Clotelle; or The Colored Heroine | Page 3

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CLOTELLE; OR, THE COLORED HEROINE. A TALE OF THE
SOUTHERN STATES. By William Wells Brown

CLOTELLE


CHAPTER I
THE SOUTHERN SOCIAL CIRCLE
FOR many years the South has been noted for its beautiful Quadroon
women. Bottles of ink, and reams of paper, have been used to portray
the "finely-cut and well-moulded features," the "silken curls," the "dark
and brilliant eyes," the "splendid forms," the "fascinating smiles," and
"accomplished manners" of these impassioned and voluptuous
daughters of the two races,--the unlawful product of the crime of
human bondage. When we take into consideration the fact that no
safeguard was ever thrown around virtue, and no inducement held out
to slave-women to be pure and chaste, we will not be surprised when
told that immorality pervades the domestic circle in the cities and
towns of the South to an extent unknown in the Northern States. Many
a planter's wife has dragged out a miserable existence, with an aching
heart, at seeing her place in the husband's affections usurped by the

unadorned beauty and captivating smiles of her waiting-maid. Indeed,
the greater portion of the colored women, in the days of slavery, had no
greater aspiration than that of becoming the finely-dressed mistress of
some white man. At the negro balls and parties, that used to be so
frequently given, this class of women generally made the most splendid
appearance.
A few years ago, among the many slave-women of Richmond, Va.,
who hired their time of their masters, was Agnes, a mulatto owned by
John Graves, Esq., and who might be heard boasting that she was the
daughter of an American Senator. Although nearly forty years of age at
the time of which we write, Agnes was still exceedingly handsome.
More than half white, with long black hair and deep blue eyes, no one
felt like disputing with her when she urged her claim to her relationship
with the Anglo-Saxon. In her younger days, Agnes had been a
housekeeper for a young slave-holder, and in sustaining this relation
had become the mother of two daughters. After being cast aside by this
young man, the slave-woman betook herself to the business of a
laundress, and was considered to be the most tasteful woman in
Richmond at her vocation.
Isabella and Marion, the two daughters of Agnes, resided with their
mother, and gave her what aid they could in her business. The mother,
however, was very choice of her daughters, and would allow them to
perform no labor that would militate against their lady-like appearance.
Agnes early resolved to bring up her daughters as ladies, as she termed
it.
As the girls grew older, the mother had to pay a stipulated price for
them per month. Her notoriety as a laundress of the first class enabled
her to put an extra charge upon the linen that passed through her hands;
and although she imposed little or no work upon her daughters, she was
enabled to live in comparative luxury and have her daughters dressed to
attract attention, especially at the negro balls and parties.
Although the term "negro ball" is applied to these gatherings, yet a
large portion of the men who attend them are whites. Negro balls and
parties in the Southern States, especially in the cities and towns, are

usually made up of quadroon women, a few negro men, and any
number of white gentlemen. These are gatherings of the most
democratic character. Bankers, merchants, lawyers, doctors, and their
clerks and students, all take part in these social assemblies upon terms
of perfect equality. The father and son not unfrequently meet and dance
*vis a vis* at a negro ball.
It was at one of these parties that Henry Linwood, the son of a wealthy
and retired gentleman of Richmond, was first introduced to Isabella, the
oldest daughter of Agnes. The young man had just returned from
Harvard College, where he had spent the previous five years. Isabella
was in her eighteenth year, and was admitted by all who knew her to be
the handsomest girl, colored or white, in the city. On this occasion, she
was attired in a sky-blue silk dress, with deep black lace flounces, and
bertha of the same. On her well-moulded arms she wore massive gold
bracelets, while her rich black hair was arranged