University of Virginia Library

4. CHAPTER IV.
Some account of Ridgewood Hill, and the Author's occupations.

My master's lands lay on and near the Potomac,
and his house was built on a hill, which bore his
own name, and gave name also to the estate—that
is, Ridgewood Hill. It overlooked that wide and
beautiful river, being separated from it only by a
lawn, which in the centre was hollow, and ran down
to the river in a ravine, while its flanks or extremities,
sloping but gently in their whole course, suddenly
fell down to the shore in wooded bluffs, that
looked very bold and romantic from the water. In
the hollow of the lawn was a little brook, that rose
from a spring further up the hill, and found its way
to the river through the ravine, where it made many

pretty little pools and cascades among the bushes;
while a creek, that was wide but shallow, swept in
from the river above, and went winding away among
the hills behind.

My master's house was ancient, and, I must say,
not in so good repair as it might have been; but
there were so many beautiful trees about it that one
would not think of its defects, the more especially
as it appeared only the more venerable for them.
It looked handsome enough from the river; and
even from the negro-huts, which were nearer the
creek, it had an agreeable appearance; particularly
when the children were playing together on the
lawn, which they did, and sometimes white and
black together, nearly all day long. They were
thus engaged in their sports when aunt Phœbe
drove me from the hovel; and I remember how
soon my indignation at the unceremonious ejection
was pacified by looking on the happy creatures,
thus enjoying themselves on the grass, while my
master and his eldest daughter sat on the porch,.regarding
them with smiles.

How greatly I had changed within a few short
days! Instead of being moved by the sight of
juvenile independence and happiness to think of
my own bitter state of servitude, I was filled with
a foolish glee; and little Tommy running up to
me with shouts of joy, down I dropped on my
hands and knees, and taking him on my back,
began to trot, and gallop, and rear, and curvet over
the lawn, to the infinite gratification of himself, his

little sisters, and the children of my own colour,
all of whom rewarded my efforts of horseship with
screams of approbation. Now the reader will be
surprised to hear it, but I, Tom the slave (I never
remember to have heard myself called any thing
but Tom), enjoyed this foolish sport just as much
as Tommy the rider, to whom I felt, I think, some
such feelings of affection—I know not how I got
them, but feel them I did—as a father experiences
while playing the courser to his own child. Nay,
I was thrown into such good-humour, and felt so
content with myself, that when my master came to
me, and bade me “take care lest I should hurt
myself by my exertions,” I told him, in the fervour
of my heart, I was doing very well, and that I was
as strong as ever I had been; which caused him
to laugh, and say I was growing marvellous honest
of a sudden.

About this time the field-hands returned from
their daily labour, and, having despatched their
evening meal, they came, the women and children
with them, under the trees before the door, with
banjoes, fiddles, and clacking-bones (that is, a sort
of castanets made of the ribs of an ox), and began
to sing and dance, as was their custom always
every fair evening; for my master greatly delighted,
as he said, to see the poor devils enjoy themselves;
in which the poor devils were ever ready
to oblige him. They had no sooner begun the
diversion, than I was seized with an unaccountable
desire to join them, which I did, dancing with all

my might, and singing and clapping my hands,
the merriest and happiest of them all. And this
sort of amusement, I may as well now inform the
reader, we were in the habit of repeating so long
as the mildness of the weather permitted.