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Show ) 2:16 ROEBUCIC. thnt he 'vou1d prove a total loss. This pro~pccL m:t(1c then1 for the IH01nent regard the proceedings of' a bcni,o·n o·o\r nnncnt n.· rather oppre .. ive. At last a dr. pernLe expedient occnrl'ccl to J\Ir. Pnhncr the elder. IIe rang the bell and um1noncc1 Gabe to the p:trlor. "Gabe," said he, \Vith soletnnity, "I ~un afraid yon are thinking about rnnning a\vay to the Ynnkcc~." "I's a thin kin' I better be a gwine, n1nstcr," responded Gnbe, in his 1vell-conncd formula, without insolence of 1nnnner, but 'vith stolid apathy. "Gabriel," resu1ned his n1astcr, 'vith impressive condescension, "you ought not to go. Y oa are a poor, ignorant nigger, and you do not know what is for your good. I have only your o'vn 1veJ.£u·e at heart. You have now a good home. If yon run away yon 'vill have none. These Y ankces nre fooling you. They cnre nothing nbout you. They 1nerely 'vant to injure the Sonth by taking ::nvay its labor. I take care of your farnily. Yon anJ they :fitrc better than poor white folks at the North. You are going to leave friends and protectors for strangers. Nobody will feel any interest in your welf:tre. Everybody wjll strive to take bread out of your 1nouth to feed themselves. You cannot con1pcte 1vith \vhito labor~ ers among white employers. In fact, you know you ·won't "rork 1vithont a n1nster. You ,vill let your children })Cri. h. You ·will be a he()'o·ar an outcast, a bb ' vagabond. Take my \Vord for it, if you trust these Y ~nkees you 'vill rue it as long as you live. Now 1v1l1 you run away, Gabriel?" "l's a thinkiu' I better be a gwinc," answered Gabe, as before. " Gabriel, you ·will commit a grievous sin. 'vould not go against the Bible, ·would you 1 You I will ROEBUCK . 227 expound your duty to you out of th~ Ilol~ •crjptnrc . . " Taking up the Book and drnw1ng h1. Rpcctacles down n pon his no. e, l\fr. Paltncr proceccle<.l_ to :·c:Hl and expound son1o selected pas.~ageH, wlul~ (~:tbo stood before hin1, twiNLing a button anJ ponuHng the ~ carpet. . "Jiear no\v," he continued, " ·what m co1nmandell in the t\venty-fifth chapter of Leviticus-' Hoth tl1y bondmen and thy bondtnaic1s '-that 1neans onr slaves, Gabriel-' ,vhich thou shalt have, sJu1ll he of tho heathen that arc round ahout yon; of then~ ~hall ~'e buy bondmen and boiH.hnaicls. ~Iorcovcr of the clllldren of the strangers that do SOJOUrn among you, .of thorn shaH yc buy aucl of their fmuilies th:tL arc wtLh you 1vhich they bcgat in your land : and they , hall.be your pos ess1. on. And v4( c sh·'.1 U take th • 1n as: an In- 1 \ hcritancc for your children after yon, to InhCI.lt t lCJn for a possessioJil.; they, hali be your bondn1cn forever.' Now, Gabriel, your forcf~lLhcrs ·were heathen, you k al)d So the 'vhite l)eor}lc ·were coinmanclc<.l to uo,v, G l • • hilbny theJn for slaves, and to hold them and t l?ll c c1rcn as a possession forever. lHy forefathers J n N.ew En a land bought nlany of theiu, and made great ~~Ins by ~hem 'vhich proved that their trade 'vas blcs ed. 'Vhen sl' avery becmne unproH~ tnb le 1·1 ~ Ne• w J.::i..' n 5rr,l and ' \Yhereby it appeared that the inst~tntwn \vas uo lono5 -er blessed there, they sold the1r slave. to t~~o Southern people, 'v1· t1 t ac1 v ::u lVto·e to all parLws. ~JO L b • 11 . my ancestorB aga1. n lu.t<.l go1 u·1 cn exr pencnc. c thai 0'0( t~ 1 5 L • ness is great ga1. n, an<.l tl tey 11 a ve . continue<. to uc ·' 1 ,1 l godly and a gainful peop1 0 to th1 s very d·'1 y · · le passao·c I have read requires the slaves to b~~~ lit~ herita~ce for the children of the Jn~stcr~. ll1C no receive you by 1. nhen. tance, btI t New Eng~l an<. 1nen |
