The  negroes  who  know  their  antecedents  have  the  highest  respect
for  them^  and  will  say  Mas'  William  or  Miss  Julia  with  the  same  defer-
ence as  in  former  days.  One  would  hardly  learn  from  their  genera]
deportment  that  they  cleaned  up  the  house^  made  up  the  beds^  washed
the  dishes,  did  their  own  sewing  and  gave  music  lessons — in  fact,  did
most  everything  but  wash  the  family  clothes.  They  won't  do  that.  Fve
known  them  to  milk  and  churn,  and  sweep  the  back  yard,  and  scour
the  brass,  but  I've  never  seen  one  of  them  bent  over  the  wash-tub  yet,
and  I  hope  I  never  will.  I  don't  like  to  see  any  one  reduced  below
their  position,  especially  if  they  were  born  and  raised  to  it.  In  the  good
old  times  their  rich  and  patriarchal  fathers  lived  like  Abraham,  Jacob
and  Job.  They  felt  like  they  were  running  an  unlimited  monarchy  on
a  limited  scale.  When  a  white  child  was  born,  it  was  ten  dollars  out  of
pocket,  but  a  little  nigger  was  a  hundred  dollars  in,  and  got  fifty  dollars
a  year  better  for  twenty  years  to  come.
