THE 15th of June at length came round. The departure of twenty slaves very early in the morning from Major Scott's, was attended with violent grief and lamentation. Although they had been selected in families, there were many dear relatives and friends left behind. Mrs. Scott confined herself to her room, not wishing to witness the scene; the Major went to and fro like a maniac, lamenting his folly in having been instrumental in producing such anguish. Mrs. Preble, like a perturbed spirit, was wandering from room to room, without any apparent motive. Mrs. Benson, with her arms around the neck of old Mammy Betty, gave vent to her feelings in the exclamation: "Oh! Mammy, I'm so glad you are not one of them." The lamentations in the yard and cabins were truly piteous. George and Mr. Benson followed the wagons, and they were all at Mr. Frazer's before ten o'clock. The crowd they found there was great, and still increasing. George's

  Her master walked by, and she implored him most piteously to set up herself, her husband, and her poor little baby together; but he said he had informed the public that they would be set up separately, and he couldn't now alter his arrangements.

  It was so arranged that George Preble's lot was to be first sold. The crier read the terms of sale, and put upon the block, Peter, his wife Chloe, and two children, one a boy of fourteen years of age, the other a girl of twelve. They hung for some time on a very low bid; at length one dollar more was bid, and the hammer fell. "Give your name to the clerk, sir," said the crier to the last bidder; and the name of John Stephens was given. Chloe went up to George, who was standing near, and said, "Masser, I can't go to dat man, sir."

  "Why not?" said George; "I should think you would rather live with him than anybody else, so near your old home."

  "Masser, I don't know nothin' bout him, sir, but I bin hear he wife mighty cruel, sir."

  "Oh! that's all nonsense; you must go to Mr. Stephens, and you will be well treated, I know."

  Old Mr. Frazer was staggering about in the crowd, and when he heard that Peter and his family had been purchased by Mr. Stephens, "Well," said he, "wonders will never cease did I ever expect to live to see the day when a Pennsylvania abolitionists would come to Virginia to buy niggers?" Many similar remarks were made in the crowd; and Mr. Stephens, to avoid further notice, had his lot put into a two-horse wagon, and was soon off for home. George's other two families were sold, at prices corresponding with the first, to persons residing in the neighbourhood. Mr. Benson's negroes were then set up singly; the competition between the five traders ran their prices up very high. With commendable feelings of humanity, Mr. Bosher purchased the woman with her young child and her husband, and promised not to separate them.

  The crier announced that the sale was over, and that Mr. Benson's lot had sold for fifteen hundred dollars more than George Preble's.

  "Hurrah for old Virginia humanity!" said Mr. Frazer. "George, you stay among us, old fellow, and we'll send you to Congress."

  "And where will you send Mr. Benson?" cried a voice in the crowd.

  "Kick him to the devil," responded Mr. Frazer.

  The excitement in the crowd was so great against Mr. Benson, that George told him he thought it would be dangerous for him to remain longer. He took the hint, and left for Major Scott's.

  Mr. Stephens had informed his wife, before he left home, of his intention to purchase Peter and his family. He said he had heard that they were excellent servants, and that Chloe was a good cook. She made no objection, and when they arrived was prepared to meet them very composedly.

  "Well," said she, "who would have thought Mr. Stephens, that we should be owners of slaves but it's not much to be wondered at, seeing that slavery is so different a thing from what we supposed it to be when we left Pennsylvania. This is Chloe, and this is Peter (turning to each); and what's the name of this girl?"

  "She name Sally, madam," said Chloe.

  "And the boy, what's his name?"

  "He name John, madam."

  "Indeed! Mr. Stephens, I had rather they should have been named anything else in the world; I wished never to be reminded again of those wretched little Crosbys."

  "Well, my dear, I suppose you could change their names, if you like. Were they ever christened, Chloe?"

  "Yes, sir, dey bin christian by de minister wid dem names."

  "It is too late to change them, now. I think their being named Sally and John very little matter, my dear."

  "Oh! I don't care much about it, Mr. Stephens."

  Such an accession to their numbers reminded them of the necessity of sending Molly and Kate back home.

  "What in the world has happened, now?" said the Doctor, when the girls delivered the message. "I suppose your mother John, has heard of this sale, and it has metamorphosed those girls into poor creatures again."

  "Why doesn't mamma want you any longer, Kate?" said her mistress.

  "De dun brung heap o' servants of de own dar, madam, de dun got Major Scott Peter, an' Aunt Chloe, an' Sally, an' John, madam."

  The Doctor and Mrs. Boswell looked at each other with astonishment.

  "My prophecy, Ann, has had its fulfilment in a much shorter time than I expected."

  "Suppose we walk over, after dinner," said Mrs. Boswell, "and see this wonder of wonders, my father and mother surrounded by slaves of their own."

  They went over in the afternoon, and were met by the old people with countenances which would be vulgarly called sheepish.

  The Doctor, in a playful manner, said, "I understand, Mr. Stephens, you have been buying some of these 'poor creatures' at last."

  "Oh! Doctor," said Mrs. Stephens, "don't be too hard upon us, we have only given you an evidence of the thorough change in our feelings and sentiments; and as for 'poor creatures,' let the expression become obsolete with us, at any rate; let us remember it as a thing that was, and that is now gone for ever."

  "Well, madam, it belonged to you, and you can make what disposition of it you please, even to bury it for ever."

  The new purchase was brought in for the Doctor to pass judgment upon the bargain. He pronounced them very cheap.

  "What are the names of your children, Chloe?" asked the Doctor.

  "De gal name Sally, an' de boy John, sir."

  "Mrs. Stephens, I should think you would like those two names to become obsolete, and to be buried alongside of poor creatures'."

  "It will be a hard trial to me, Doctor, to have those names always sounding in my ears, but I hope after a while to forget those detestable children they now remind me of."

  "Doctor, what shall I do with Rachel?" asked Mr. Stephens. "We have no use for her now, as Chloe will be our cook hereafter."

  "She is free, you know, and she can go where she pleases. Give her some little matter to release you from your contract with her, and she can get employment elsewhere without any difficulty."