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

Louisa Picquet, the Octoroon 43
Master will give all the protection you require whilst with us. This you may rest
assured of. Your Brother John is well and desires to be very kindly remembered
to you. Arthur wishes to be kindly remembered to you.
"Farewell My Dear Daughter. May God protect you from All evil, is the prayer
of your affectionate Mother.
ELIZABETH RAMSEY.
This Arthur, it must be remembered, is the coachman sold with Mrs. Ramsey in
Mobile, and bought by Col. Horton twenty years before; and John is the "baby"
sold with its mother--the brother of Mrs. Picquet. Arthur is now, and has long
been, Mrs. Ramsey's husband; and yet he is entirely willing she should go, if she
can only be "free;" and she is willing to leave her husband and son forever, if
she can only enjoy the precious boon of freedom. Oh, how sweet is LIBERTY!
The Daguerreotype shows John to be as white as one in a hundred of our white
fellow-citizens.
These two letters we took to Mrs. P., as directed, and read them to her; and the
tide of emotion they created in her bosom, we can never describe. Joy, mingled
with intense sorrow--the one, to learn that her mother could be bought for $100
less than the former price; and sorrow, to learn, at the same time, that her
brother could not be bought out of bondage at any price. These two conflicting
currents seemed to sweep over her soul in a mingled flood of joy and sorrow.
But all this only showed the importance of every proper effort to restore the
mother to freedom, even if the brother was obliged to remain in life-long
bondage.
Page 47
CHAPTER XXIV.
METHODIST GENERAL CONFERENCE--CALLING UPON
THE BISHOPS.
THE next evening we took Mrs. P., and went to the Bishops' rooms to see what
arrangement could be made for bringing the matter up in the conference the next
morning. They received us kindly, and expressed the utmost willingness to have
it brought up, and the balance of the money raised. Bishop JANES gave a
24.03.2006