the seat he occupied
might be resumed by its rightful owner, he having had a lengthy contest
with the sable official who acted as coachman, and who had striven
manfully, on this occasion, to take possession of his usual elevated
station on the family equipage. This, Eph would by no means permit, as he
declared, "He was gwine to let nobody drive Massa dat day but hissef."

It was a mournful parting. The slaves crowded around the carriage kissing
and embracing the children, and forcing upon them little tokens of
remembrance. Blind Jacob, the patriarch of the place, came and passed his
hands over the face of little Em for the last time, as he had done almost
every week since her birth, that, to use his own language, "he might see
how de piccaninny growed." His bleared and sightless eyes were turned to
heaven to ask a blessing on the little ones and their parents.

"Why, daddy Jake, you should not take it so hard," said Mr. Garie, with an
attempt at cheerfulness. "You'll see us all again some day."

"No, no, massa, I'se feared I won't; I'se gettin' mighty old, massa, and
I'se gwine home soon. I hopes I'll meet you all up yonder," said he,
pointing heavenward. "I don't 'spect to see any of you here agin."

Many of the slaves were in tears, and all deeply lamented the departure of
their master and his family, for Mr. Garie had always been the kindest of
owners, and Mrs. Garie was, if possible, more beloved than himself. She was
first at every sick-bed, and had been comforter-general to all the
afflicted and distressed in the place.

At last the carriage rolled away, and in a few hours they reached Savannah,
and immediately went on board the vessel.

CHAPTER X.

Another Parting.

Mrs. Ellis had been for some time engaged in arranging and replenishing
Charlie's wardrobe, preparatory to his journey to Warmouth with Mrs. Bird.
An entire new suit of grey cloth had been ordered of the tailor, to whom
Mrs. Ellis gave strict injunctions not to make them too small.
Notwithstanding the unfavourable results of several experiments, Mrs. Ellis
adhered with wonderful tenacity to the idea that a boy's clothes could
never be made too large, and, therefore, when Charlie had a new suit, it
always appeared as if it had been made for some portly gentleman, and sent
home to Charlie by mistake.

This last suit formed no exception to the others, and Charlie surveyed with
dismay its ample dimensions as it hung from the back of the cha