Iola Leroy - Shadows Uplifted | Page 2

held the office of one of the
Directors of the Women's Congress of the United States.
Under the auspices of these influential, earnest, and intelligent
associations, she has been seen often on their platforms with the
leading lady orators of the nation.
Hence, being widely known not only amongst her own race but
likewise by the reformers, laboring for the salvation of the intemperate
and others equally unfortunate, there is little room to doubt that the
book will be in great demand and will meet with warm congratulations
from a goodly number outside of the author's social connections.
Doubtless the thousands of colored Sunday-schools in the South, in
casting about for an interesting, moral story-book, full of practical

lessons, will not be content to be without "IOLA LEROY, OR
SHADOWS UPLIFTED."
WILLIAM STILL.

CONTENTS.

Chapter
I. The Mystery of Market Speech and Prayer Meetings
II. Contraband of War
III. Uncle Daniel's Story
IV. Arrival of the Union Army
V. Release of Iola Leroy
VI. Robert Johnson's Promotion and Religion
VII. Tom Anderson's Death
VIII. The Mystified Doctor
IX. Eugene Leroy and Alfred Lorraine
X. Shadows in the Home
XI. The Plague and the Law
XII. School-girl Notions
XIII. A Rejected Suitor
XIV. Harry Leroy
XV. Robert and his Company

XVI. After the Battle
XVII. Flames in the School-Room
XVIII. Searching for Lost Ones
XIX. Striking Contrasts
XX. A Revelation
XXI. A Home for Mother
XXII. Further Lifting of the Veil
XXIII. Delightful Reunions
XXIV. Northern Experience
XXV. An Old Friend
XXVI. Open Questions
XXVII. Diverging Paths
XXVIII. Dr. Latrobe's Mistake
XXIX. Visitors from the South
XXX. Friends in Council
XXXI. Dawning Affections
XXXII. Wooing and Wedding
XXXIII. Conclusion
Note

CHAPTER I.
MYSTERY OF MARKET SPEECH AND PRAYER-MEETING.
"Good mornin', Bob; how's butter dis mornin'?"
"Fresh; just as fresh, as fresh can be."
"Oh, glory!" said the questioner, whom we shall call Thomas Anderson,
although he was known among his acquaintances as Marster
Anderson's Tom.
His informant regarding the condition of the market was Robert
Johnson, who had been separated from his mother in his childhood and
reared by his mistress as a favorite slave. She had fondled him as a pet
animal, and even taught him to read. Notwithstanding their relation as
mistress and slave, they had strong personal likings for each other.
Tom Anderson was the servant of a wealthy planter, who lived in the
city of C----, North Carolina. This planter was quite advanced in life,
but in his earlier days he had spent much of his time in talking politics
in his State and National capitals in winter, and in visiting pleasure
resorts and watering places in summer. His plantations were left to the
care of overseers who, in their turn, employed negro drivers to aid them
in the work of cultivation and discipline. But as the infirmities of age
were pressing upon him he had withdrawn from active life, and given
the management of his affairs into the hands of his sons. As Robert
Johnson and Thomas Anderson passed homeward from the market,
having bought provisions for their respective homes, they seemed to be
very light-hearted and careless, chatting and joking with each other; but
every now and then, after looking furtively around, one would drop
into the ears of the other some news of the battle then raging between
the North and South which, like two great millstones, were grinding
slavery to powder.
As they passed along, they were met by another servant, who said in
hurried tones, but with a glad accent in his voice:--

"Did you see de fish in de market dis mornin'? Oh, but dey war
splendid, jis' as fresh, as fresh kin be."
"That's the ticket," said Robert, as a broad smile overspread his face.
"I'll see you later."
"Good mornin', boys," said another servant on his way to market.
"How's eggs dis mornin'?"
"Fust rate, fust rate," said Tom Anderson. "Bob's got it down fine."
"I thought so; mighty long faces at de pos'-office dis mornin'; but I'd
better move 'long," and with a bright smile lighting up his face he
passed on with a quickened tread.
There seemed to be an unusual interest manifested by these men in the
state of the produce market, and a unanimous report of its good
condition. Surely there was nothing in the primeness of the butter or the
freshness of the eggs to change careless looking faces into such
expressions of gratification, or to light dull eyes with such gladness.
What did it mean?
During the dark days of the Rebellion, when the bondman was turning
his eyes to the American flag, and learning to hail it as an ensign of
deliverance, some of the shrewder slaves, coming in contact with their
masters and overhearing their conversations, invented a phraseology to
convey in the