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1Author:  Thorpe Thomas Bangs 1815-1878Add
 Title:  The master's house  
 Published:  2003 
 Subjects:  University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 
 Description: There is not a more charming town in New England, than Malden, so celebrated, and so widely known for its intelligent population, its interesting traditions, and its most excellent seat of learning. Dear Sir,—I understand you desire to purchase some valuable house servants. I have one or two that I would part with, if the trade could be made privately, and treated by you as confidential. I will be at the cross roads, near the old brick kiln, precisely at five o'clock, where we can hold conversation unobserved. Dear Sir,—I have been informed that you wish to purchase a few first class house-servants; I have two that I would part with, for less than their real value, if you can manage to get them in your possession, without giving their owners the pain of going through the separation. They have been carefully raised, and would not be sold, if their owners were not conscientiously impressed that their condition would not be improved, if they were set free. I shall be at your hotel at eleven o'clock to-day, and shall proceed at once to your room, to avoid the suspicion among the neighbors, that I am contemplating selling. You will consider our communications in honor, and trust they will be so treated. Sur,—I've got an old negro woman as wants to be sold, and go to Mobeel, in the State of Mississip'. I wouldn't sell her, if she didn't want to go down to that South country to see her children, as is owned by Mister Brownlaw, who, when he tuck the children, was to buy the old ooman, but didn't have the money, an hasn't sent for her 'cordin' to contract. I will sel her for two hundred and fifty, and I think Brownlaw will give you four hundred on his place, as her son is a carpenter, and I'm told he thinks a heap of him, as he can earn five dollars a day, making bridges on the rale rode. Please say nothing about this, and drop in at my house in the evening, when nobody is about, on the Sandy-hill road, f'ur miles from Colesburg, near the ruins of the old church, with a sign over the door, with my name painted on it. Dear Sir,—I understood last evening, after church was out, that you had come on here to obtain a few choice servants. I have long since been forced to the conclusion, that slavery is a moral evil, and I have rejoiced that I have parted with the few I have owned, to humane masters, which is a great relief to me, in my hours of serious reflection. I have one girl that has been carefully brought up, and we are much attached to her, but I am somewhat advanced in years, as well as her mistress, and we cannot tell at what time she may, in the course of Providence, be thrown without a protector, upon the wide, wicked world. I had determined not to sell her, but seeing you in church the other day, I have become deeply impressed that you 12* are a pious man, and as such, would deal justly with the girl. I have also reflected, that whatever may be my sense of duty, the excitement at the North has been so great, that it makes it perfectly impossible for me to carry out my original intention, of setting the girl free, as I cannot conceive a more dreadful condition, than for a once comfortably clothed and well taken care of negro slave, to be thrown upon the tender mercies of the uncharitable world, and be left, as are the poor white laborers of the free States, to starve, and die a miserable death. It would be difficult to get the girl's consent to be sold, and therefore this matter must be delicately arranged; she will no doubt, at first, be much grieved, but we must judge what is best for her welfare, ourselves, for we know how to provide for her real good. The girl is nearly nineteen years of age. Address “Humanity,” through the post-office, and say where a strictly private interview may be had. Of course this communication will be considered confidential. I trust I may sign myself, in the bonds of brotherly love, “Dear Sir: I received your favor, desiring me to state my opinion of the value of M. Guénon's `Treatise on Milch Cows,' translated from the French.... I immediately commenced the study and application of his method to every cow that came under my observation. I have examined more than one hundred cows, and, after carefully marking their escutcheons. I have become satisfied that M. Guénon's discovery is one of great merit, and can be relied upon as true. I have no doubt that I can judge very nearly as to the quantity and quality of the milk any cow will give at the height of her flow, and also the time she will continue in milk after being with calf. “I have read with great satisfaction M. Guénon's work on Milch Cows, by which one can judge by certain infallible signs the milking qualities of the animal. I have compared the marks he gives for his first-grade Flanders cow, and find they correspond with the escutcheon of my favorite Devon cow `Ellen,' that has taken the first premium at two cattle-shows of the American Institute. My farmer has great faith in M. Guénon's work, and so has one of my neighbors, a knowing Scotch milkman, who keeps fifty cows. He says that, after careful examination, he places confidence in these marks, and they will govern him in his future purchases. I shall hereafter make my selection of the calves I will raise from my choice stocks from the marks given by this author. I think every farmer should own this work. “Having had experience in raising cows, I was pleased to find a treatise on the subject by M. Guénon, of Libourne, in France—which I procured and carefully studied. I think the book more worthy of attention than I believe it has received. I found that his marks of the particular classes and orders of cows agree with nearly all I have had an opportunity to examine. It is easy to ascertain, after studying this book, to which class and order almost every cow belongs, which, as a guide in purchasing milch cows, or of safely deciding which to keep, before we have had time or opportunity to test their qualities as milkers, will far more than repay the price of the book, and the time necessary to a clear understanding of it.
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