Tell Mary that Chloe staid that
night with Kate, and has been kind to her. All are well at her house.
* * * * *
Of the persons named in this letter,
KATE is a slave-mother, belonging to the lady who writes the letter.
CYGNET was Kate's babe.
MAMMY is a common appellation for a slave-nurse. The Mammy to whom the
message in the letter is sent was nursery-maid when the writer of the
letter and several brothers and sisters were young; and, more than this,
she was maid to their mother in early years. She is still in this
gentleman's family. Her name is Cygnet; Kate's babe was named for her.
MARY is the lady's married sister.
CHLOE is Mary's servant.
The incidental character of this letter and the way in which it came to
me, gave it a special charm. Some recent traveller, describing his
sensations at Heidelberg Castle, speaks of a German song which he heard,
at the moment, from a female at some distance and out of sight. This
letter, like that song, derives much of its effect from the
unconsciousness of the author that it would reach a stranger.
Having read this letter many times, always with the same emotions as at
first, I resolved to try the effect of it upon my friend, A.
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