Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/86

88 and making a terrific noise, regardless of those who were sick or tired below. A great many messages came up from those underneath them, saying if they did not cease their noise, they would inform the proprietor; but these did no good, for they kept it up till three o'clock in the morning.

Next morning, when I got up, I felt as though I had not slept for a week, but I was gratified to see the proceedings of one night in a crowd. On going down I met the servants belonging to Mrs. D. and Mrs. M., of Natchez. They asked me how I liked the ball; I told them it was elegant. Inquiring if I had seen their mistresses, they began praising them very highly, saying they were young, beautiful and good; they thought there were none like them in the room. I told them that was my opinion too. Both these girls were slaves, and had been treated kindly, and, as I before said, when a slave is treated kindly, no matter where they are, they will not leave their masters.

I have given you a night's scene in a crowd, now I will give you a day's scene. After leaving those girls, I proceeded to the springs, where I never go but once in the season, as I determined to notice what was going on that day.

When I got to the springs, the sun was just rising. The dew was yet on the grass, and as the sun peeped through the leaves of the trees, and made all glitter like diamonds, I thought I had never witnessed so beautiful a scene. At that instant the band struck up "God save the Queen," and in a moment it turned to the well known tune, "Hail Columbia."

All was in perfect unison with my feelings; I staid there some time; saw the different ladies