e fields; lovely towns upon their borders,
with the church-spires pointing to heaven, surrounded with shrubs and
flowers of every variety and hue; streams meandering among the extended
plantations; railroads intersecting it in every direction; and all this
mighty field, a thousand miles long by fifty broad, teeming with
production, and pouring into the lap of commerce a wealth absolutely
incalculable. The work was begun and was rapidly progressing; but now,
when and by whom will this great, glorious garden be made?

To do this was the black man's mission; but ere his work was done he
was converted into a machine to undo all his work. Inconceivable
calamity has followed, and to him is fixed a decade which will soon run
to extinction.

CHAPTER XXI.

TWO STRANGE BEINGS.

ROMANCE OF WESTERN LIFE--MET BY CHANCE--PARTING ON THE LEVEE--MEETING
AT THE SICK-BED--CONVALESCENT--LOVE-MAKING--"HOME, SWEET HOME"--
THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS--UNCLE TONY--WILD, YET GENTLE--AN ODD
FAMILY--THE ADVENTURER SPECULATES.

It was in the spring of the year away back in time when there landed at
the town of St. Francisville, or Bayou Sara, a small periagua, or
canoe, containing two young men clad in skins, with a camp-kettle,
guns, some curiously painted skins, Indian bows, quivers, and Indian
curiosities. Their hair was long, their unshaven beards were full and
flowing, and in all their appearance they were wild and savage. There
were but few houses in the hamlet below the hill. Among these was one
of more pretensions than the rest. It was a store, and the merchant was
an Irishman. There was near it a neat family carriage. One of the young
savages went into this store to find materials for writing to his
home-friends, from whom he had been separated for many long months. He
found in the store three ladies. Two were young, the other was an aged
matron. They seemed not only surprised at the novel apparition before
them, but alarmed. This surprise seemed to increase when they saw the
young savage rapidly filling, upon the counter, a sheet of paper. They
desisted from their shopping, and watched intently the wild savage.
When his letter was completed, he politely desired the accommodating
merchant to send it for him to the post-office. Then lifting his gray
wolf-skin cap from his head, he bowed politely to the ladies and turned
to leave the store and their presence. The salutation was gracefully
acknowledged, and especially by the matron