BEAUTIFUL HANDS
Moragan lay on the floor of the upstairs parlor next to the window, her bare feet propped on a settee, studying the passage in her primer that Anne would listen to her read aloud. Mindful of keeping herself looking neat and tidy she made sure her crisp white apron and bright yellow skirts were not bunched up underneath her so that they would not become wrinkled. Her toes kept time with the rhythm of her reading.
She read with the McGuffey Third Eclectic Reader resting on her chest, her head on a pillow borrowed from the armchair to which the settee belonged. She had been learning to read for close to eight months, and both Anne and Father Murphy were very pleased with her progress. Moragan had no idea that it usually took …show more content…
The next thing Moragan knew she was taken down to the dock and put aboard a ship. A month later, she was given to Anne for a present on her seventeenth birthday.
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As Anne?s body servant, it was a very special privilege to learn to read at all?in general, slaves were not allowed this. Moragan had been at Wexford for a little more than a year, and aside from Doctor Hippocrates and Parson Mose (who had been sold and was not there anymore), she did not know of any other slaves who could read.
Virginia law forbade the education of slaves?but for the most part, that ban was not enforced. There were even a few small schools catering exclusively to slaves. As long as this instruction did not cause waves in the community, no one officially noticed.
Moragan cherished her lessons, but sometimes feared Anne might think she was never going to be a good reader, and suspend the instruction. While she did love the lessons she thought the process of learning to read was maddening slow. It frustrated her no end when she tried to read a story but could not make out the words on the …show more content…
The motivating factor was Anne thought it might be fun. She knew Moragan was capable of learning. Later, once Moragan was proficient at reading, Anne thought it might be nice to have the child read to her.
Anne smiled, noticing Moragan?s yellow dress. It did not escape her attention that the child did her best to match the color of the dress she wore with the one she put on Anne. Moragan only owned five dresses: two were blue, one Navy, and one a Royal blue. Her favorite one for every day was the bright yellow satin she was wearing, with a chocolate brown cotton frock coming in a close second. She had a black brushed cotton dress with red trim for formal occasions. Almost all of Moragan?s clothing had belonged to Anne when she was the size of her servant.
Moragan lay on the floor of the upstairs parlor next to the window, her bare feet propped on a settee, studying the passage in her primer that Anne would listen to her read aloud. Mindful of keeping herself looking neat and tidy she made sure her crisp white apron and bright yellow skirts were not bunched up underneath her so that they would not become wrinkled. Her toes kept time with the rhythm of her reading.
She read with the McGuffey Third Eclectic Reader resting on her chest, her head on a pillow borrowed from the armchair to which the settee belonged. She had been learning to read for close to eight months, and both Anne and Father Murphy were very pleased with her progress. Moragan had no idea that it usually took …show more content…
The next thing Moragan knew she was taken down to the dock and put aboard a ship. A month later, she was given to Anne for a present on her seventeenth birthday.
###
As Anne?s body servant, it was a very special privilege to learn to read at all?in general, slaves were not allowed this. Moragan had been at Wexford for a little more than a year, and aside from Doctor Hippocrates and Parson Mose (who had been sold and was not there anymore), she did not know of any other slaves who could read.
Virginia law forbade the education of slaves?but for the most part, that ban was not enforced. There were even a few small schools catering exclusively to slaves. As long as this instruction did not cause waves in the community, no one officially noticed.
Moragan cherished her lessons, but sometimes feared Anne might think she was never going to be a good reader, and suspend the instruction. While she did love the lessons she thought the process of learning to read was maddening slow. It frustrated her no end when she tried to read a story but could not make out the words on the …show more content…
The motivating factor was Anne thought it might be fun. She knew Moragan was capable of learning. Later, once Moragan was proficient at reading, Anne thought it might be nice to have the child read to her.
Anne smiled, noticing Moragan?s yellow dress. It did not escape her attention that the child did her best to match the color of the dress she wore with the one she put on Anne. Moragan only owned five dresses: two were blue, one Navy, and one a Royal blue. Her favorite one for every day was the bright yellow satin she was wearing, with a chocolate brown cotton frock coming in a close second. She had a black brushed cotton dress with red trim for formal occasions. Almost all of Moragan?s clothing had belonged to Anne when she was the size of her servant.