this woman, and indeed every member of her family, both the present and
the last overseer bear unqualified testimony.

As I was returning towards the house, after my long morning's lounge, a
man rushed out of the blacksmith's shop, and catching me by the skirt of
my gown, poured forth a torrent of self-gratulations on having at length
found the 'right missis.' They have no idea, of course, of a white person
performing any of the offices of a servant, and as throughout the whole
Southern country the owner's children are nursed and tended, and sometimes
_suckled_ by their slaves (I wonder how this inferior milk agrees with the
lordly _white_ babies?) the appearance of M---- with my two children had
immediately suggested the idea that she must be the missis. Many of the
poor negroes flocked to her, paying their profound homage under this
impression; and when she explained to them that she was not their owner's
wife, the confusion in their minds seemed very great--Heaven only knows
whether they did not conclude that they had two mistresses, and Mr. ----
two wives; for the privileged race must seem, in their eyes, to have such
absolute masterdom on earth, that perhaps they thought polygamy might be
one of the sovereign white men's numerous indulgences. The ecstacy of the
blacksmith on discovering the 'right missis' at last was very funny, and
was expressed with such extraordinary grimaces, contortions, and
gesticulations, that I thought I should have died of laughing at this
rapturous identification of my most melancholy relation to the poor
fellow.

Having at length extricated myself from the group which forms round me
whenever I stop but for a few minutes, I pursued my voyage of discovery by
peeping into the kitchen garden. I dared do no more; the aspect of the
place would have rejoiced the very soul of Solomon's sluggard of old--a
few cabbages and weeds innumerable filled the neglected looking enclosure,