CHAP. XVIII.] MENDICITY. 255 



library of Mr. Couper, Audubon s Birds, Michaud s Forest Trees, 

 and other costly works on natural history ; also Catherwood s 

 Antiquities of Central America, folio edition, in which the supe 

 rior effect of the larger drawings of the monuments of Indian 

 architecture struck me much, as compared to the reduced ones, 

 given in Stephens s Central America, by the same artist, although 

 these also are very descriptive. 



During our excursion to the sea-beach, my wife had been vis 

 ited by some ladies well acquainted with relations of her own, 

 who formerly resided in this part of Georgia, and who, when 

 they returned to England, had taken back with them an old 

 negress. One of the colored maid-servants of the ladies, feeling 

 no doubt that Mrs. W , although she had recrossed the At 

 lantic, would be as much interested as ever in her history, sent 

 innumerable messages, beginning with, &quot;Pray tell her that Mrs. 

 A. has given me and my children to Mrs. B.&quot; They were all 

 very curious to know about their former friend, Delia, the black 

 maid, and how she had got on in England. On being told that 

 she had been shocked at seeing so many beggars, and had scold 

 ed them for not working, they laughed heartily, saying it was so 

 like her to scold ; but they also expressed astonishment at the 

 idea of a white mendicant, there being none, so far as they knew, 

 white or colored, in Georgia. One of the ladies explained the 

 term &quot; beggar&quot; to signify in England, a &quot; mean white person ;&quot; 

 and said to an attendant who had once accompanied her to the 

 north, &quot; Do you not remember some mean white men, who asked 

 me for money ?&quot; Talking over this story in Alabama, I was 

 told that mendicity is not so entirely unknown in the south ; that 

 a superannuated negress, having a love of rambling, and wishing 

 to live by begging, asked her master to set her free, &quot;for when I 

 beg, every one asks me why I do not go to my owner.&quot; &quot; What 

 will you do in winter,&quot; said he, &quot; when you can not travel about ?&quot; 

 &quot; I will come back to you then,&quot; she replied, &quot; and you will take 

 care of me in the cold weather.&quot; 



The sea islands produce the finest cotton, and we saw many 

 women employed in separating the cotton from the seeds with 

 their fingers, a neat and clean occupation. 



