UNCLE IN ENGLAN 7 D. 165 



such indefatigable earnestness, and, ignorant of 

 the manners and customs of the West Indies, 

 I made such an infinite number of teasing regu- 

 lations, that I completely worried my servants 

 and slaves; and even Mr. P., I do believe, 

 thought this extreme the worst. I became so 

 fussy and so busy, that I thought I had time for 

 nothing else, like the Norwegian ladies, whose 

 whole lives are absorbed in domestic drudgery. 



One circumstance, however, greatly annoyed 

 my feelings the being surrounded by slaves. 

 Though they did not, in general, look unhappy, 

 and though they enjoyed many comforts, yet the 

 whole system excited my indignation. You know 

 I had never learned to control or conceal my 

 sentiments, and I now took every opportunity of 

 expressing them with such silly enthusiasm, and 

 so publicly, that I not only offended all the 

 whites, but injured the poor negroes themselves. 

 My imprudent sympathy not only made them 

 feel their degraded situation the more acutely, 

 but materially helped to inflame that spirit of 

 discontent which, more or less, must always ac 

 company slavery ; and I really tremble in reflect- 

 ing how much I may have been accessary to the 

 events which afterwards happened. Yet you will 

 be astonished, Bertha, when I add, that such 

 was the perverse inconsistency of my character, 

 that while overflowing with compassion for these 

 poor creatures, I was a, most arbitrary mistress 



