Our World, Or, the Slaveholder\'s Daughter
ONTENTS. I. Marston's Plantation, II. How a Night was spent on Marston's Plantation III. Things not so bright as they seem IV. An Unexpected Confession V. The Marooning Party VI. Another Scene in Southern Life VII. "Buckra-Man very Uncertain," VIII. A Cloud of Misfortune hangs over the Plantation IX. Who is Safe against the Power? X. Another Shade of the Picture, XI. Mrs. Rosebrook's Project, XII. Elder Pemberton Praiseworthy Changes his Business, XIII. A Father tries to be a Father, XIV. In which Extremes are Presented, XV. A Scene of Many Lights, XVI. Another Phase of the Picture, XVII. Pleasant Dealings with Human Property, XVIII. A not uncommon Scene slightly changed, XIX. They are going to be Sold,
Sometimes we would go for walks around the country, and occasionally
made an excursion as far as Bailleul, about five miles away. Bailleul
held one special attraction for us. There were some wonderfully good
baths there. The fact that they were situated in the lunatic asylum
rather added to their interest.
The first time I went there, one of the subalterns in A Company was my
companion. We didn't particularly want to walk all the way, so we
decided to get down to the high road as soon as we could, and try and
get a lift in a car. With great luck we managed to stop a fairly empty
car, and got a lift. It was occupied by a couple of French soldiers who
willingly rolled us along into Bailleul. Once there, we walked through
the town and out to the asylum close by. I expect by now the lunatics
have been called up under the group system; but in those days they were
there, and pulled faces at us as we walked up the wide gravel drive to
the grand portals of the building. They do make nice asylums over there.
This was a sort of Chatsworth or Blenheim to look at. Inside it was
fitted up in very great style: long carpeted corridors opening out into
sort of domed winter gardens, something like the snake house at the Zoo.
We came at length to a particularly lofty, domed hall, from which opened
several large bathrooms. Splendid places. A row of large white enamelled
baths along one wall, cork mats on the floor, and one enormous central
water supply, hot and cold, which you diverted to whichever bath you
chose by means of a long flexible rubber pipe. Soap, sponges, towels,
_ad lib_. You can imagine what this palatial water grotto meant to us,
ONTENTS. I. Marston's Plantation, II. How a Night was spent on Marston's Plantation III. Things not so bright as they seem IV. An Unexpected Confession V. The Marooning Party VI. Another Scene in Southern Life VII. "Buckra-Man very Uncertain," VIII. A Cloud of Misfortune hangs over the Plantation IX. Who is Safe against the Power? X. Another Shade of the Picture, XI. Mrs. Rosebrook's Project, XII. Elder Pemberton Praiseworthy Changes his Business, XIII. A Father tries to be a Father, XIV. In which Extremes are Presented, XV. A Scene of Many Lights, XVI. Another Phase of the Picture, XVII. Pleasant Dealings with Human Property, XVIII. A not uncommon Scene slightly changed, XIX. They are going to be Sold,