Clotel - William Wells Brown (good books to read for beginners txt) 📗

it. If one of you die, your master loses what he paid for you, while you lose nothing. Now let me exhort you once more to be faithful.”

Often during the delivery of the sermon did Snyder cast an anxious look in the direction where Carlton was seated; no doubt to see if he had found favour with the stranger. Huckelby, the overseer, was also there, seated near Carlton. With all Snyder’s gesticulations, sonorous voice, and occasionally bringing his fist down upon the table with the force of a sledge hammer, he could not succeed in keeping the negroes all interested: four or five were fast asleep, leaning against the trees; as many more were nodding, while not a few were stealthily cracking, and eating hazelnuts. “Uncle Simon, you may strike up a hymn,” said the preacher as he closed his Bible. A moment more, and the whole company (Carlton excepted) had joined in the well known hymn, commencing with

When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the sky.

After the singing, Sandy closed with prayer, and the following questions and answers read, and the meeting was brought to a close.

Q. What command has God given to servants concerning obedience to their masters? A. “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” Q. What does God mean by masters according to the flesh? A. “Masters in this world.” Q. What are servants to count their masters worthy of? A. “All honour.” Q. How are they to do the service of their masters? A. “With good will, doing service as unto the Lord, and not unto men.” Q. How are they to try to please their masters? A. “Please him well in all things, not answering again.” Q. Is a servant who is an eye-servant to his earthly master an eye-servant to his heavenly master? A. “Yes.” Q. Is it right in a servant, when commanded to do anything, to be sullen and slow, and answer his master again? A. “No.” Q. If the servant professes to be a Christian, ought he not to be as a Christian servant, an example to all other servants of love and obedience to his master? A. “Yes.” Q. And, should his master be a Christian also, ought he not on that account specially to love and obey him? A. “Yes.” Q. But suppose the master is hard to please, and threatens and punishes more than he ought, what is the servant to do? A. “Do his best to please him.” Q. When the servant suffers wrongfully at the hands of his master, and, to please God, takes it patiently, will God reward him for it? A. “Yes.” Q. Is it right for the servant to run away, or is it right to harbour a runaway? A. “No.” Q. If a servant runs away, what should be done with him? A. “He should be caught and brought back.” Q. When he is brought back, what should be done with him? A. “Whip him well.” Q. Why may not the whites be slaves as well as the blacks? A. “Because the Lord intended the negroes for slaves.” Q. Are they better calculated for servants than the whites? A. “Yes, their hands are large, the skin thick and tough, and they can stand the sun better than the whites.” Q. Why should servants not complain when they are whipped? A. “Because the Lord has commanded that they should be whipped.” Q. Where has He commanded it? A. “He says, He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.” Q. Then is the master to blame for whipping his servant? A. “Oh, no! he is only doing his duty as a Christian.”

Snyder left the ground in company with Carlton and Huckelby, and the three dined together in the overseer’s dwelling.

“Well,” said Joe, after the three white men were out of hearing, “Marser Snyder bin try hesef today.”

“Yes,” replied Ned; “he want to show de strange gentman how good he can preach.”

“Dat’s a new sermon he gib us today,” said Sandy.

“Dees white fokes is de very dibble,” said Dick; “and all dey whole study is to try to fool de black people.”

“Didn’t you like de sermon?” asked Uncle Simon. “No,” answered four or five voices. “He rared and pitched enough,” continued Uncle Simon.

Now Uncle Simon was himself a preacher, or at least he thought so, and was rather pleased than otherwise, when he heard others spoken of in a disparaging manner. “Uncle Simon can beat dat sermon all to pieces,” said Ned, as he was filling his mouth with hazelnuts.

“I got no notion of dees white fokes, no how,” returned Aunt Dafney. “Dey all de time tellin’ dat de Lord made us for to work for dem, and I don’t believe a word of it.”

“Marser Peck give dat sermon to Snyder, I know,” said Uncle Simon.

“He jest de one for dat,” replied Sandy.

“I think de people dat made de Bible was great fools,” said Ned.

“Why?” Uncle Simon.

“ ’Cause dey made such a great big book and put nuttin’ in it, but servants obey yer masters.”

“Oh,” replied Uncle Simon, “thars more in de Bible den dat, only Snyder never reads any other part to us; I use to hear it read in Maryland, and thar was more den what Snyder lets us hear.”

In the overseer’s house there was another scene going on, and far different from what we have here described.

VII The Poor Whites, South

“No seeming of logic can ever convince the American people, that thousands of our slave-holding brethren are not excellent, humane, and even Christian men, fearing God, and keeping His commandments.”

Rev. Dr. Joel Parker

“You like these parts better than New York,” said Carlton to Snyder, as they were sitting down to dinner in the overseer’s dwelling.

“I can’t say that I do,” was the reply; “I came here ten years ago as missionary, and Mr. Peck wanted me to stay, and I have remained. I travel among the poor whites during the week and preach for the niggers on Sunday.”

“Are there many poor whites in this