Produced by Al Haines
OCTAVIA
The Octoroon
BY
J. F. LEE, M.D.
THE
Abbey Press
PUBLISHERS
114
FIFTH AVENUE
London NEW YORK Montreal
Copyright, 1900, by THE Abbey Press in the United States and Great Britain.
All Rights Reserved.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The Prize Fight
CHAPTER II.
A Baptismal Scene
CHAPTER III.
The Birth of Octavia
CHAPTER IV.
Almost a Watery Grave
CHAPTER V.
The "Underground Railway"
CHAPTER VI.
Mistaken Identity and Escape from Bruin
CHAPTER VII.
Liberated
CHAPTER VIII.
Cotton Prowling--Employing Octavia's Governess
CHAPTER IX.
Progress in Studies
CHAPTER X.
Ready for College
CHAPTER XI.
In the Red Cross Service
CHAPTER XII.
In Foreign Lands--Strategy--Love Conquers
Octavia the Octoroon.
CHAPTER I.
THE PRIZE FIGHT.
Just before the beginning of the civil war between the States there was a large and valuable plantation on the Alabama River on which there were several hundred slaves, said farm being in what is known as the "black belt of Alabama," having a river front of several miles, and annually producing five hundred bales of cotton, fifteen thousand bushels of corn, besides oats, wheat, hay, mules, horses, hogs, cattle, sheep and goats in abundance.
This mammoth farm belonged to Hon. R., then a member of the United States Congress from Alabama, and afterwards a gallant officer in the Confederate army, rising from the rank of first lieutenant to colonel, by which latter title he will be known in this story. He lived in what was then one of the flourishing towns of the State, but which has long since gone to ruin and decay. Colonel R.'s farm was managed by what was then known as an "overseer," but now would be termed a superintendent. He had assistants, white and black, who, with the overseer, managed the farm in a systematic and scientific manner, bringing it up to a high state of cultivation, which made it one of the most productive and valuable in the State.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Octavia by J. F. Lee
- 2: They were both bright quadroons
- 3: That his head was as kinky as theirs
- 4: Thinking the dogs had Brutus up the tree
- 5: When the Methodist grabbed the Baptist around the waist
- 6: He adroitly liberated the lizards and roaches
- 7: This made her seven eighths Caucasian
- 8: Simon was attached to his master and mistress
- 9: And Elsie and Octavia an affectionate farewell
- 10: And wounding Octavia seriously and Elsie slightly
- 11: And told the captain that the child's name was Octavia
- 12: Dis nigger dunno what gwine cum to dat chile
- 13: Effectual prar of de richus availeth much
- 14: With this advice he bought Elsie and Octavia
- 15: Amid the screams of Elsie and Octavia
- 16: Give Octavia the best education
- 17: Octavia was now about five years of age
- 18: Octavia proved to be an apt scholar
- 19: This lady's stolen daughter was named Octavia
- 20: And really loved Elsie and Octavia
- 21: And Miss Mildred far his superior
- 22: Of the budding mind of Octavia
- 23: She matriculated simply as Octavia
- 24: To the loveliest being that he had ever beheld
- 25: As your musical directress during the ensuing session
- 26: Was in love with Brutus and Brutus in love with Elsie
- 27: And the church that Octavia attended
- 28: Simon and Elsie were proud of Octavia
- 29: But Octavia was so near pure white
- 30: Was going down into the Mediterranean of Damascus
- 31: And Octavia was left independent
- 32: And Octavia determined to return to America
- 33: And a number of other desirable suitors
- 34: Simon left everything to Octavia
- 35: Of his successful strategy in bringing her to terms