Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 91: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A PROFOUND SECRET. 83 - “Oh, we won't nebber tell,” they exclaimed, eagerly, their eyes beginning to expand with curiosity, and a kind of delicious terror of they knew not what. - “You mus’ promise on de Bible,” she ‘said, rising and bringing an old, .well-worn copy of the New Testament. “*Cause I’s neyer told dis story afore, and if you should let it gut, you might git me into trouble.” Each one laid his hand on the book, and promised not to tell, and then they gathered closer, almost trembling with eagerness to hear a story so important that it must be kept such a profound secret. “Dar’ll be some terrible things in it; but you musn’t get sear’t.. It’s passed and gone now, w’atever it is. Set up clost, fer I mus’ speak low. Wouldn’ like to be oberheard, nohow.” In a kind of half-whisper, enough in itself to make what she said impressive, and which chilled thrangh her susceptible audience like a breath of north wind, Sophy began her story: - “I was born in Southampton county, in ole Virginny; I lived on massa’s plantation all de time; I was kind of kitchen-girl, and done chores, and learned to cook, and w’en J was fifteen I was married. Me and my man, we had a cabin of our own, and liyed togedder berry comfortable. Massa’s ‘farm was a tobacky farm. My man’s name was Nelson. _ He was good to me; t’ought mighty sight 0’ me, and w’en I had my fust baby—laws! he was de tickledest and de most _ sot-tip nigger you eber saw. Ah, Lord-a-mighty, don’ I recolleck dat yit? “He was good- to me; but somehow anodder he got into trouble wid oberseer purty often; I ’spect he was sometimes a little sassy. You knows some hosses and oxen dey hab to be drove, and whipped, and scolded more’n oders, to make + ae bs comnliclxoolks.c@hn)