The same routine followed day after day, with slight variation; adding a little more work, and spicing the toil with "words that burn," and fre-quent blows on her head. These were great annoyances to Frado, and had she known where her mother was, she would have gone at once to her. She was often greatly wearied, and silently wept over her sad fate. At first she wept aloud, which Mrs. Bellmont noticed by applying a raw-hide, always at hand in the kitchen. It was a symptom of discontent and complaining which must be "nipped in the bud," she said.
Thus passed a year. No intelligence of Mag.
It was now certain Frado was to become a per-manent member of the family. Her labors were multiplied; she was quite indispensable, although but seven years old. She had never learned to read, never heard of a school until her residence in the family.
Mrs. Bellmont was in doubt about the utility of attempting to educate people of color, who were incapable of elevation. This subject occa-sioned a lengthy discussion in the family. Mr. Bellmont, Jane and Jack arguing for Frado's education; Mary and her mother objecting. At last Mr. Bellmont declared decisively that she SHOULD go to school. He was a man who seldom decided controversies at home. The word once spoken admitted of no appeal; so, notwithstand-ing Mary's objection that she would have to attend the same school she did, the word became law.
It was to be a new scene to Frado, and Jack had many queries and conjectures to answer.
He was himself too far advanced to attend the summer school, which Frado regretted, having had too many opportunities of witnessing Miss Mary's temper to feel safe in her company alone.
The opening day of school came. Frado sauntered on far in the rear of Mary, who was ashamed to be seen "walking with a nigger."
As soon as she appeared, with scanty clothing and bared feet, the children assembled, noisily published her approach: "See that nigger," shouted one. "Look! look!" cried another.
"I won't play with her," said one little girl.
"Nor I neither," replied another.
Mary evidently relished these sharp attacks, and saw a fair prospect of lowering Nig where, according to her views, she belonged. Poor Frado, chagrined and grieved, felt that her an-ticipations of pleasure at such a place were far from being realized. She was just deciding to return home, and never come there again, when the teacher appeared, and observing the downcast looks of the child, took her by the hand, and led her into the school-room. All fol-lowed, and, after the bustle of securing seats was over, Miss Marsh inquired if the children knew "any cause for the sorrow of that little girl?" pointing to Frado. It was soon all told.
She then reminded them of their duties to the poor and friendless; their cowardice in attack-ing a young innocent child; referred them to one who looks not on outward appearances, but on the heart. "She looks like a good girl; I think _I_ shall love her, so lay aside all prejudice, and vie with each other in shewing kindness and good-will to one who seems different from you," were the closing remarks of the kind lady.
Those kind words! The most agreeable sound which ever meets the ear of sorrowing, griev-ing childhood.
Example rendered her words efficacious. Day by day there was a manifest change of de-portment towards "Nig." Her speeches often drew merriment from the children; no one could do more to enliven their favorite pastimes than Frado. Mary could not endure to see her thus noticed, yet knew not how to prevent it.
She could not influence her schoolmates as she wished. She had not gained their affections by winning ways and yielding points of con-troversy. On the contrary, she was self-willed, domineering; every day reported "mad" by some of her companions. She availed herself of the only alternative, abuse and taunts, as they returned from school. This was not satis-factory; she wanted to use physical force "to subdue her," to "keep her down."
There was, on their way home, a field inter-sected by a stream over which a single plank was placed for a crossing. It occurred to Ma-ry that it would be a punishment to Nig to compel her to cross over; so she dragged her to the edge, and told her authoritatively to go over. Nig hesitated, resisted. Mary placed herself behind the child, and, in the struggle to force her over, lost her footing and plunged into the stream. Some of the larger scholars being in sight, ran, and thus prevented Mary from drowning and Frado from falling. Nig scampered home fast as possible, and Mary went to the nearest house, dripping, to procure a change of garments. She came loitering home, half crying, exclaiming, "Nig pushed me into the stream!" She then related the particulars.
Nig was called from the kitchen. Mary stood with anger flashing in her eyes. Mr. Bellmont sat quietly reading his paper. He had wit-nessed too many of Miss Mary's outbreaks to be startled. Mrs. Bellmont interrogated Nig.
"I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" answered Nig, passionately, and then related the occur-rence truthfully.
The discrepancy greatly enraged Mrs. Bell-mont. With loud accusations and angry ges-tures she approached the child. Turning to her husband, she asked, "Will you sit still, there, and hear that black nigger call Mary a liar?"
