was this: when a child of the family reached the age of six, or eight, a
young slave of the same age and sex, was given to him, or her, with some
little formality, and from that moment the fortunes of the two were
considered to be, within the limits of their respective pursuits and
positions, as those of man and wife. It is true, divorces do occur, but it
is only in cases of gross misconduct, and quite as often the misconduct is
on the side of the master, as on that of the slave. A drunkard may get in
debt, and be compelled to part with his blacks this one among the rest; but
this particular negro remains with him as long as anything remains. Slaves
that seriously misbehave, are usually sent to the islands, where the toil
on the sugar plantations proves a very sufficient punishment.

The day I was six, a boy was given to me, in the manner I have mentioned;
and he remained not only my property, but my factotum, to this moment.
It was Yaap, or Jacob, the negro to whom I have already had occasion to
allude. Anneke Mordaunt, whose grandmother was of a Dutch family, it will
be remembered, had with her there, in the Pinkster field, a negress of just
her own age, who was called Mari; not Mary, or Maria; but the last, as
it would be pronounced without the final a. This _Mari_ was a buxom,
glistening, smooth-faced, laughing, red-lipped, pearl-toothed, black-eyed
hussy, that seemed born for fun; and who was often kept in order by
her more sedate and well-mannered young mistress with a good deal of
difficulty. My fellow was on the ground, somewhere, too; for I had given
him permission to come to town to keep Pinkster; and he was to leave
Satanstoe, in a sloop, within an hour after I left it myself. The wind had
been fair, and I made no question of his having arrived; though, as yet, I
had not seen him.

I could have accompanied Anneke, and her party, all day, through that
scene of unsophisticated mirth, and felt no want of interest. Her presence