Sarah S. Baker

“ The early lessons of piety which Louise had learned at her mother’s knee, had faded from her mind. Daph could remind the little girl to say her simple prayer at morning and evening, but she could not talk to her of the loving Saviour, or recount the wonders of the Gospel she had never read.
The little book, with the golden clasps, Daph had cherished with the utmost care. She knew it contained the secret which could bring peace and order to her little home, but its treasures [Pg 111] she, in her ignorance, could not unlock. ”

“ Children’s clothing, of the finest and best, formed the lowest layer in the basket; then followed a sprinkling of rings and necklaces, interspersed with the choice furniture of the rich dressing-case. Over all was placed a large light shawl, with its many soft folds, and then Daph viewed the success of her packing with much satisfaction. ”

“ The lovely May weather, which had been like a pleasant welcome to the strangers, suddenly vanished, and was succeeded by dark clouds, pouring rain, and keen easterly winds. Daph was glad to keep the children wrapped in the bed-clothes, while she racked her ingenuity to find means of amusing them. Charlie took a wash-basin for a drum, and the pewter [Pg 82] spoon with which he beat it was a constant and patient sufferer. Louise was not so easily pleased; she began to miss her mother sorely, and tried poor Daph, by pleading piteously to see her “own dear mamma.” ”

“ Diedrich Stuyvesant moved at what was an unwonted pace for him, and the house with the blue shutters was soon reached, and the door of the familiar room thrown open.
[Pg 173] Rose Stuyvesant was sitting on a low chair, Louise at her side, and Charlie on her lap; while the book with golden clasps was open in her hand. With one shout of joy, the children darted towards Daph, and gave her a welcome which filled her honest heart with joy.
That sight was a reward to Diedrich Stuyvesant for all the unwonted labors of the day.
“Come, Rose!” he said, “they can do without us now. ”

“ Even Mary Ray and her invalid suffering mother experienced the cheering influence that flowed from that happy home, and felt that, although their lodgers were gone, they had in them still warm and powerful friends. In the midst of this grateful rejoicing was Daph forgotten? No! Among the loved and honored, she was best loved and most cared for. In the neat room assigned to her was clustered every comfort that could smooth [Pg 215] the declining years or cheer the humble spirit of the faithful negro. ”

“ Young man, think twice, if you are capable of thought, before you again peril the good name of the industrious poor, who are under the especial care of the great Father in Heaven! Explore the secrets of your profession, but honor the sanctity of every humble home, and pry not into those things which a lawful pride and an honorable delicacy would hide from the eye of a stranger. ”

“ Daph resisted stoutly when Louise first proposed to dress herself, and began by degrees to take some care of Charlie. “But,” thought the poor negro, “Daph may die some day, and the sweet little mistress do be right; she must learn to help herself a little, for nobody knows what may happen.”
“Here Daffy, I have made this for you all myself!” said Louise, joyfully, as she held up the apron, which after many days of secret toil she had completed.
“For Daph, Miss Lou! and all made [Pg 186] with those dear little hands. Now Daph do feel proud!” and tears filled the eyes of the honest creature. ”

“ Poor Daph! Such sufferings as hers could not long be kept secret. Through the live-long night she lay in the anguish of sea-sickness, which can only be appreciated by those who have [Pg 42] experienced its miseries. In her ignorance, she supposed herself to have been seized by some fearful malady, which must soon take her life.
“Daph would be glad to die, she so awsome sick,” she said to herself, “but den, who will mind de babies? No, no! Daph wont die yet. De great Lord wont let her; Daph knows he wont!” ”

“ General La Tourette had married a young American girl, who was then living on an island near that on which his plantation was situated. Shortly after this marriage, the husband received a dangerous wound in his side, which unfitted him for active duty, and he resolved to settle down on his own plantation, which had for a long time been under the care of a most injudicious overseer.
Daph accompanied her mistress to her new home, and tried her utmost skill in cookery to tempt her master’s now delicate appetite. ”

“ You speaks to poor Daph like her own dear missus used to!”
Rose Stuyvesant sat down beside the low bed that Mary had spread for Daph on the floor. “Are you very sick, Daph?” she asked, tenderly.
“Daph is all dead here, and all dizzy [Pg 134] here,” said the poor creature, laying her hand first on her heart, and then on her head. “De great Lord has sent Daph a big trouble, and den gib her right up;” and the tears again flowed fast.
Rose bent over the unhappy negro, and said, gently, “The great Lord loves you too well, Daph, to give you up in your trouble. Perhaps he has sent me to comfort you!” ”

“ When they were once within the little enclosure, Daph’s manner changed. She put down her precious basket, and looking the captain directly [Pg 18] in the eye, she said, solemnly, “Cap’in, would you see a man struggle for his life in de deep water, outside da, and nebber lift your hand to save him? Would you see a house on fire, and sweet baby-children burning in it, and just look on to see de awsome blaze, and nebber stir to save de dear babies? Cap’in, I’se brought you a good work to do. Dey say de great Lord blesses dem dat cares for little children, and gives dem a good seat in heaven. ”

“ Daph had to go through a course of consolation, similar to the above, very frequently, to enable her to maintain her cheerfulness; but the piteous questionings of the little Louise well-nigh overcame all the poor negro’s philosophy.
“I’se tell you what it is, Miss Lou,” poor Daph said, desperately, at last, “I’se jus tell you what it is; de great Lord is a-takin care ob your mamma, and if you’s a good girl, you’ll jus see her some day, and if you is not, de great Lord will nebber, nebber bring you together!” ”

“ She told of the glory of His heaven, where those who humbly follow Him, shall rejoice forever; and the speaker and the listener forgot the dreary place and the [Pg 195] midnight hour, as she dwelt in faith on that glorious theme. “Dere’ll be nobody dere, Mary, dat turns de back on de work de Lord gibs em to do!” said Daph, earnestly. “Stay, Mary, and try to bear for de Lord Jesus’ sake! Who knows but your poor ma, her own self, may learn to know bout de heavenly home?”
“Every human heart has its trials, which it can only bear in the strength that God alone can give. ”

“ One bright June morning, Daph put herself in what she called “splinker order,” and the children shouted with delight when her toilet was made. With the help of Mrs. Ray and Mary she had cut out and completed a good calico dress, and a full white apron, and these, with her snowy turban, [Pg 103] made a most respectable appearance. A new basket, covered with a clean cloth, was on her head, and within it was stored a variety of nice cakes, which she was proud to show as a specimen of her cookery. ”

“ He shall have his wages, and bounty too, [Pg 28] for the master he serves is likely to give him little comfort in the long run. Speak out, men, will you stand by me, or will you go ashore?”
Every voice joined in the hearty cheer with which the captain’s words were received. Rough hands were stretched out towards him, and he responded to their warm grasp with a hearty shake, as one by one the men came up to give him this token of their determination to help him, in the good deed he had begun.
The cheer that was so welcome to the ear of Captain Jones had quite a different effect upon poor Daph. ”

“ The kind-hearted captain was impressed by the earnest manner of the woman, and not a little curious to [Pg 19] hear the secret that seemed to fill her with such strong feeling; “I swear,” said he, simply, “go on!”
“De darkies in dis island,” said Daph, slowly, “de darkies are crazy for de blood of der masters. Poor, wicked fools! Dey means to have enough of it to-night! By to-morrow morning, de white faces on dis coast will ebery one be white wid de death-whiteness! Old folks and little children—dey mean to kill dem all! ”

“ Do you understand me, darling?”
[Pg 184] “Yes, yes,” sobbed little Louise, “and indeed I will try—try harder.”
“Suppose you begin to-day,” said Rose, “to see if you cannot do something for others; that is the best cure for selfishness. Here, I have brought an apron for Daph, which I want you to make. It will please her to think you have done it for her. She is so kind to you, that you should try to make her happy.” ”

“ For two days the poor negro wrestled mightily against the horrors of sea-sickness, bearing up with the motive, “Daph must live for de babies!”
Meanwhile, Captain Jones had all the charge of his new pets. “Passenger” was quite forgotten, as the stout sailor walked the deck, with Charlie [Pg 43] peeping out from under his rough overcoat, and Louise walking at his side, wrapped in the long soft shawl that Daph had stowed away in that wonderful basket.
They had strange talks together—that strong man and those prattling children—and they learned much from each other. ”

“ Bad habits, long indulged, are not easily overcome, even when the highest [Pg 179] and best motives govern the conduct.
“Put on my stockings, this minute, Daph! You are so slow!” said Louise, one morning, putting out her white foot imperatively towards the kneeling negro.
“Yes, yes, Miss Lou,” said Daph, humbly, “Daph do be radder slow; but somehow she isn’t so spry as she used to be.” ”

“ Of Captain Jones she could only say, that he had been a mess-mate of her husband, years before, and had always been reckoned an honest, kind-hearted man.
The questions put by Dr. Bates roused all the curiosity of Mrs. Ray, and revived the suspicions, with regard to Daph, which had been much in her mind during the early days of their acquaintance. Such thoughts had long since been banished, by the honest, [Pg 127] upright life of the kind-hearted, industrious negro, but now they rose with new strength. ”

“ Dat’s de way she used to speak to poor Daph.”
“Dear Daffy,” said Louise, bursting into tears, “I do not mean to be ever naughty to you again. Indeed, I am very, very sorry. I am going to be one of the Lord Jesus’ little children now, and you know he was always kind and gentle.”
[Pg 187] “Now de great Lord be praised!” said Daph, as she sank down quite overcome. “Daph do be too full of joy, to hear dose words from her own little dear. De Lord help her, and bring her to his beautiful home!” ”

“ Louise burst into a violent fit of weeping, and clung to the unfortunate negro, while Charlie, with an uplifted wash-basin, made a sudden attack upon the slender legs of Dr. Bates, which broke up his dignified composure, and made him give a skip that would have done honor to a bear dancing on a hot iron plate.
“Now, Mass’ Charley, Ise do be shamed,” said Daph, subduing the grin that had suddenly overspread her [Pg 153] face. “De young gemman don’t know no better! ’Tain’t likely he ever had body to teach him! You jus let him be, Mass’ Charlie, and tend to your own sister, Miss Lou, here. ”

“ A strong hand was laid on each shoulder of the astonished Daph, and a rough voice said, “Come with us, old woman!”
“I isn’t goin to do no such thing,” said she, with an indignant glance. “What for is I goin to waste my time [Pg 150] goin with them as I has no business wid? Perhaps you doesn’t know what manners is, to be layin hands on a poor nigger dis way. Take your big hands off! Ise my misses’ childen to look after, and we’s would be glad to hab dis bit of a room to ourselves!” ”

“ You must go forward cheerfully and hopefully, thinking of what Christ has done for you, and dwelling on that happy time when you will be safe in Heaven, and your heart will be full of gratitude to Him who has saved your soul from death, and purified you by His grace. ”

“ Good Diedrich Stuyvesant did not go directly to the prison, as his daughter had advised. He first called on Dr. Bates, heard his pompous statement of the grounds of his suspicions, and received from him the troublesome gold chain, that was deemed of such importance.
Having agreed to meet the little doctor at a certain hour, at the place of Daph’s imprisonment, he proceeded to the red house with the blue shutters, and inquired for Mrs. Ray. ”

“ What one does have to put up with in this world! Show the woman in!”
Daph, who had heard the whole conversation quite plainly, rose at the last words, and was ready to accept the invitation to walk into the back room, which she immediately received. ”