louisa picquet, the octoroon: or inside views of - Negro Artist

Louisa Picquet, the Octoroon 21
that he might get religion first be fore he died. I felt sorry to see him die in his
sins. I pray for him to have religion, when I did not have it myself. I thought if
he got religion and then died, I knew that I could get religion.
"It seems he did get religion, because he was so much changed in his way; but
he said he wanted to see his way clearer."
Q.--"Was he rich?"
Page 23
A.--"Oh no, sir. He had to borrow some of the money of his brother to buy me."
Q.--"What kind of a house did you live in?"
A.--"Why, it was a rented house. When he got up, one mornin', I got him up in a
chair by the fire--it was cold weather--then he told me he was goin' to die, and
that he could not live; and he said that if I would promise him that I would go to
New York, he would leave me and the children free. He was then writin' to a
table--had a little table to the side of him. Then he told me how to conduct
myself, and not to live as I had lived with him, with any person. He told me to
come out this way (North), and not to let any one know who I was, or that I was
colored. He said no person would know it, if I didn't tell it; and, if I conducted
myself right, some one would want to marry me, but warned me not to marry
any one but a mechanic--some one who had trade, and was able to take care of
me and the children."
Q.--"How many children had you then?"
A.--"Only two. I had four, but two had died. Then I promised him to go to New
York. Then he said, just as soon as he died I must go right to New York; and he
said he would leave me the things. He hadn't any thing to leave me but the
things."
Q.--"What things?"
A.--"The things in the house--the beds, and tables, and such things."
CHAPTER IX.
DEATH OF HER THIRD OWNER, AND ESCAPE OF
LOUISA.
24.03.2006