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CHAPTER VI.
- Louisiana State University Press
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CHAPTER VI. Labour of any kind despised—Slaves the Badge of Distinction among Planters—Impudence of the Ladies. A contempt for workers characterizes every one in any way connected with slavery. Nothing seems so degrading to them as to do the slightest menial office, such as making a pie, or tart, or any little article of cooking . They talk generally about doing such things as a person in England would talk about a gentleman dragging a cart, or a lady carrying a basket upon her head. Slaves do everything; and I have often heard the ladies say, when they had been to the North, that they were pleased they had returned home, as they hated to be waited upon by white folks. Slaves the Badge of Distinction among Planters. The principal badge of distinction among the Southerners in America is the possession of slaves. A very nice young gentleman, whose father had no slaves, but yet was wealthy, came to pay his addresses to a young lady of similar fortune to his own. She wished him to discontinue his visits , since his father, she said, had not the toenail of a nigger in the world. She said to her footman, “Vincent, I wish you could play some trick upon him, so that he would not come again.” “I can do it nicely,” said Vincent . “I shall consider you a clever fellow if you can,” she said; “and I will make you a present if you do.” When the gentleman came again, Vincent had ready a piece of shoemaker’s wax, flattened out thin, and, holding with his right hand the gentleman’s horse whilst he was going to mount, he slipped with his left the piece of wax on to the saddle. The gentleman rode home, but when the servant came to take the horse, he found his master could not dismount, and ran into the house and told the fam- ( ) Slave Life in Virginia and Kentucky ily that his young master could not get off his horse. They all came on the verandah, and asked him what was the matter. He said “he did not know, but he was fast to the saddle.” After considerable difficulty, amidst a good deal of laughter, he was separated from the saddle, his father saying, “I would advise you to stay at home another time, since you may see that you are not wanted where you have been.” This kind of practical joke is very common among the Southern young ladies. Their black footmen are prompted to pass them off upon young gentlemen whose fathers are not slaveholders. Hence, if a young gentleman should politely take the reins of a horse to assist the lady to mount, the footman would hold fast and saucily say, “I come for dis purpose.” The gentleman, looking in the laughing face of the lady, would perceive in an instant that he was not wanted, and walk away directly. ...