But the stars shone out as brightly as if such things had never been, the blushingfruit-trees poured their fragrance on the evening air, and the scene was ascalmly sweet and quiet as if Man had never marred the glorious beauties ofEarth by deeds of cruelty and wrong

, that did not bear each its own sad burden of thoseunhappy ones, whose only crime is that they are not strong and wise.

the buyer, who now heldall their happiness in his hands

Some of them regarded the sale with perfectindifference, never making a motion, save to turn from one side to the other atthe word of the dapper Mr. Byran,

Blighted homes, crushed hopes and broken hearts

demeanor were quite as unexceptionable as they would have been had theybeen the highest ladies in the land, and through all the insults to which theywere subjected they conducted themselves with the most perfect decorumand self-respect.

where the slave liked the appearance of the proposed buyer, and fanciedthat he might prove a kind "Mas'r

s were examined with as little consideration as if they had beenbrutes indeed;

brutes

It is true they were sold "in families"; but let us see: a man and his wife werecalled a "family,"

intertwined

shambles

two happy little communities

were torn asunder,

homes

Do they notnaturally become one great family, each man a brother unto each

None of the Butler slaves have ever been sold before, but have been on thesetwo plantations since they were born.

ismal Swamp,

negro speculators

revolvers and kindred delicacies

ough breed, slangy, profane and bearish,

hither

breakingup of an old family estate

Star-SpangledAmerica

chattels