A MEMORY OF MY CHILDHOOD NINETY YEARS AGO. OUR NEGRO
SERVANT [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I suppose there are not many people now living who can remember the days when a negro servant was a not uncommon feature of an English household, but I believe that in the days of the Georges there were often such. At any rate, in my childhood there was a real negro, brought from Africa,{ bought and sold, living in my grandfather's modest estab- lishment. I do not know whether his master sold or gave him to my grandfather, but, of course, he became free when he was brought to England.
Garb, that was his name, was said to be a bright and smart fellow, and served for some time as footman. But, alas I things went ill with him. He became engaged to a nice English girl, and to his great sorrow she died. He was so distressed at her death that he went out of his mind, and had to be sent to an asylum. He recovered, but when he came back the bright lad had become a dull man, and he could only be employed as an outside helper.
This was his state and employ when I knew him. To us' children he was a great interest. The fact that he was black' never seemed at all strange, though the pink palms of his hands) were a pleasing feature. He used to tell us that his father was a chief, and he could give wonderful names of his brothers and sisters. But his friendship with animals was what endeared him to us. He would get the donkey for us at any moment,; and could make him go, which we often could not ; the horses' seemed to know and love him, and so I think did other dumb creatures. The great occasion on which he showed this was as follows :- Our grandparents were returning from a drive in the open, carriage, when the sober greys were startled by a wheel-barrow,/ and, dashing off; broke the reins (which we were told were of some new-fangled kind) and threw the coachman from his box.
They were nearing home, when Garlo, who lived in the lodge, hearing the noise, darted out of his house, and, spreading out his arms, stood right in the horses' way at the expense of his own safety, and they immediately stopped. Had they turned in at the gate there would have been a fearful crash.
Such was our hero. But I have to add that, as we used to, be told, Garlo went too often to ' The Brown Cow.' I used i to think that this was a public-house, from the results of his visits, but I do not feel sure that it was not a pseudonym for{ the liquor which he was fond of. At any rate, he was some-{ times in a state that rather puzzled us, and at such times we:
were not allowed to associate with him, though this seemedj hard, as he was then more amusing than usual. He marrieds a woman whom we thought almost as dark as himself, but this was perhaps a childish fancy, and he lived to a rather unhappy old age. Poor Garb ! We were very fond of him,
in our childish way.--I am, Sir, &c., M. F.
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