If you want to see wretches, go to James
Town, and see de poor white critters dat ab to do all dere own work
deyselves, cause dey is so poor, dey ab no niggars to do it for 'em.'
"Sais he, 'Hab you ebber tort ob dat long journey dat is afore you? to
dat far off counteree where you will be mancipated and free, where de
weary hab no rest, and de wicked hab no labor?'
"'Down to Boston I spose, Massa,' sais I, 'mong dem pententionists and
ablutionists, Massa; ablution is a mean, nasty, dirty ting, and don't
suit niggars what hab good missus like me, and I won't take dat
journey, and I hate dat cold counteree, and I want nottin' to do wid
mansipationists.'
"'It ain't dat, said he, 'it's up above.'
"'What,' sais I, 'up dere in de mountains? What onder de sun should I
go dere for to be froze to defth, or to be voured by wild beasts?
Massa, I won't go nowhere widout dear missus goes.'
"'I mean Heaben,' he said, 'where all are free and all equal; where
joy is, and sorrow enters not.'
"'What,' sais I, 'Joy in Heaben? I don't believe one word of it. Joy
was de greatest tief on all dese tree plantations of missus; he stole
more chicken, and corn, and backey, dan his great bull neck was worth,
and when he ran off, missus wouldn't let no one look for him. Joy in
Heaben, eh; and Sorrow nebber go dere! Well, I clare now! Yah, yah,
yah, Massa, you is foolin' dis here niggar now, I know you is when you
say Joy is dead, and gone to Heaben, and dis child is shot out for
ebber.
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