ACT III.

Mrs. Gaines, seated in an arm chair, reading a letter.

EnterHannah,L.

Mrs. Gaines.You need not tell me, Hannah, that you don’t want another husband, I know better. Your master has sold Sam, and he’s gone down the river, and you’ll never see him again. So, go and put on your calico dress, and meet me in the kitchen. I intend for you tojump the broomstickwith Cato. You need not tell me that you don’t want another man. I know that there’s no woman living that can be happy and satisfied without a husband.

Hannah.Oh, missis, I don’t want to jump de broomstick wid Cato. I don’t love Cato; I can’t love him.

Mrs. G.Shut up, this moment! What do you know about love? I didn’t love your master when I married him, and people don’t marry for love now. So go and put on your calico dress, and meet me in the kitchen.

[ExitHannah,L.

I am glad that the Colonel has sold Sam; now I’ll make Hannah marry Cato, and I have them both here under my eye. And I am also glad that the Colonel has parted with Melinda. Still, I’m afraid that he is trying to deceive me. He took the hussy away yesterday, and says he sold her to a trader; but I don’t believe it. At any rate, if she’s in the neighborhood, I’ll find her, that I will. No man ever fools me.

[ExitMrs. Gaines,L.

EnterHannah,R.

Hannah.Oh, Cato, do go and tell missis dat you don’t want to jump de broomstick wid me,—dat’s a good man! Do, Cato; kase I nebber can love you. It was only las week dat massa sold my Sammy, and I don’t want any udder man. Do go tell missis dat you don’t want me.

Cato.No, Hannah, I ain’t a gwine to tell missis no such thing, kase I dose want you, and I ain’t a-gwine to tell a lie for you ner nobody else. Dar, now you’s got it! I don’t see why you need to make so much fuss. I is better lookin’ den Sam; an’ I is a house servant, an’ Sam was only a fiel hand; so you ought to feel proud of a change. So go and do as missis tells you.

[ExitHannah,L.

Hannah needn’t try to get me to tell a lie; I ain’t a-gwine to do it, kase I dose want her, an’ I is bin wantin’ her dis long time, an’ soon as massa sold Sam, I knowed I would get her. By golly, I is gwine to be a married man. Won’t I be happy! Now, ef I could only jess run away from ole massa, an’ get to Canada wid Hannah, den I’d show ’em who I was. Ah! dat reminds me of my song ’bout ole massa and Canada, an’ I’ll sing it fer yer. Dis is my moriginal hyme. It comed into my head one night when I was fass asleep under an apple tree, looking up at de moon. Now for my song:—

Air—“Dandy Jim.”Come all ye bondmen far and near,Let’s put a song in massa’s ear,It is a song for our poor race,Who’re whipped and trampled with disgrace.CHORUS.My old massa tells me, Oh,This is a land of freedom, Oh;Let’s look about and see if it’s so,Just as massa tells me, Oh.He tells us of that glorious one,I think his name was Washington,How he did fight for liberty,To save a threepence tax on tea. [Chorus.]But now we look about and seeThat we poor blacks are not so free;We’re whipped and thrashed about like fools,And have no chance at common schools. [Chorus.]They take our wives, insult and mock,And sell our children on the block,They choke us if we say a word,And say that “niggers” shan’t be heard. [Chorus.]Our preachers, too, with whip and cord,Command obedience in the Lord;They say they learn it from the big book,But for ourselves, we dare not look. [Chorus.]There is a country far away,I think they call it Canada,And if we reach Victoria’s shore,They say that we are slaves no more.Now haste, all bondmen, let us go,And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;Haste to the land of the British Queen,Where whips for negroes are not seen.Now, if we go, we must take the night,And never let them come in sight;The bloodhounds will be on our track,And wo to us if they fetch us back.Now haste all bondmen, let us go,And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;God help us to Victoria’s shore,Where we are free and slaves no more!

Air—“Dandy Jim.”

Come all ye bondmen far and near,Let’s put a song in massa’s ear,It is a song for our poor race,Who’re whipped and trampled with disgrace.

Come all ye bondmen far and near,

Let’s put a song in massa’s ear,

It is a song for our poor race,

Who’re whipped and trampled with disgrace.

CHORUS.My old massa tells me, Oh,This is a land of freedom, Oh;Let’s look about and see if it’s so,Just as massa tells me, Oh.

CHORUS.

My old massa tells me, Oh,

This is a land of freedom, Oh;

Let’s look about and see if it’s so,

Just as massa tells me, Oh.

He tells us of that glorious one,I think his name was Washington,How he did fight for liberty,To save a threepence tax on tea. [Chorus.]

He tells us of that glorious one,

I think his name was Washington,

How he did fight for liberty,

To save a threepence tax on tea. [Chorus.]

But now we look about and seeThat we poor blacks are not so free;We’re whipped and thrashed about like fools,And have no chance at common schools. [Chorus.]

But now we look about and see

That we poor blacks are not so free;

We’re whipped and thrashed about like fools,

And have no chance at common schools. [Chorus.]

They take our wives, insult and mock,And sell our children on the block,They choke us if we say a word,And say that “niggers” shan’t be heard. [Chorus.]

They take our wives, insult and mock,

And sell our children on the block,

They choke us if we say a word,

And say that “niggers” shan’t be heard. [Chorus.]

Our preachers, too, with whip and cord,Command obedience in the Lord;They say they learn it from the big book,But for ourselves, we dare not look. [Chorus.]

Our preachers, too, with whip and cord,

Command obedience in the Lord;

They say they learn it from the big book,

But for ourselves, we dare not look. [Chorus.]

There is a country far away,I think they call it Canada,And if we reach Victoria’s shore,They say that we are slaves no more.Now haste, all bondmen, let us go,And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;Haste to the land of the British Queen,Where whips for negroes are not seen.

There is a country far away,

I think they call it Canada,

And if we reach Victoria’s shore,

They say that we are slaves no more.

Now haste, all bondmen, let us go,

And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;

Haste to the land of the British Queen,

Where whips for negroes are not seen.

Now, if we go, we must take the night,And never let them come in sight;The bloodhounds will be on our track,And wo to us if they fetch us back.Now haste all bondmen, let us go,And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;God help us to Victoria’s shore,Where we are free and slaves no more!

Now, if we go, we must take the night,

And never let them come in sight;

The bloodhounds will be on our track,

And wo to us if they fetch us back.

Now haste all bondmen, let us go,

And leave thisChristiancountry, Oh;

God help us to Victoria’s shore,

Where we are free and slaves no more!

EnterMrs. Gaines,L.

Mrs. Gaines.Ah! Cato, you’re ready, are you? Where is Hannah?

Cato.Yes, missis; I is bin waitin’ dis long time. Hannah has bin here tryin’ to swade me to tell you dat I don’t want her; but I telled her dat you sed I must jump de broomstick wid her, an’ I is gwine to mind you.

Mrs. G.That’s right, Cato; servants should always mind their masters and mistresses, without asking a question.

Cato.Yes, missis, I allers dose what you and massa tells me, an’ axes nobody.

EnterHannah,R.

Mrs. Gaines.Ah! Hannah; come, we are waiting for you. Nothing can be done till you come.

Hannah.Oh, missis, I don’t want to jump de broomstick wid Cato; I can’t love him.

Mrs. G.Shut up, this moment. Dolly, get the broom. Susan, you take hold of the other end. There, now hold it a little lower—there, a little higher. There, now, that’ll do. Now Hannah, take hold of Cato’s hand. Let Cato take hold of your hand.

Hannah.Oh, missis, do spare me. I don’t want to jump de broomstick wid Cato.

Mrs. G.Get the cowhide, and follow me to the cellar, and I’ll whip you well. I’ll let you know how to disobey my orders. Get the cowhide, and follow me to the cellar.

[ExitMrs. GainesandHannah,R.

Dolly.Oh, Cato, do go an’ tell missis dat you don’t want Hannah. Don’t you hear how she’s whippin’ her in de cellar? Do go an’ tell missis dat you don’t want Hannah, and den she’ll stop whippin’ her.

Cato.No, Dolly, I ain’t a-gwine to do no such a thing, kase ef I tell missis dat I don’t want Hannah, den missis will whip me; an’ I ain’t a-gwine to be whipped fer you, ner Hannah, ner nobody else. No, I’ll jump de broomstick wid every woman on de place, ef missis wants me to, before I’ll be whipped.

Dolly.Cato, ef I was in Hannah’s place, I’d see you in de bottomless pit before I’d live wid you, you great big wall-eyed, empty-headed, knock-kneed fool. You’re as mean as your devilish old missis.

Cato.Ef you don’t quit dat busin’ me, Dolly, I’ll tell missis as soon as she comes in, an’ she’ll whip you, you know she will.

EnterMrs. GainesandHannah,R.

[Mrs. G.fans herself with her handkerchief, and appears fatigued.]

Mrs. G.You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Hannah, to make me fatigue myself in this way, to make you do your duty. It’s very naughty in you, Hannah. Now, Dolly, you and Susan get the broom, and get out in the middle of the room. There, hold it a little lower—a little higher; there, that’ll do. Now, remember that this is a solemn occasion; you are going to jump into matrimony. Now,Cato, take hold of Hannah’s hand. There, now, why couldn’t you let Cato take hold of your hand before? Now get ready, and when I count three, do you jump. Eyes on thebroomstick! All ready. One, two, three, and over you go. There, now you’re husband and wife, and if you don’t live happy together, it’s your own fault; for I am sure there’s nothing to hinder it. Now, Hannah, come up to the house, and I’ll give you some whiskey, and you can make some apple toddy, and you and Cato can have a fine time.

[ExitMrs. GainesandHannah,L.

Dolly.I tell you what, Susan, when I get married, I is gwine to have a preacher to marry me. I ain’t a-gwine to jump de broomstick. Dat will do for fiel’ hands, but house servants ought to be ’bove dat.

Susan.Well, chile, you can’t speck any ting else from ole missis. She come from down in Carlina, from ’mong de poor white trash. She don’t know any better. You can’t speck nothin’ more dan a jump from a frog. Missis says she is one of de akastocacy; but she ain’t no more of an akastocacy dan I is. Missis says she was born wid a silver spoon in her mouf; ef she was, I wish it had a-choked her, dat’s what I wish. Missis wanted to make Linda jump de broomstick wid Glen, but massa ain’t a-gwine to let Linda jump de broomstick wid anybody. He’s gwine to keep Linda fer heself.

Dolly.You know massa took Linda ’way las’ night, an’ tell missis dat he has sold her and sent her down de river; but I don’t b’lieve he has sold her at all. He went ober towards de poplar farm, an’ I tink Linda is ober dar now. Ef she is dar, missis’ll find it out, fer she tell’d massa las’ night, dat ef Linda was in de neighborhood, she’d find her.

[ExitDollyandSusan.

EnterHannah,R.

Hannah.I don’t keer what missis says; I don’t like Cato, an’ I won’t live wid him. I always love my Sammy, an’ I loves him now.

[Knock at the door—goes to the door.

EnterMaj. Moore,M. D.

Walk in, sir; take a seat. I’ll call missis, sir; massa is gone away.

[ExitHannah,R.

Maj. Moore.So I am here at last, and the Colonel is not at home. I hope his wife is a good-looking woman. I rather like fine-looking women, especially when their husbands are from home. Well, I’ve studied human nature to some purpose. If you wish to get the good will of a man, don’t praise his wife, and if you wish to gain the favor of a woman, praise her children, and swear that they are the picture of their father, whether they are or not. Ah! here comes the lady.

EnterMrs. Gaines,R.

Mrs. G.Good morning, sir!

Maj. M.Good morning, madam! I am Maj. Moore, of Jefferson. The Colonel and I had seats near each other in the last Legislature.

Mrs. G.Be seated, sir. I think I’ve heard the Colonel speak of you. He’s away, now; but I expect him every moment. You’re a stranger here, I presume?

Maj. M.Yes, madam, I am. I rather like the Colonel’s situation here.

Mrs. G.It is thought to be a fine location.

EnterSampey,R.

Hand me my fan, will you, Sampey?

[Sampey gets the fan and passes near the Major, who mistakes the boy for the Colonel’s son. He reaches out his hand.

Maj. M.How do you do, bub? Madam, I should have known that this was the Colonel’s son, if I had met him in California; for he looks so much like his papa.

Mrs. G.[To the boy.] Get out of here this minute. Go to the kitchen.

[ExitSampey,R.

That is one of the niggers, sir.

Maj. M.I beg your pardon, madam; I beg your pardon.

Mrs. G.No offence, sir; mistakes will be made. Ah! here comes the Colonel.

EnterDr. Gaines,M. D.

Dr. Gaines.Bless my soul, how are you, Major? I’m exceedingly pleased to see you. Be seated, be seated, Major.

Mrs. G.Please excuse me, gentlemen; I must go and look after dinner, for I’ve no doubt that the Major will have an appetite for dinner, by the time it is ready.

[ExitMrs. Gaines,R.

Maj. M.Colonel, I’m afraid I’ve played the devil here to-day.

Dr. G.Why, what have you done?

Maj. M.You see, Colonel, I always make it a point, wherever I go, to praise the children, if there are any, and so to-day, seeing one of your little servants come in, and taking him to be your son, I spoke to your wife of the marked resemblance between you and the boy. I am afraid I’ve insulted madam.

Dr. G.Oh! don’t let that trouble you. Ha, ha, ha. If you did call him my son, you didn’t miss it much. Ha, ha, ha. Come, we’ll take a walk, and talk over matters about old times.

[Exit,L.

EnterGlen,L.

Glen.Oh, how I want to see Melinda! My heart pants and my soul is moved whenever I hear her voice. Human tongue cannot tell how my heart yearns toward her. Oh, God! thou who gavest me life, and implanted in my bosom the love of liberty, and gave me a heart to love, Oh, pity the poor outraged slave! Thou, who canst rend the veil of centuries, speak, Oh, speak, and put a stop to this persecution! What is death, compared to slavery? Oh, heavy curse, to have thoughts, reason, taste, judgment, conscience and passions like another man, and not have equal liberty to use them! Why was I born with a wish to be free, and still be a slave? Why should I call another man master? And my poor Melinda, she is taken away from me, and I dare not ask the tyrant where she is. It is childish to stand here weeping. Why should my eyes be filled with tears, when my brain is on fire? I will find my wife—I will; and wo to him who shall try to keep me from her!

(Ten miles from Muddy Creek, and owned by Dr. Gaines.)

EnterMelinda,R.

Melinda.Here I am, watched, and kept a prisoner in this place. Oh, I would that I could escape, and once more getwith Glen. Poor Glen! He does not know where I am. Master took the opportunity, when Glen was in the city with his master, to bring me here to this lonely place, and fearing that mistress would know where I was, he brought me here at night. Oh, how I wish I could rush into the arms of sleep!—that sweet sleep, which visits all alike, descending, like the dews of heaven, upon the bond as well as the free. It would drive from my troubled brain the agonies of this terrible night.

EnterDr. Gaines,L.

Dr. Gaines.Good evening, Melinda! Are you not glad to see me?

Melinda.Sir, how can I be glad to see one who has made life a burden, and turned my sweetest moments into bitterness?

Dr. G.Come, Melinda, no more reproaches! You know that I love you, and I have told you, and I tell you again, that if you will give up all idea of having Glen for a husband, I will set you free, let you live in this cottage, and be your own mistress, and I’ll dress you like a lady. Come, now, be reasonable!

Melinda.Sir, I am your slave; you can do as you please with the avails of my labor, but you shall never tempt me to swerve from the path of virtue.

Dr. G.Now, Melinda, that black scoundrel Glen has been putting these notions into your head. I’ll let you know that you are my property, and I’ll do as I please with you. I’ll teach you that there is no limit to my power.

Melinda.Sir, let me warn you that if you compass my ruin, a woman’s bitterest curse will be laid upon your head, with all the crushing, withering weight that my soul can impart to it; a curse that shall cling to you throughout the remainder of your wretched life; a curse that shall haunt you like a spectre in your dreams by night, and attend upon you by day; a curse, too, that shall embody itself in the ghastly form of the woman whose chastity you will have outraged. Command me to bury myself in yonder stream, and I will obey you. Bid me do any thing else, but I beseech you not to commit a double crime,—outrage a woman, and make her false to her husband.

Dr. G.You got a husband! Who is your husband, and when were you married?

Melinda.Glen is my husband, and I’ve been married four weeks. Old Uncle Joseph married us one night by moonlight. I see you are angry; I pray you not to injure my husband.

Dr. G.Melinda, you shall never see Glen again. I have bought him from Hamilton, and I will return to Muddy Creek, and roast him at the stake. A black villain, to get into my way in that manner! Here I’ve come ten miles to-night to see you, and this is the way you receive me!

Melinda.Oh, master, I beg you not to injure my husband! Kill me, but spare him! Do! do! he is my husband!

Dr. G.You shall never see that black imp again, so good night, my lady! When I come again, you’ll give me a more cordial reception. Good night!

[ExitDr. Gaines,L.

Melinda.I shall go distracted. I cannot remain here and know that Glen is being tortured on my account. I must escape from this place,—I must,—I must!

EnterCato,R.

Cato.No, you ain’t a-gwine to ’scape, nudder. Massa tells me to keep dese eyes on you, an’ I is gwine to do it.

Melinda.Oh, Cato, do let me get away! I beg you, do!

Cato.No; I tells you massa telled me to keep you safe; an’ ef I let you go, massa will whip me.

[ExitCato,L.

EnterMrs. Gaines,R.

Mrs. G.Ah, you trollop! here you are! Your master told me that he had sold you and sent you down the river, but I knew better; I knew it was a lie. And when he left home this evening, he said he was going to the city on business, and I knew that was a lie too, and determined to follow him, and see what he was up to. I rode all the way over here to-night. My side-saddle was lent out, and I had to ride ten miles bare-back, and I can scarcely walk; and your master has just left here. Now deny that, if you dare.

Melinda.Madam, I will deny nothing which is true. Your husband has just gone from here, but God knows that I am innocent of any thing wrong with him.

Mrs. G.It’s a lie! I know better. If you are innocent, what are you doing here, cooped up in this cottage by yourself? Tell me that!

Melinda.God knows that I was brought here against my will, and I beg that you will take me away.

Mrs. G.Yes, Melinda, I will see that you are taken away, but it shall be after a fashion that you won’t like. I know that your master loves you, and I intend to put a stop to it. Here, drink the contents of this vial,—drink it!

Melinda.Oh, you will not take my life,—you will not!

Mrs. G.Drink the poison this moment!

Melinda.I cannot drink it.

Mrs. G.I tell you to drink this poison at once. Drink it, or I will thrust this knife to your heart! The poison or the dagger, this instant!

[She draws a dagger; Melinda retreats to the back of the room, and seizes a broom.

Melinda.I will not drink the poison!

[They fight;Melindasweeps offMrs. Gaines,—cap, combs and curls. Curtain falls.

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