AMERICAN SLAVERY.

THE setting sun of chill December lighted up the solitary front window of a small tenement on street, which we now have occasion to visit. As we push gently aside the open door, we gain sight of a small room, clean as busy hands can make it, where a neat, cheerful looking mulatto woman is busy at an ironing table; a basket full of glossy-bosomed shirts, and faultless collars and wristbands is beside her, into which she is placing the last few items with evident pride and satisfaction. A bright, black-eyed boy, just come in from school, with his satchel of books over his shoulder, stands, cap in hand, relating to his mother how he has been at the head of his class, and showing his school tickets, which his mother, with utter admiration, deposits in the little real china tea-pot-which, as being their most reliable article of gentility, is made the deposit of all the money and most especial valuables of the family.

"Now, Henry," says the mother, "look out and see if father is coming along the street," and she begins filling the little black tea-kettle, which is soon set singing on the stove.

From the inner room now daughter Mary, a well-grown girl of thirteen, brings the baby, just roused from a nap, and very impatient to renew his acquaintance with his

mamma.

"Bless his bright eyes-mother will take him," ejaculates the busy little woman, whose hands are by this time in a very floury condition, in the incipient stages of wetting up biscuit -" in a minute," and she quickly frees herself from the flour

and paste; and deputing Mary to roll out her biscuit, proceeds to the consolation and succour of young master.

"Now, Henry," says the mother, "you'll have time, before supper, to take that basket of clothes up to Mr. Sheldin's -put in that nice bill that you made out last night. I shall give you a cent every bill you write out for me. What a comfort it is, now, for one's children to be gettin' learnin' so."

Henry shouldered the basket, and passed out the door just as a neatly dressed coloured man walked up with his pail and white-wash brushes.

"Oh, you've come, father, have you?- Mary are the biscuits in ?-you may as well set the table now-well, George, what's the news?"

"Nothing, only a pretty smart day's work. I've brought home five dollars-and shall have as much as I can do these two weeks ;" and the man having washed his hands, proceeded to count out his change on the ironing table.

"Well, it takes you to bring in the money," said the delighted wife, "nobody but you could turn off that much in a day!"

I

'Well, they do say (those that's had me once) that they never want any other hand to take hold in their rooms. s'pose its a kinder practice I've got, and kinder natural.”

'Tell ye what," said the little woman, taking down the family strong box,-to wit, the china tea-pot, aforenamedand pouring the contents on the table, "we're getting mighty rich now! We can 'ford to get Henry his new Sunday cap, and Mary her muslin-de-laine dress take care, baby, you rogue!" she hastily interposed, as young master made a

sudden dive at a dollar bill for his share in the proceeds. "He wants something, too, I s'pose," said the father, "let him get his hand in while he's young."

The baby gazed with round astonished eyes, while mother, with some difficulty, rescued the bill from his grasp; but before any one could at all anticipate his purpose, he dashed among the small change with such zeal as to send it flying all over the table.

in

"Hurrah!-Bub's a smasher!" said the father, delighted, "he'll make it fly, he thinks; and taking the baby on his knee, he laughed merrily, as Mary and her mother pursued the rolling coin all over the room.

"He knows now, as well as can be, that he's been doing mischief," said the delighted mother, as the baby kicked and crowed uproariously-"he's such a forward child now, to be only six months old!-oh, you've no idea, father, how mischievous he grows," and therewith the little woman began to roll and tumble the little mischief-maker about, uttering divers threats, which appeared to contribute, in no small degree, to the general hilarity.

"Come, come, Mary," said the mother at last, with a sudden recollection, "you musn't be always on your knees fooling with this child,-look in the oven at them biscuits."

66

'They're done exactly, mother-just the brown”—and with the word the mother dumped baby on to his father's knee, where he sat contentedly mumping a very ancient crust of bread, occasionally proving the flavour thereof by rubbing it on his father's coat sleeve.

"What have you got in that little blue dish there?" said

George, when the whole little circle were seated around the table.

"Well now, what do you suppose?" said the little woman, delighted -"a quart of nice oysters-just for a treat you know-I wouldn't tell you till this minute," said she, raising the cover.

66

-the

"wife,

"Well," said George, we both work hard for our money, and we don't owe anybody a cent; and why shouldn't we have our treats now-and-then, as well as rich folks?" And gaily passed the supper hour - the kettle sungbaby crowed, and all chatted and laughed abundantly. "I'll tell you," said George, wiping his mouth, these times are quite another thing from what it used to be down in Georgia. I remember then, old mass'r used to hire me out by the year; and one time, I remember I came and paid it, two hundred dollars-every cent I'd taken. He just looked it over, counted it, and put it in his pocket-book, and said—‘You are a good boy, George,'—and he gave me halfa-dollar."

"I want to know, now," said his wife.

66

"Yes he did-and that was every cent I ever got of itand I tell you I was mighty bad off for clothes them times." Well, well, the Lord be praised, they're over and you are in a free country now,” said the wife, as she rose thoughtfully from the table, and brought her husband the great Bible. The little circle were ranged around the stove for evening prayers.

"Henry, my boy, you must read, you are a better reader than your father-thank God that let you learn early."