The Garies and Their Friends | Page 4

He had never been
within a coloured church or school; did not even know that they had a
literary society amongst them. Positively, I, living down here in
Georgia, knew more about the character and condition of the coloured
people of the Northern States, than he who lived right in the midst of
them. Would you believe that beyond their laundress and a drunken
negro that they occasionally employed to do odd jobs for them, they
were actually unacquainted with any coloured people: and how unjust
was it for him to form his opinion respecting a class numbering over
twenty thousand in his own state, from the two individuals I have
mentioned and the negro loafers he occasionally saw in the streets."
"It is truly unfortunate," rejoined Mr. Winston, "for he covers his
prejudices with such a pretended regard for the coloured people, that a
person would be the more readily led to believe his statements
respecting them to be correct; and he is really so positive about it, and
apparently go deaf to all argument that I did not discuss the subject
with him to any extent; he was so very kind to me that I did not want to

run a tilt against his favourite opinions."
"You wrote me he gave you letters to Philadelphia; was there one
amongst them to the Mortons?"
"Yes. They were very civil and invited me to a grand dinner they gave
to the Belgian Charge d'Affaires. I also met there one or two scions of
the first families of Virginia. The Belgian minister did not seem to be
aware that slavery is a tabooed subject in polite circles, and he was
continually bringing it forward until slaves, slavery, and black people
in general became the principal topic of conversation, relieved by
occasional discussion upon some new book or pictures, and remarks in
praise of the viands before us. A very amusing thing occurred during
dinner. A bright-faced little coloured boy who was assisting at the table,
seemed to take uncommon interest in the conversation. An animated
discussion had arisen as to the antiquity of the use of salad, one party
maintaining that one of the oldest of the English poets had mentioned it
in a poem, and the other as stoutly denying it. At last a reverend
gentleman, whose remarks respecting the intelligence of the children of
Ham had been particularly disparaging, asserted that nowhere in
Chaucer, Spencer, nor any of the old English poets could anything
relating to it be found. At this, the little waiter became so excited that
he could no longer contain himself, and, despite the frowns and nods of
our hostess, exclaimed, 'Yes it can, it's in Chaucer; here,' he continued,
taking out a book from the book-case, 'here is the very volume,'[*] and
turning over the leaves he pointed out the passage, to the great chagrin
of the reverend gentleman, and to the amusement of the guests. The
Belgian minister enjoyed it immensely. 'Ah,' said he, 'the child of Ham
know more than the child of Shem, dis time.' Whereupon Mrs. Morton
rejoined that in this case it was not so wonderful, owing to the frequent
and intimate relations into which ham and salad were brought, and with
this joke the subject was dismissed. I can't say I was particularly sorry
when the company broke up."
[Footnote * See Chaucer, "Flower and the Leaf."]
"Oh, George, never mind the white people," here interposed Mrs. Garie.
"Never mind them; tell us about the coloured folks; they are the ones I
take the most interest in. We were so delighted with your letters, and so
glad that you found Mrs. Ellis. Tell us all about that."
"Oh, 'tis a long story, Em, and can't be told in a minute; it would take

the whole evening to relate it all."
"Look at the children, my dear, they are half asleep," said Mr. Garie.
"Call nurse and see them safe into bed, and when you come back we
will have the whole story."
"Very well;" replied she, rising and calling the nurse. "Now remember,
George, you are not to begin until I return, for I should be quite vexed
to lose a word."
"Oh, go on with the children, my dear, I'll guarantee he shall not say a
word on the subject till you come back."
With this assurance Mrs. Garie left the room, playfully shaking her
finger at them as she went out, exclaiming, "Not a word, remember
now, not a word."
After she left them Mr. Garie remarked, "I have not seen Em as happy
as she is this afternoon for some time. I don't know what has come over
her lately; she scarcely ever smiles now, and yet she used to be the
most cheerful creature in the world.