Women of distinction/Chapter 1
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION.
CHAPTER I.
PHILLIS WHEATLEY.
In 1761, when the inhabitants of Africa were stolen by cruel hands and brought to America, the "sweet land of liberty," and sold, as so many cattle, under the protection of the flag of this "land of the pilgrim's pride," among the cargo of this human freight that was put upon the market at Boston, Mass., was a collection of little children, one of whom was the afterwards famous Phillis Wheatley.
A lady of some prominence, Mrs. John Wheatley, desiring to purchase a bright little girl whom she might train for a suitable staff upon which to depend for service in old age, went to this market, and of all the many she saw none so attracted her admiration as a delicate, meek, intelligent-looking little girl about seven years old, whose nakedness was covered only by a piece of dirty carpet drawn about her loins. Mrs. Wheatley made the purchase with the intention of making a faithful domestic of her, but the wholesome effects of clothing, along with general cleanliness, were so marked that the good lady arranged at once to have her daughter give the girl such instruction as might appear necessary.
Anxious to learn and quick to acquire at this very early age of seven or eight years, she astonished her teacher and mistress beyond measure, in that she was able in one year and a half to read and write with much accuracy; and at the end of four years from the time she was purchased in the slave-pen she could extensively and intelligently converse and write upon quite a large number of difficult subjects. Her wonderful intellectual powers, keen insight and general scholarship became a matter of such admiration among the educated Bostonians that her society was in great demand by a large part of the aristocracy of that city. Some of the best citizens were kind to her in lending her books and pushing her forward whenever possible.
Having made considerable advancement in the English branches, she began the study of Latin, in which she succeeded to such an extent that she made a translation of "Ovid's Tales," which was published in Boston, also in England, and was regarded by the best critics as an excellent rendering.
At the age of sixteen she became a Christian and (although an exception to the rule of a slave's relations to the Church) was baptized into full membership into the "Old South Meeting House" with the noted Dr. Sewall as pastor. Her Christian life added much to the quality and effect of her writings. In public or in private she was noted for the emanations of gratitude from a thankful heart in appreciation of any kindness rendered her. She was a great lover of her race, although remembering but little of her former home and surroundings in Africa. Being of a very delicate constitution, and having applied herself rigidly to study, along with the effects of a severe northern climate, all combined told very much upon her physical strength.
It is, however, pleasant to note that her mother, by adoption, Mrs. Wheatley, from whom she derived her name, was very prompt in securing for her the best medical aid. After all it was thought advisable for Phillis to take a trip over the ocean, and having been previously made free by her owner at the age of twenty, she could easily determine her own course of action. Subsequently she accompanied the son of Mrs. Wheatley to Europe. Phillis had already had some correspondence with prominent parties in England and had become quite well known there, as a poet, by reputation.
She was well received and greatly honored by the nobility and moved in the highest social life. To her the doors of some of the best families were opened and tables spread. The newspapers told the story of her excellence in glowing language, describing her as a poet of African birth, the most remarkable upon the continent. She swayed England as by magic. At the earnest solicitations of many friends she allowed her poems to be published to the world in 1773, appearing in London in a volume of about 120 pages, consisting of thirty-nine pieces. So excellent were these poems in all respects that the publishers, suspecting that some critic would doubt that Phillis was the real author, prepared a certificate and obtained the underwriting of the names of the Governor and Lieutenent-Governor along with the names of sixteen others of the most prominent and most competent white citizens, all of whom certified that there was no reasonable grounds for any doubt whatsoever but that Phillis Wheatley was the original author of the poems.
Her glory and fame had been sounded far and wide, but now comes a dark day. Mrs. Wheatley, while Phillis was in the height of her glory in Europe, became quite sick and much desired to see her Phillis, although the photo of this girl hanging upon the wall was some comfort. She finally grew worse and kindly asked Phillis to come home at once. This summons the grateful and loving-hearted girl obeyed, immediately sailing direct for Boston. She arrived in time to see but little of her former mistress—mother—before death came and called the sick away. Not very long afterwards Mr. Wheatley and daughter followed Mrs. Wheatley to the grave. The son married and took up his abode in England. Phillis, now, left to look out entirely for herself, accepted a proposal to marry a colored gentleman of respectability named John Peters.
The noble woman, being quite popular and much beloved, caused John Peters to become jealous, which jealousy grew into cruelty. Their only child had died at an early age—all of which bore so heavily upon the already feeble woman that she, after spending a very short married life, died on the 5th day of December, 1784, at the age of thirty-one. Thus passed away the brightest and most generally beloved Afro-American woman of her day. This Afro-American, coming in a slave-ship, a heathen child of seven years, from the jungles of Africa, and although at once putting on the galling yoke of slavery, nevertheless she grew and developed such traits of character and displayed the genius of such a powerful intellect that in less than twenty years from the time she was purchased at the slave-pen in Boston she became the admiration and wonder of the best minds in Europe and in America. She especially addressed one of her poems to General George Washington, which so pleased the great conqueror that the following complimentary letter flowed from his stately pen to her:
Cambridge, 28th February, 1776.
Miss Phillis:—Your favor of the 26th of October did not reach my hands till the middle of December. Time enough, you will say, to have given an answer ere this. Granted. But a variety of important occurrences continually interposing to distract the mind and withdraw the attention I hope will apologize for the delay, and plead my excuse for the seeming but not real neglect. I thank you most sincerely for your polite notice of me, in the elegant lines you enclosed; and however undeserving I may be of such encomium and panegyric, the style and manner exhibit a striking proof of your poetical talents; in honor of which, and as a tribute justly due to you, I would have published the poem, had I not been apprehensive that, while I only meant to give the world this new instance of your genius, I might have incurred the imputation of vanity. This, and nothing else, determined me not to give it place in the public prints. If you should ever come to Cambridge, or near headquarters, I shall be happy to see a person so favored by the Muse, and to whom Nature has been so liberal and beneficent in her dispensations.
I am with great respect, your obedient, humble servant,
George Washington.
The whole life of Phillis Wheatley, while rising to the highest point of sublime grandeur in her day, also constitutes one of the large number of witnesses that we are ready to place upon the stand in defense of Afro-American capabilities and success with which we challenge the civilized world to produce a parallel.
