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bride and allowing her to be carried off without further fuss.
I admit also that I once saw an old gin who walked with
a curious wobble. I found out that as a young woman she
had bolted several times from her spouse who, at last, drastically
and effectually stopped further flights by hamstringing one leg!
I contend that isolated acts of cruelty which may be quoted
against them do not prove that, on the whole, our aboriginees
were otherwise than, on the whole, a kindly and reasonably
humane race. Any more than the crimes, callous
cruelties, and tragedies which we read of every day in
the newspaper prove that our present day civilization
is uniformly callous and cruel. Happily we are aware
that it is not uniformly so.
Of the blacks I write from actual personal experience.
Whether about the homestead, in camp, in the bush, in
the cedar brushes, or on the road with cattle and horses
I invariably found them faithful, helpful, and ever
anxious to please their employer. Provided of
course that they were treated fairly and justly.
Need one say more? ---
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