again! he had step clean on to its neck, strangling it in an instant!  At de sight ob her chile, all bleedin’, and still, poor Phillis become all quiet, and her eyes were shut, just like good missus, when she find massa Harry take hesef away.  Ole massa he ’pear rather sober like, when he find one ob his niggars killed, for he sot a heap on de young uns dat was comin’ up, ’cause dey be big enough soon to be ob some ’count; but de trader hand ober fifty dollar bill, to make de accident good, and took de opportunity to get away, ’fore Phillis come to again; but dey not say any ting to me ’bout my loss, and ’pears like dey could not cober de great break in my heart, wid all de fifty dollar bills in Berginny.  Dat was de last time I eber sees my Phillis.  I specks by dis time dey hab got de work all out ob her, and I hopes dey hab, missy; for though she neber hear ob dat place where all are made bright, I know she good enough to find de way; but I hopes she not be too full ob shine, coz I fraid I not know her from de white folks.”

“I hope you will meet her there, indeed, Vingo:  for after such a separation here, how great will be your joy.  I feel assured that the poor down-trodden negro will not be in that day forgotten; the dreadful curse which hangs over your race will then be explained, and I fear there will be many called to an account for the wrongs which they have done their fellow-men.  But what became of your child, Vingo?  Did you not feel grateful that one of your dear ones was spared to you?”

“Ah, missy, I tinks dar no place for gratitude in de slabe’s heart; and sometimes I specks I neber hab a heart, till missy Sea-flower spare me a part ob hers.  Well, after Phillis and de young un tuck away, ’pears like I neber look up any more; and if it not for de little Phillis dat was left, I tink I clean gib up.  I takes her wid me to de cotton field, and she lay and look at me all day long, so strange like, as if she want to know why we dar all alone; and at night I feed her wid de corn-cake, like her poor mammy used to do, and at eb’ry mouthful she look up in my face, den at de door, to see if its mammy not comin’.  After a while I gets a little used to de ache, which I hab since Phillis tuck away, and all de time I not at work in de field, I takes care ob de young un, to keep from hearing dat awful shriek, when one mornin’ I wakes up, and de little Phillis nowhar’ to be seen, and I’s neber seen her since, missy.”

“They could not surely have robbed you of your only comfort!  O, how dreadful!”

“Yes, missy; I inquires all round if dey see anyting ob my Phillis, but I gets only a laugh from one, and a curse from anoder; for eben de slabe get so used to de hard treatment ob dar massa, dat dey sometimes show de same spirit towards dar fellows, specially if dey happens to be clean tuck down wid the ‘blue imps,’ as dey calls it.  At last I asks a poor, broken-down ting, dat hab all her young uns sold away from her only a day or two