It consisted, besides the housekeeper, of a tall, raw-boned,
sandy-haired personage, with a low brow, a blear eye and a sneaking
look, the Overseer of the plantation; and of a well-mannered,
intelligent lad,--with the peculiarly erect carriage and uncommon
blending of good-natured ease and dignity which distinguished my
host,--who was introduced to me as the housekeeper's son.
Madam P----, who presided over the 'tea things,' was a person of perhaps
thirty-five, but a rich olive complexion, enlivened by a delicate
red-tint, and relieved by thick masses of black hair, made her appear to
a casual observer several years younger. Her face showed vestiges of
great beauty, which time, and, perhaps, care, had mellowed but not
obliterated, while her conversation indicated high cultivation. She had
evidently mingled in refined society in this country and in Europe, and
it was a strange freak of fortune that reduced her to a menial condition
in the family of a backwoods planter.
After some general conversation, the Colonel remarked that his wife and
daughter would pass the winter in Charleston.
'And do _you_ remain on the plantation?' I inquired.
'Oh yes, I am needed here,' he replied; 'but Madam's son is with my
family.
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