26
THE MAN.
[1792.
inquiring mind, he had b e e n a valuable slave, and h a d b e e n r a i s e d from a field h a n d to b e M. B a y o u ' s coachman. Toussaint w a s never h u n g r y while a slave ; he was not w h i p p e d . His h u t was comfortable, vines g r e w around his door. B a n a n a s a n d p o t a t o e s luxuriated in his g a r d e n . T h e s k y w a s serene over his h e a d , a n d t h e b i r d s s a n g t o h i m , t o o , as a t e v e n i n g h e sat a m o n g his children. W h a t m o r e could h e wish in s u c h a fool's p a r a d i s e ? I s , t h e n , a full b e l l y a l l ? T h o m a s C a r l y l e — h e knew w h a t y o u do n o t ; w h a t S t e r n e said, " D i s g u i s e t h y s e l f a s t h o u w i l t , s t i l l , slavery, t h o u art a bitter draught ! " Toussaint, it s e e m s , w a s not a b e a s t of b u r d e n . T o m a k e s u g a r , h e w a s w o r t h no m o r e t h a n a Bozal j u s t stolen, b u t w i t h these rare virtues—Patience, Courage, Intelligence, F i d e l i t y — h e m i g h t h a v e s o l d for five h u n d r e d d o l l a r s and might b e trusted t o drive horses. When the r e b e l l i o n b r o k e o u t , h e d i d n o t j o i n it, b u t a s s i s t e d M . B a y o u w i t h his family t o escape, and shipped a rich c a r g o t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s for h i s m a i n t e n a n c e . T o u s s a i n t w a s t h e n fifty y e a r s o l d . N o n e k n e w t h e d a y of his b i r t h ; t h e r e c o r d s of s t o c k t h e n a n d t h e r e w e r e n o t c a r e f u l l y k e p t . F o r fifty y e a r s t h i s n e g r o h a d l i v e d t h e life of a s l a v e , h i s o n l y o c c u p a t i o n s t h e h o e i n g of c a n e a n d t h e g r o o m i n g of h o r s e s . What thoughts, w h a t struggles, what hopes had taken shape i n t h a t b l a c k b r a i n n o m a n k n o w s , for T o u s s a i n t w a s a m a n of f e w w o r d s , a n d h e left n o w r i t i n g s . I t w a s l a t e i n life t o b e g i n a n e w t r a d e ; l a t e t o b e g i n t o find out his o w n p o w e r s and strength ; late to t r u s t himself t o f r e e d o m , h e w h o h a d a l w a y s h a d a m a s t e r ; l a t e t o s p e c u l a t e u p o n t h e d e s t i n i e s of t h e b l a c k r a c e ;