A SLAVERY INCIDENT. [From Uncle Tom's Cabin.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 781, 26 January 1853, Page 4

A SLAVERY INCIDENT. [From Uncle Tom's Cabin.]

About elevt n o'clock the next day a mixed throng vu gathered round the court-home ateps — smoking, chewing, spitting, ■wearing, and conversing, according to their reaped We tastea and turns, waiting for the auction to commence* The men and women to be sold aat in a group apart, talking in a low tone to each other. The woman who had been advertiied by the name of Hagar waa a regular African in feature and figure. She might have been aixty, but waa older than that by hard work and diaeaae, waa partially blind, and aomewhat crippled with rheumatism. By her aide atood her «nly remaining aon, Albert, a bright looking little fellow of fourteen yean. The boy was the only survivor of a large family, who had been aucceasively sold away from her to a southern market. The mother held on to him with both her shaking hands, and eyed with in-

tense trepidation every one who walked op to examine him. " Don't be feard, Aunt Hagar," said the oldest of the men, I spoke to Mas'r Thomas 'boot it, and he thought be might manage to sell yon in a lot both together." " Dey needn't call me worn ont yet/ said she, lifting her shaking bands. "I can cook yet, and scrub, and scour— -I'm worth buying, if Ido come cheap ; tell 'em dit ar— you tell 'em" she added earnestly. " Haley here forced his way into the group, walked up to the old man, pulled bis month open and looked in, felt his teeth, made him stand and straighten himself, bend bis back, and perform various evolutions to show bis muscles ; and then passed on to the next, and put him through the same trial. Walking up last to tbe boy, he felt his arms, straightened his bands, and looked at his fingers, and made him jump, to show bis agility. " He ant gwine to be sold widout me 1" said the old woman with passionate eagerness ; "he and I goes in a lot together ; I's rail strong yet, mas'r aod can do heaps o' work — heaps on it, mas'r." "Oo plantation?" said Haley, with a contemptuous glance. " Likely story 1" and, as if satisfied with bis examination, he walked out and looked, and atood with his bands in bis pocket, his cigar in his mouth, and his hat cocked on one side, ready for action. " What tbink of 'em ?" said a man who bad bjpn following Haley's examination, as if to make) %p his own mind from it. "Wai," said Haley, spitting, "I shall put in, I think, for the youngerly ones and the boy." " They want to sell the btfy and the old woman together," said the man. " Find it a tight pull : why, she's an old rack o' bonea — not worth her salt." " You wouldn't then?" said tbe man. " Anybody'd be a fool 't would. She's half blind, crooked with rbeumatis, and foolish to boot." " Some buys up these yer old critturs, and ses there's a sight more wear in 'em than a body'd think." said the man, reflectively. "No go, 't all," said Haley ; " wouldn't take her for a present — ftct ; I've seen now." " Wai, 'tis kinder pity, now, not to buy her with her ion — her heart seems so sot on him ; s'pose they fling her in cheap." " Them that bavt got money to spend in that ar way, it's all well enough. I ahall bid off on that ar boy for a plantation hand ; wouldn't be, bothered with her, no way— not if they'd give her to me," said Haley. " She'll take on desp't,' ( said tbe man. " Nat'lly, she will," said the trader coolly. " The conversation was here interrupted by a busy hum in the audience, and the auctioneer, a short, bustling, important fellow, elbowed his way into the crowd. The old woman drew in her bieatb, and caught instinctively at her son. *' Keep dose to yer mammy, Albert — close— dey'll put us up togedder," she said. " O mammy, I'm feared they wont," said the boy. " Dey must, child ; I can't live, no ways, if they don't," said tbe old woman, vehemently. The stentorian tones of the auctioneer, calling out to de,ar tbe way, now announced that tbe sale was about to commence. A place was cleared, and tbe bidding began. The different men on tb» list were soon knocked off at prices which sbowod a pretty brisk demand in the market ; two of them fell to Haley. " Come, now, young un," said the auctioneer, giving the boy a touch with his hammer, " be up and show your springs now." " Put us two up togedder, togedder— do please, mas'r," said the old woman, holding fast to her boy. " Be off," said the man gruffly, pushing her hands away "you come last Now, darkey, spring ;" and, with the word, he pushed the boy toward the block, while a deep, heavy groan rose behind him« The boy paused; and looked back; but there was no time to stay, and, dashing the tears from his large bright eyes, he was up in a moment. His fine figure, alert limbs, and bright face, raised an instant competition, and half-a-dozen bids simultaneously met the ear of the auctioneer. Anxious, half-frightened, he looked from side to side, aa he heard the clatter of contending bjds— now here, now there — till the hammer fell. Haley had got him. He was pushed from the block towards bis new master, but stopped one moment, and looked back when his poor old mother, trembling in every limb, held out her shaking hands towards him. "Boy me, too, maa'r; for the dear Lord's sake ! — buy me — I shall die if you don't!" " You'll die if I do, that's the kink of it," said. Haley. "No!" And he turned on his heel. The bidding for the poor old creature was summary. The man who bad addressed Haley, and who seemed not destitute of compassion, taught her for a trifle, and the spectators began to disperse.. The poor victims of tb« tale, who had been brought up in one place together for years, gathered round the despairing old mother, whose agony was pitiful to see. " Couldn't dey leave me one ? Mas'r alters said I should have one — bt did, she repeated over and over, in beart-brdken tones. • " Trust in tbt Lord, Aunt Hagar," said ont of the oldest of the men, sorrowfully. "What good will it do? 1 ' said she, sobbing I passionately. "Mother! mother i Don't! don't!" said the