. Home school of American literature: . Copyright, Wni. F. Gill & Co. 422 WHITELAW EEID. grown with grass and weeds, ran from the mansion down between the rows of cabins, and stopped at theplantation blacksmith and carpenter shop. Behindeach cabin was a little garden, jealously fenced offfrom all the rest with the roughest of cypress pickets,and its gate guarded by an enormous padlock. Nig-gers never trust one another about their gardens orhen-houses, explained the overseer, who was making me acquainted with my new home. ^ ^ ^ ^ >t^ I rode out first, that perfect day, among the gangof a hun
. Home school of American literature: . Copyright, Wni. F. Gill & Co. 422 WHITELAW EEID. grown with grass and weeds, ran from the mansion down between the rows of cabins, and stopped at theplantation blacksmith and carpenter shop. Behindeach cabin was a little garden, jealously fenced offfrom all the rest with the roughest of cypress pickets,and its gate guarded by an enormous padlock. Nig-gers never trust one another about their gardens orhen-houses, explained the overseer, who was making me acquainted with my new home. ^ ^ ^ ^ >t^ I rode out first, that perfect day, among the gangof a hundred and fifty negroes, who, on these planta-tions, were for the year to compromise between theirrespect and their newborn spirit of independence bycalling me Mistah instead of Massa, there were noforebodings. Two plough-gangs and two hoe-gangs were slowly measuring their length along thetwo-mile front. Among each rode its own negrodriver, sometimes lounging in his saddle with one leglodged on the pommel, sometimes shouting sharp,. A COTTON FIELD IN LOUISIANA. abrupt orders to the delinquents. In each plough-gang were fifteen scrawny mules, with corn-huskcollars, gunny-bags, and bedcord plough-lines. TheCalhoun ploughs (the favorite implement throughall that region, then, and doubtless still, retaining thename given it long before war was dreamed of) wererather lazily managed by the picked hands of theplantation. Among them were several women, whoproved among the best laborers of the gang. Aquarter of a mile ahead a picturesque sight presenteditself. A great crowd of women and children, with a few aged or weakly men among them, were scattereaalong the old cotton-rows, chopping down weeds,gathering together the trash that covered the land,and firing little heaps of it, while through the cloudsof smoke came an incessant chatter of the girls, andan occasional snatch of a camp-meeting hymn fromthe elders. Gib me some backey, please, was thefirst salutation I received. They were dre
Size: 1862px × 1342px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectenglishliterature
