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During
our
absence
,
I
learned
from
Aunt
Phebe
and
Patsey
,
that
the
latter
had
been
getting
deeper
and
deeper
into
trouble
.
The
poor
girl
was
truly
an
object
of
pity
.
"
Old
Hogjaw
,
"
the
name
by
which
Epps
was
called
,
when
the
slaves
were
by
themselves
,
had
beaten
her
more
severely
and
frequently
than
ever
.
As
surely
as
he
came
from
Holmesville
,
elated
with
liquor
--
and
it
was
often
in
those
days
--
he
would
whip
her
,
merely
to
gratify
the
mistress
;
would
punish
her
to
an
extent
almost
beyond
endurance
,
for
an
offence
of
which
he
himself
was
the
sole
and
irresistible
cause
.
In
his
sober
moments
he
could
not
always
be
prevailed
upon
to
indulge
his
wife
's
insatiable
thirst
for
vengeance
.
To
be
rid
of
Patsey
--
to
place
her
beyond
sight
or
reach
,
by
sale
,
or
death
,
or
in
any
other
manner
,
of
late
years
,
seemed
to
be
the
ruling
thought
and
passion
of
my
mistress
.
Patsey
had
been
a
favorite
when
a
child
,
even
in
the
great
house
.
She
had
been
petted
and
admired
for
her
uncommon
sprightliness
and
pleasant
disposition
.
She
had
been
fed
many
a
time
,
so
Uncle
Abram
said
,
even
on
biscuit
and
milk
,
when
the
madam
,
in
her
younger
days
,
was
wont
to
call
her
to
the
piazza
,
and
fondle
her
as
she
would
a
playful
Kitten
.
But
a
sad
change
had
come
over
the
spirit
of
the
woman
.
Now
,
only
black
and
angry
fiends
ministered
in
the
temple
of
her
heart
,
until
she
could
look
on
Patsey
but
with
concentrated
venom
.
Mistress
Epps
was
not
naturally
such
an
evil
woman
,
after
all
.
She
was
possessed
of
the
devil
,
jealousy
,
it
is
true
,
but
aside
from
that
,
there
was
much
in
her
character
to
admire
.
Her
father
,
Mr.
Roberts
,
resided
in
Cheneyville
,
an
influential
and
honorable
man
,
and
as
much
respected
throughout
the
parish
as
any
other
citizen
.
She
had
been
well
educated
at
some
institution
this
side
the
Mississippi
;
was
beautiful
,
accomplished
,
and
usually
good-humored
.
She
was
kind
to
all
of
us
but
Patsey
--
frequently
,
in
the
absence
of
her
husband
,
sending
out
to
us
some
little
dainty
from
her
own
table
.
In
other
situations
--
in
a
different
society
from
that
which
exists
on
the
shores
of
Bayou
Bœuf
,
she
would
have
been
pronounced
an
elegant
and
fascinating
woman
.
An
ill
wind
it
was
that
blew
her
into
the
arms
of
Epps
.
He
respected
and
loved
his
wife
as
much
as
a
coarse
nature
like
his
is
capable
of
loving
,
but
supreme
selfishness
always
overmastered
conjugal
affection
.
"
He
loved
as
well
as
baser
natures
can
,
But
a
mean
heart
and
soul
were
in
that
man
.
"
He
was
ready
to
gratify
any
whim
--
to
grant
any
request
she
made
,
provided
it
did
not
cost
too
much
.
Patsey
was
equal
to
any
two
of
his
slaves
in
the
cotton
field
.
He
could
not
replace
her
with
the
same
money
she
would
bring
.
The
idea
of
disposing
of
her
,
therefore
,
could
not
be
entertained
.
The
mistress
did
not
regard
her
at
all
in
that
light
.
The
pride
of
the
haughty
woman
was
aroused
;
the
blood
of
the
fiery
southern
boiled
at
the
sight
of
Patsey
,
and
nothing
less
than
trampling
out
the
life
of
the
helpless
bondwoman
would
satisfy
her
.
Sometimes
the
current
of
her
wrath
turned
upon
him
whom
she
had
just
cause
to
hate
.
But
the
storm
of
angry
words
would
pass
over
at
length
,
and
there
would
be
a
season
of
calm
again
.
At
such
times
Patsey
trembled
with
fear
,
and
cried
as
if
her
heart
would
break
,
for
she
knew
from
painful
experience
,
that
if
mistress
should
work
herself
to
the
red-hot
pitch
of
rage
,
Epps
would
quiet
her
at
last
with
a
promise
that
Patsey
should
be
flogged
--
a
promise
he
was
sure
to
keep
.
Thus
did
pride
,
and
jealousy
,
and
vengeance
war
with
avarice
and
brute-passion
in
the
mansion
of
my
master
,
filling
it
with
daily
tumult
and
contention
.
Thus
,
upon
the
head
of
Patsey
--
the
simple-minded
slave
,
in
whose
heart
God
had
implanted
the
seeds
of
virtue
--
the
force
of
all
these
domestic
tempests
spent
itself
at
last
.
During
the
summer
succeeding
my
return
from
St.
Mary
's
parish
,
I
conceived
a
plan
of
providing
myself
with
food
,
which
,
though
simple
,
succeeded
beyond
expectation
.
It
has
been
followed
by
many
others
in
my
condition
,
up
and
down
the
bayou
,
and
of
such
benefit
has
it
become
that
I
am
almost
persuaded
to
look
upon
myself
as
a
benefactor
.
That
summer
the
worms
got
into
the
bacon
.
Nothing
but
ravenous
hunger
could
induce
us
to
swallow
it
.
The
weekly
allowance
of
meal
scarcely
sufficed
to
satisfy
us
.
It
was
customary
with
us
,
as
it
is
with
all
in
that
region
,
where
the
allowance
is
exhausted
before
Saturday
night
,
or
is
in
such
a
state
as
to
render
it
nauseous
and
disgusting
,
to
hunt
in
the
swamps
for
coon
and
opossum
.
This
,
however
,
must
be
done
at
night
,
after
the
day
's
work
is
accomplished
.
There
are
planters
whose
slaves
,
for
months
at
a
time
,
have
no
other
meat
than
such
as
is
obtained
in
this
manner
.
No
objections
are
made
to
hunting
,
inasmuch
as
it
dispenses
with
drafts
upon
the
smoke-house
,
and
because
every
marauding
coon
that
is
killed
is
so
much
saved
from
the
standing
corn
.
They
are
hunted
with
dogs
and
clubs
,
slaves
not
being
allowed
the
use
of
fire-arms
.
