nobody in it but three negro children, who,
as I entered, were playing at auctioning
each other.. An intensely black little negro,
of four or five years of age, was standing
on the bench, or block, as it is called, with
an equally black girl, about a year younger,
by his side, whom he was pretending to sell
by bids to another black child, who was roll-
ing about the floor.
My appearance did ‘not’ interrupt the
merriment. The little auctioneer continued
his mimic ‘play, and appeared to enjoy the
'| joke of selling the girl, who stood demurely
by his side.
“Fifty dolla for de gal—fifty dolla—fitty
dolla—I sell dis here fine gal for fifty dolla,”
was uttered with ‘extraordinary volubility
by the ly-headed urchin, r d
with appropriate gestures, in imitation,
doubtless, of the scenes he had seen enacted
daily in the spot. I spoke a few words to
the iittle creature, but was, scarcely under-
stood; and the fun went on as if I had not
been present: so I left them, happy in re-
hearsing what’ was likely soon to be their
own fate.
‘At another office of a’ similar char: acta,
on the opposite Side of the strect,’ I was
more successfiil."" Tere,’ on inquiry, I was
respectfully informed by a person in attend-
ance, that the sale would take place the fol-
-| lowing"tnorning at half-past nine o'clock.
Todge’s Riterary Mase.
breakfast, for the scene of operations, in
which there was nowa little more life. Two
or three persons were lounging about,
smoking cigars; and, looking along the
street, I observed that three red flags were
projecting from the doors of those offices
in which sales were to occur. On each flag
was pinned a piece of paper, notifying the
articles to be sold. The number of lots
was not great. On the first, was the follow-
ing announcement:
“Will be sold this morning, at half-past
nine o’clock, a Man and a Boy.”
It was already the appointed hour; but
as no company had assembled, I entered
and took a seat by the fire. The oflice,
provided with a few deal-forms and chairs,
a desk at one of the windows, and a block
accessible by a few steps, was tenantless
save by a gentleman who was arranging pa-
pers at the desk, and to whom I had ad-
dressed myself on the previous evening.
Minute after minute passed, and still no-
body entered. There was clearly no hurry
in going to business. I felt almost like an
intruder, and had formed the resolution of
departing, in order to look into other offices,
when the person referred to left his desk,
and. came and ‘seated himself opposite me
at the fire.
“ You are an Englishman,” said he, look-
New Orleans Crescent.
“Next? day‘ Tr set* out* accordingly, after
ing me steadily in the face; “do you want
to purchase ?”
” T replied, “Tam an Englishman;
but do. not intend to purchase. I am tray-
eling about for information, and I shall feel
obliged by your letting me know the prices
at which negro servants are sold.”
“T will do so with much pleasure,” was
the answer; “do you mean ficld-hands or
house-servants ?”
‘All kinds,” I replied; “I wish to get all
the information I can.”
With much politeness, the gentleman
stepped to his desk, and began to draw up
a note of prices. This, however, seemed
to require careful consideration; and while
the note was preparing, a lanky person, in
a wide-awake hat, and chewing ; tobacco,
entered and took the chair just vacated.
IIe had scarcely seated himself, when, on
looking towards the door, I observed the
subjects of sale—the man and boy indicated
by the paper on the red’ flag—enter to-
gether, and quietly walk toa form at the
back of the shop, whence, as the day was
chilly, they edged themselves towards the
fire in the corner where I was seated. I
was now between the two parties—the white
man on the right, and: the old and young
negro on the left—and I waited to sce twat
would take place.
The sight of the negroes at once attract-
ed the attention of Wide-awake. Chewing
with vigor, he kept keenly eyeing the pair,
as if to see what they were good for,” Un-
der this searching gaze, the man and boy.
were a little abashed, but. said nothing.
Their app had ‘little of the repul-
siveness we are apt ‘to associate: with the
idea of slaves. They were ‘dressed in’ a
gray woolen coat, pants, and waistcoat, col-
ored neckcloths, clean shiv ts, coarse. woolen
stockings, and stout shoes.. The man wore
a. black bat; the: boy. was’: barcheaded.
Moved by a sudden’ impulse, Wide-awake
left his seat, ‘and rounding the back’ of my
chair, began to grasp at the man’s arms, as
if to feel their muscular capacity. - Ile then
examined his hands and fingers; and last of
all, told him to open his mouth and show
his teeth, which he did in a submissive man-
ner. IIaving finished these examinations,
Wide-awake. resumed ‘his seat,and chewed
on industriously and in silence as before.
T thought it was but fair that Ishould now
have my turn of investigation, and accord-
ingly asked the elder negro what was his
age. Hesaid he did not know. I next in-
quiréd how old the boy was. He said he
was seven years of age. On asking the
man if the boy was his son, he said he was
not—he was his cousin. I was going into
other particulars, when the office-keeper
approached, and handed me the note he
had been preparing ; at the same time mak-
ing the observation that the market was
dull at present, and that there never could
be a more favorable opportunity of buying.
I thanked him for the trouble which he had
taken ; and now submit a copy of. his price-
current:
“ Best Men, 18 te. 2 years as 1200 to $1300
Fair do. * 950 to 1050
Boys, 5 feet, 850 to 950
Do, 4 feet | 8 inches, 700 to 800
Do., 4 feet 5 inches, 500 to 600
Do., 4 feet, 875 to | 450
Young Women, 800 to 1000
Girls, 5 feet, 750 to 850
Do., 4 feet 9 inches, 700to 750
Do., 4 feet, 850 to 450
. (Signed,)
Richmond, Virginia.”
Leaving this document for future con-
sideration, I pass on to a history of the day’s
proceedings. It was now ten minutes to
ten o'clock, and Wide-awake and I being
alike tired of waiting, we went off in quest
of sales further up the street. Passing the
second office, in which also nobody was to
be seen, we were more fortunate at the
third. Here, according to the announce-
ment on the paper stuck to the flag, there
were to be sold,
“A woman and three children; a young
woman, three men, a middle-aged woman, .
and a little boy.”
Already a crowd had met, composed, I
should think, of. persons mostly from the
cotton plantations of the South. A few
were seated near a fire on the right-hand
side, and others stood round an iron stove,
in the middle of the apartment..| The whole
place had a dilapidated appearance. From
a back window, there was a view into a ru-
inous court-yard ; beyond which, in a hol-
low, accessible by a side lane, stood a shab-
by brick house, on which the word Jail was
inscribed in large black letters on a white
ground. I imagined it to be a depot for the
reception of negroes.
On my arrival, and.while making these
preliminary observations, the lots for. sale
had not made their appearance. In about
five minutes afterwards they were ushered
in, one after the other, under the charge of
a mmulatto, who seemed to act as principal
assistant. Isaw no whips, chains, or any
other engine of force. . Nor did such appear
to: be required... All the lots took: their
seats’ on. two long forms near the stove ;
none! showed. any sign of resistance; nor
did any-one utter a word. Their manner
was. that. of perfect. hnmility and resigna~
tion.
‘As. soon as.all were ‘seated, there wasi a
general examination of. their respective
mers, by. fecling their arms, looking -into
their mouths, and investigating the quality
of their hands and fingers—this last! being
evidently: an. important . particular. ~ Yet’
there: was no abrupt rudeness jin. making
these examinations—no coarse or domincer->
ing language was employed. ‘The three ne-
gro men were dressed in the usual’ manner
—in gray: woollen clothing.; ‘The woman
with three children excited my peculiar at-
tention. She was neatly attired, with a col-
ored handkerchief bound round: her head,
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