Hidden in the Trees (Bellingwood Stotries #1) Read Online Free
Author: Diane Greenwood Muir
Andrew had asked his mother what slaves were. He had overheard her talking about the people that were running away from the southern states to Canada to escape slavery. When she explained that rich farmers owned many slaves so that they could have big cotton plantations, he didn’t understand what she meant.
She had gone on to explain that these people didn't earn any money and were considered to be property, much like she owned cows.
Andrew was shocked that anyone would consider another person to be like a cow. People could talk and cry and laugh. Cows didn't do any of those things. As much as he loved the animals on his farm, he knew it was very different than the love he felt for his mother and brother. Animals didn't feel love like that.
One day, when they were in Fort Dodge, he saw someone who looked very different from anyone he knew. The man had dark brown skin, it was almost black it was so dark.
That same day he saw another family who also had dark colored skin, but their skin was lighter brown and their hair was very straight.
When they were in the wagon on the way back to Bellingwood, he asked his mother about those people. She explained that he had seen a Negro man and a family of Indians.
"Why don't we have Negroes in Bellingwood?" he had asked her.
"Andrew,” she explained, “those people are from Africa. They were brought to America to be slaves. They didn't have a choice about where they lived. That man was probably a freed slave. That's why he can travel without worrying about someone taking him back to his master. But even though Iowa doesn't allow slavery, they will still return those who run away to the people who own them. It will be a long time until Negroes come to live in Iowa. The best place for them is in Canada. That is where they will be safe and can live without someone else telling them what to do."
Andrew thought about that. None of it made any sense to him yet. He thought it would be fun to talk to someone who had come from Africa. He loved looking at the map of Africa and thinking about how far away it was from Iowa. It was practically on the other side of the world. The only way to get from there to North America would have been on a boat. How long would that trip take?
Andrew wondered if Ellis was a slave. He worked on their farm and never went anywhere else. When he asked his mother if that were true, her mouth dropped open in shock and she exclaimed, "No! What makes you think that?"
He tried to explain what he was thinking and she gently stopped him, then sat him down at the table.
"Ellis makes his own life. I don't own him. He can come and go as he pleases and if he decided tomorrow that he wanted to go somewhere else, I would give him as much money as he needed and let him go. He stays because he wants to, though I can't imagine why."
"Could you have a slave if you wanted one?" Andrew had asked.
"Not in Iowa," she responded. "Up here it is illegal to own another person and I'm thankful for that."
"Me too," he had said.
His mind wandered back to the present and he grinned up at his brother.
“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked.
“I’m glad we don’t own people.”
Jason shook his head. “You’re odd, runt.”
He and Jason went inside together and Sylvie took the pails of milk from the two boys.
"Jason, why don't you run down to the creek and rinse off the sweat and grime," she said. "I know the water is cold, but you will feel much better when you are finished."
Andrew looked longingly at the parcel sitting on the table. There were apple pies beside it and wrapped packages of butter. He hoped that his mother had chilled some of the milk from this morning. He loved it when she did that. The water from their well was ice cold and sometimes she would bring up an extra bucket to cool the milk for supper.
When it was cold out, he loved fresh warm milk on his bread with a little sugar, but tonight he had a yearning for something cool.
"I'll go with you,"
She had gone on to explain that these people didn't earn any money and were considered to be property, much like she owned cows.
Andrew was shocked that anyone would consider another person to be like a cow. People could talk and cry and laugh. Cows didn't do any of those things. As much as he loved the animals on his farm, he knew it was very different than the love he felt for his mother and brother. Animals didn't feel love like that.
One day, when they were in Fort Dodge, he saw someone who looked very different from anyone he knew. The man had dark brown skin, it was almost black it was so dark.
That same day he saw another family who also had dark colored skin, but their skin was lighter brown and their hair was very straight.
When they were in the wagon on the way back to Bellingwood, he asked his mother about those people. She explained that he had seen a Negro man and a family of Indians.
"Why don't we have Negroes in Bellingwood?" he had asked her.
"Andrew,” she explained, “those people are from Africa. They were brought to America to be slaves. They didn't have a choice about where they lived. That man was probably a freed slave. That's why he can travel without worrying about someone taking him back to his master. But even though Iowa doesn't allow slavery, they will still return those who run away to the people who own them. It will be a long time until Negroes come to live in Iowa. The best place for them is in Canada. That is where they will be safe and can live without someone else telling them what to do."
Andrew thought about that. None of it made any sense to him yet. He thought it would be fun to talk to someone who had come from Africa. He loved looking at the map of Africa and thinking about how far away it was from Iowa. It was practically on the other side of the world. The only way to get from there to North America would have been on a boat. How long would that trip take?
Andrew wondered if Ellis was a slave. He worked on their farm and never went anywhere else. When he asked his mother if that were true, her mouth dropped open in shock and she exclaimed, "No! What makes you think that?"
He tried to explain what he was thinking and she gently stopped him, then sat him down at the table.
"Ellis makes his own life. I don't own him. He can come and go as he pleases and if he decided tomorrow that he wanted to go somewhere else, I would give him as much money as he needed and let him go. He stays because he wants to, though I can't imagine why."
"Could you have a slave if you wanted one?" Andrew had asked.
"Not in Iowa," she responded. "Up here it is illegal to own another person and I'm thankful for that."
"Me too," he had said.
His mind wandered back to the present and he grinned up at his brother.
“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked.
“I’m glad we don’t own people.”
Jason shook his head. “You’re odd, runt.”
He and Jason went inside together and Sylvie took the pails of milk from the two boys.
"Jason, why don't you run down to the creek and rinse off the sweat and grime," she said. "I know the water is cold, but you will feel much better when you are finished."
Andrew looked longingly at the parcel sitting on the table. There were apple pies beside it and wrapped packages of butter. He hoped that his mother had chilled some of the milk from this morning. He loved it when she did that. The water from their well was ice cold and sometimes she would bring up an extra bucket to cool the milk for supper.
When it was cold out, he loved fresh warm milk on his bread with a little sugar, but tonight he had a yearning for something cool.
"I'll go with you,"
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