Selections: The Dying Slave

"I was in the rt'ght mood for it, so 1 gave f uil scope to my hnagmalion." He lay on a couch, with hiu face half turned towairds the sinking sun. The skin was drawn Ughtly over his ibrehead, as Jhough it was parched and shrunken by extreme age; but the restless and uneasy wandering of his eye told that lie still claimed some companionship with earthly feelings. He was a slave, and for more than a hun - dred years, he had gone forth (o the daily toi] of a bondman. It was said that in the "fatherland," frora which he had been torn by unprincipled violence, he had been a prince umong his people. In the first days of hit; slavery, lie had been fierce and unrovernable.norcould lus haughïy spirit ever be tamed in to subjection until it had been subdued bv gratitiide. The father of his present mastei had, in his childhood, by interfering to save him from punishment, received in his own body the blows intended tor the slave; and from taat moment he bccame to his youthful master a devoted servant. Thechild grown up to manhood, flourislied tliroughout his term of years, and faded away itt tlie grave, but stil) the aged Afric lingcrcd npon the c.-uth: and it was for the son of that man that he now waited. and to use his own e.vpre-ssion, "held back his breath,r' until he slrouldl behold him . At )ength the light of the iow cahin door was darkened, as ihe mastor stooped his taïi formto enter the dwelÜDg of his slave. "I have come," said he, ns he approached; "what would you with me?" The negro raised himself up with a sudden energy, and slretched out Ws withercd hand. "IIíivc I not borne you in my arms n your helpless inftney' said he, "and ehould I not now once more behold you before 1 die? Hcod me, master! ere yon sun símiII ser, the last breatli fhall have passed my lips- its beams are fast growing more alant and yellower- Icll me, before 1 die, if I have not served you íaitlilully?" "You have!"'T have been honest and truc- I have nevei spoken to yon a fulsehood- I have never Jescrved the Jash! ' lTo my knowledge, never!' said his master. "Then there is one more boon tliat I wou'd crave of yo:- I uui going home- to revisit tlie scènes of my youtli- to mwgJe wïih the spirits of my fnendsj tíuller me nut lo retun: to ihem a sla ve! My fatliers were proud chieftains amori their nnlive wilds- they soumin out tho lion in the midst of his secret recesses- they subdued the slrenglh of the snvare tigei- they were conquerors in ba' ik- they never bowed to man- they would s-uun a boi.dman from theirhalü "O teil me,' exclaimed he, seizing his mastcr's.hand in the rising excitement of his fedings.- "u!j te.'] me, while I may vet hearthe sound, that Í ain once more freef'"Your vsIj is granfcd," sai.l his mast er, 'yon are a frcemau." "A frceman!' repeated llic negro, slowlv fcinking back upon bis coucli, ;md claspii g lij? imndü ibovc liis lioad with aJl !iis renjuining energy - "'uritc it for me, mastcr! ' The gciitlemnn torca Jcaffrom his pocketbook, and a hasty certifícate of lij frcedoii), hamled i' to the sJnve. Tlie old man lif'ed up bis licad oücü inoro, as i.e received t.and llie last ray of nunüght sirc.uucd acros his countenaijce, os with a strange smile he gazed upon the papor; then f&Uüg uuddcnly back, he once more repcated the name ofirecdom, and expircd.