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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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We should do our utmost to encourage tfre Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . — Qokthe .
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CLOUDS . Clouds in April , large and white , Freighted full of silver light , Sail above the tallest trees , Run before the chasing breeze , Roll around the hills that lift Heaven aloft , or , fierce and swift , In tumultuous splendour fall Over the round world ' s blue wall . Clouds in August , when the glow Of the level sun is low , Crowd the sky with pomp , and seem Fragments of some land of dream : Scarlet , purple , dun , and gold , Wreath on -wreath , and fold on fold ; Hall and castle , dome and bower , Faery-built at twilight hour . Clouds in Winter , when the West In soft amber flame is drest , Float before the frosty breeee—Silver snow on silent seas ; Or they peep thro' tracery fine , Windowed boughs of larch or pine , Like the faces saintly men Once have seen to see agen . Clouds to me , in early Spring Or in later Winter , bring Messages of calm delight , Thoughts of still and central might , Feelings sweeter than the tears Lovers weep o ' er love ' s dead years , Holier than the tidings told By pale seers to ages old . Then I see lost Eden ' s streams ; Dream as poet rarely dreams ; Hear enormous trumpets blown , As when gods are overthrown ; See the far-off sunlit shore , Where I wandered when of yore Angels showed me all the shells Wherein Beauty hides her spell ? , While they taught my vernal youth Many an old celestial truth . Cloudlike , thus on clouds I live , Gladl } ' take what clouds can give : Fairy feelings , thoughts like flowers , In my manhood ' s mellower hours , As in those first violet days » Do they bring for love and praise . M
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SKETCHES F It O M LI F E . By Hakiukt Martinka . u . IX . —A Sl'KCIMKN OF AN INFKUIOlt RACK . TheTe was a youth living in the Southern States of America , some iive-und-twenty years ago , who had been told , from his infancy upwards , that he belonged to an inferior race from the white people whom he saw afcout him . Ho even heard the white people speak to strangers of him and other black people as a sort of baboonn , —hardly to he considered human at all . Ho wondered that , in that ease , any
representation in Congress was allowed on account of the black population ; and that texts in the Bible , inculcating obedience and submission to the authorities , were urged upon negroes , —just as if they had been hb human aa everybody el . se . Moreover , lie was impressed with the notion that hi . s thoughts and feelings were very like those of real men ; and he had a mind to try what his chance" was in u society where ho could be his own master . So he escaped from the slavery into which he had been horn , and amidst which he had been roared .
After many hardships and dangers , Jam or Duncan stood cm the noil of Canada , a lieemnn . After obtaining work , the Hint tiling he did vyas to put himself to school . He live < l in' the most , meagre way , to havo money enough to pay for his nchooling . He felt no shame , tall man an he was , at . going to school to lcnru his letters . He felt the injury of having been debarred from learning them before , and justly attributed the Hhame to his oppressors , without keeping nny for himself , lie learned fiiNt , noon became fond of reading for pleasure , and was ho apt . at liftmen Hi to be boon qualified for a clerkship in a eotnwereitij house .
When he had been so long free as to suppose all danger of recapture to be over , he crossed the frontier and settled at Buffalo , on Lake Erie , within an easy row of the Canadian shore . His chief reason for settling there was , that he might aid in the escape of other runaway slaves , wh o might choose that road to Canada . He was diligent in his business—so diligent that he rose to be head-clerk to Messrs . Johnson , Barker , and Co . ( as the firm shall be called here ) .
But his eye was ever watchful , his ear ever open , that no fugitive slave should arrive in Buffalo without finding a greeting from him , and such help as he could give . It was pretty well known that six of the stoutest men of colour in the p lace were his rowers , — ready to obey his call at any hour when a rescue from slavery was in hand . Some remarkable deeds were done by these men of inferior intellects—some which would have been called very clever in whites .
One autumn day James Duncan was told that there was a slave girl on board a schooner in the lake —off the port of Buffalo . He went on board , and found it was so . The mulatto girl on deck , with a yellow handkerchief twisted about her head , and an infant in her arms , was the slave nurserymaid of a Carolina planteT , who , with his lady and their child , was about to return home , after spending the hot months in New England .
James Duncan asked the girl whether she wished t ; o be free , to which she at first replied " Yes . " When James went further into the matter , however , she cried a little , and said she should be sorry to leave her mistress , who had always been kind to her . " Oh , well , " said he , " please yourself about going or staying . I don ' t want to persuade you to anything . Only , if you had wished for freedom , I could have ° helped you to it ; and I just come to say so . "
The girl , as yet ignorant and feeble , would have detained him while she considered the matter ; but he said he had a little farther to go , and would have another word with her as he returned . The " little further " was on board another vessel , with whose captain he had some acquaintance . In the course of conversation he asked the captain whether the chain of his boat was always locked—invariably every night ? The captain replied with a gaze as meaning as his own that it was usually well taken care of , but that carelessness would happen sometimes ; and
perhaps he mig ht forget to lock the chain that very night . When James drew near the schooner , oh his return , the girl was leaning over . She had decided to be free , but she had no bonnet to go in ! He begged her to make herself easy about tl at ; desired her to be dressed and ready in the middle of the night to come away without a word , and enjoined her to look meanwhile as if nothing was going to happen . At an hour after midnight the boat was found merely hooked on to his friend ' s vessel . His six
rowers rowed softly ; the girl was ready on the deck of the schooner : but again . she abed a few tears about her mistress and the baby . James said not a word in persuasion , and was going away , when she finally resolved to accompany him . In the boat she put on a bonnet and shawl that he had brought . They were ween to land , for her master said afterwards that the description was of a woman in a shawl and bonnet landing , and taking the arm of a black man who seemed to command the rest .
James took her to his apartment in the warehouse . At the door he said : — " You will find within biscuits and fresh water . You will see that there is a bar that fastens across the door . Bar yourself in immediately , and mind this — whoever comes , and whatever they may say or do , be you silent . Make not the slightest noise all day . Let no creature know that the room is not empty . At . night 1 will come for you , if the coast is clear . Ii not , it . must be to-morrow night ; but anyway , don ' t , answer , more or less , to anybody but me . " She promised , and she kept her promise ? .
In the forenoon , the planter came into the counting-house , accompanied by one of the partners , Mr . Marker . Mr . Burker looked severe : the planter , was furious . He charged James l ) uncan with having aided the escape of a slave of his : he would know where she was ; and he would have her back . He bad induced tho muster of tho Hchooner to wait , until the afternoon—whereas he ought to have nailed in the morning . Ho would have Mm ; girl back in three hours , or leave -the ease in tho hands of some one who would bo hinder upon her than he would have been . James was adding up a very long row of figures
when the gentleman entered ; and he did not stop on their account . While the planter shouted at him , stamped , paced vehemently up and down the apartment , threatened and swore ; and while Mr . Barker remonstrated , and admonished him to show better manners , James went on as if he had been entirelyalone and perfectly deaf . His pen moved up the columns and set down the figures at the bottom , ' a » quick ly and as steadily as if nobody was present . At last the contra&t between the storming plan ter and the imperturbable clerk became too much for Mr . Barker ' s gravity . S ? could not help laughing , and then observed that this deaftie « 8 ftnd dumbnes * plainly meant , " Ask me no questions , * I will tell you no lies : " and he continued : —
" Well , Duncan , I shall advise our going away and leaving you to your figures , which are , in truth , the only business I have with you , now I ccme to think of it . You do our business well ; and I don ' t see ( hat my partners and I have any right to call you to account for -what you do in your leisure hours . Come , Sir , " he said to the planter , " shall we walk ?" Mr . Barker departed . The planter walked up and down the room , and scolded for some time longer , and then disappeared . In the evening James had
certain information that the schooner , with the p lanter and his family on board , had sailed , and was almost out of sight when the twilight fell . In the darkest part of the night he hurried his charge to the water-side , at a point less likely to be watched ; and there lay a boat with six rowers in waiting . B y daylight James was at home again , having left the girl with a respectable family within the Canada frontier , with a strict charge on no account to set foot over the borders .
The girl was , however , not strong-minded . She prospered well ; working diligently , obtaining good wa es , and valuing instruction , as escaped slaves are usually found to do . But she was fond of amusement , and after many months , she fell into a trap laid for her by parties in Buffalo , who were promised a reward in case of her recapture . A public-house , just on the American side of the frontier , was kept by some bad people , who made money by kidnapping incautious runaways . Often bad they invited this girl to parties , and for many months she had refused . At last she yielded . She went to a dance , and accepted a bed at the house . In the middle of the nig ht she was seized , conveyed to Buffalo , and put into jail by order of the sheriff .
In the course of the next day , James Duncan heard of the incident . At night , he was at the door of the jail . "I find you . have Milly , tho mulatto girl , here , " he said to the warden . The warden assented , and told the particulars of her recapture . " Show me the commitment , " said James . " Commitment ! I have no commitment , " declared the warden . " The sheriff sent her to me . " " Ami you hold her imprisoned without warrant ? I have a rig ht to demand her liberty ; 1 do demand it ; and you know you dare not refuse . "
It was even so . The warder yielded her up : James offered his arm ; and the six rowers appeared from under the shady side of a wall . The party went out of their way to pass the sheriffs house . There James knocked with a loud raj ) . The sheriff was in bed ; but be piesently put his head out of the window to learn who wan there . 44 I am James Duncan , " was the reply , " and this woman is Milly , from Canada , whom you put into jail without a commitment . I have , according to law , demanded her of the warden . I am now going to place her in Hiifcty in Canada , and when I return I shall bring an action against you for false
imprisonment . The party were in tho boat and off in a trice . ' !«« girl wept bitterly all the way . Before they had landed , James said gravely , but kindly" Now , you must expect nothing more from me . What , help 1 can give must be given to those who can take of themselves when they arc once rest u » ...
can ; If you can ' t keep on the safe side of the border , y <»* must take your chance , an far as I am concerned . The girl uttered thanks and promises as fast as her tears would allow . She had experienced the blessing * of freedom , and sin ; never wished to loso them again . She married rc » pcctubly , and in probably Htill punain'K the occupation in which nhe wan prosperous fiitccn years ago . ,, James Duncan brought'his action ngainflt tn
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324 & ©* & *« & £ *? [ SATPlHUy ,
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Leader (1850-1860), April 5, 1851, page 324, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1877/page/16/
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