through her
hands; and although she imposed little or no work upon her daughters,
she was enabled to live in comparative luxury and have her daughters
dressed to attract attention, especially at the negro balls and parties.

Although the term "negro ball" is applied to these gatherings, yet a
large portion of the men who attend them are whites. Negro balls and
parties in the Southern States, especially in the cities and towns, are
usually made up of quadroon women, a few negro men, and any number of
white gentlemen. These are gatherings of the most democratic character.
Bankers, merchants, lawyers, doctors, and their clerks and students,
all take part in these social assemblies upon terms of perfect
equality. The father and son not unfrequently meet and dance alike at a
negro ball.

It was at one of these parties that Henry Linwood, the son of a wealthy
and retired gentleman of Richmond, was first introduced to Isabella,
the oldest daughter of Agnes. The young man had just returned from
Harvard College, where he had spent the previous five years. Isabella
was in her eighteenth year, and was admitted by all who knew her to be
the handsomest girl, colored or white, in the city. On this occasion,
she was attired in a sky-blue silk dress, with deep black lace
flounces, and bertha of the same. On her well-moulded arms she wore
massive gold bracelets, while her rich black hair was arranged at the
back in broad basket plaits, ornamented with pearls, and the front in
the French style (a la Imperatrice), which suited her classic face to
perfection.

Marion was scarcely less richly dressed than her sister.

Henry Linwood paid great attention to Isabella which was looked upon
with gratification by her mother, and became a matter of general
conversation with all present. Of course, the young man escorted the
beautiful quadroon home that evening, and became the favorite visitor
at the house of Agnes. It was on a beautiful moonlight night in the
month of August when all who reside in tropical climates are eagerly
grasping for a breath of fresh air, that Henry Linwood was in the
garden which surrounded Agnes' cottage, with the young quadroon by his
side. He drew from his pocket a newspaper wet from the press, and read
the following advertisement:--

NOTICE.--Seventy-nine negroes will be offered for sale on Monday,
September 10, at 12 o'clock, being the entire stock of the late John
Graves in an excellent condition, and all warr