Двенадцать лет рабства

           I,beingunskillfulalwaysinthatbusiness,wouldhavesatisfiedmymasterbybringinginthelatterquantity,whileontheotherhand,Patseywouldsurelyhavebeenbeatenifshefailedtoproducetwiceasmuch. 

           Thecottongrowsfromfivetosevenfeethigh,eachstalkhavingagreatmanybranches,shootingoutinalldirections,andlappingeachotherabovethewaterfurrow. 

           Therearefewsightsmorepleasanttotheeye,thanawidecottonfieldwhenitisinthebloom. Itpresentsanappearanceofpurity,likeanimmaculateexpanseoflight,new-fallensnow. 

           Sometimestheslavepicksdownonesideofarow,andbackupontheother,butmoreusually,thereisoneoneitherside,gatheringallthathasblossomed,leavingtheunopenedbollsforasucceedingpicking. Whenthesackisfilled,itisemptiedintothebasketandtroddendown. Itisnecessarytobeextremelycarefulthefirsttimegoingthroughthefield,inordernottobreakthebranchesoffthestalks. Thecottonwillnotbloomuponabrokenbranch. Eppsneverfailedtoinflicttheseverestchastisementontheunluckyservantwho,eithercarelesslyorunavoidably,wasguiltyintheleastdegreeinthisrespect. 

           Thehandsarerequiredtobeinthecottonfieldassoonasitislightinthemorning,and,withtheexceptionoftenorfifteenminutes,whichisgiventhematnoontoswallowtheirallowanceofcoldbacon,theyarenotpermittedtobeamomentidleuntilitistoodarktosee,andwhenthemoonisfull,theyoftentimeslabortillthemiddleofthenight.