第2章

Butitwasbynomeansaneasyemployment;forinnothingwasColonelLloydmoreparticularthaninthemanagementofhishorses。Theslightestinat-

tentiontothesewasunpardonable，andwasvisiteduponthose，underwhosecaretheywereplaced，withtheseverestpunishment;noexcusecouldshieldthem，ifthecolonelonlysuspectedanywantofattentiontohishorses——asuppositionwhichhefre-

quentlyindulged，andonewhich，ofcourse，madetheofficeofoldandyoungBarneyaverytryingone。

Theyneverknewwhentheyweresafefrompunish-

ment。Theywerefrequentlywhippedwhenleastdeserving，andescapedwhippingwhenmostdeserv-

ingit。Everythingdependeduponthelooksofthehorses，andthestateofColonelLloyd’sownmindwhenhishorseswerebroughttohimforuse。Ifahorsedidnotmovefastenough，orholdhisheadhighenough，itwasowingtosomefaultofhiskeep-

ers。Itwaspainfultostandnearthestable-door，andhearthevariouscomplaintsagainstthekeeperswhenahorsewastakenoutforuse。\"Thishorsehasnothadproperattention。Hehasnotbeensuffi-

cientlyrubbedandcurried，orhehasnotbeenprop-

erlyfed;hisfoodwastoowetortoodry;hegotittoosoonortoolate;hewastoohotortoocold;hehadtoomuchhay，andnotenoughofgrain;orhehadtoomuchgrain，andnotenoughofhay;insteadofoldBarney’sattendingtothehorse，hehadveryimproperlyleftittohisson。\"Toallthesecom-

plaints，nomatterhowunjust，theslavemustan-

swerneveraword。ColonelLloydcouldnotbrookanycontradictionfromaslave。Whenhespoke，aslavemuststand，listen，andtremble;andsuchwasliterallythecase。IhaveseenColonelLloydmakeoldBarney，amanbetweenfiftyandsixtyyearsofage，uncoverhisbaldhead，kneeldownuponthecold，dampground，andreceiveuponhisnakedandtoil-wornshouldersmorethanthirtylashesatthetime。ColonelLloydhadthreesons——Edward，Mur-

ray，andDaniel，——andthreesons-in-law，Mr。Winder，Mr。Nicholson，andMr。Lowndes。AlloftheselivedattheGreatHouseFarm，andenjoyedtheluxuryofwhippingtheservantswhentheypleased，fromoldBarneydowntoWilliamWilkes，thecoach-driver。

IhaveseenWindermakeoneofthehouse-servantsstandofffromhimasuitabledistancetobetouchedwiththeendofhiswhip，andateverystrokeraisegreatridgesuponhisback。

TodescribethewealthofColonelLloydwouldbealmostequaltodescribingtherichesofJob。Hekeptfromtentofifteenhouse-servants。Hewassaidtoownathousandslaves，andIthinkthisestimatequitewithinthetruth。ColonelLloydownedsomanythathedidnotknowthemwhenhesawthem;

nordidalltheslavesoftheout-farmsknowhim。Itisreportedofhim，that，whileridingalongtheroadoneday，hemetacoloredman，andaddressedhimintheusualmannerofspeakingtocoloredpeopleonthepublichighwaysofthesouth：\"Well，boy，whomdoyoubelongto？\"\"ToColonelLloyd，\"re-

pliedtheslave。\"Well，doesthecoloneltreatyouwell？\"\"No，sir，\"wasthereadyreply。\"What，doesheworkyoutoohard？\"\"Yes，sir。\"\"Well，don’thegiveyouenoughtoeat？\"\"Yes，sir，hegivesmeenough，suchasitis。\"

Thecolonel，afterascertainingwheretheslavebelonged，rodeon;themanalsowentonabouthisbusiness，notdreamingthathehadbeenconversingwithhismaster。Hethought，said，andheardnoth-

ingmoreofthematter，untiltwoorthreeweeksafterwards。Thepoormanwastheninformedbyhisoverseerthat，forhavingfoundfaultwithhismaster，hewasnowtobesoldtoaGeorgiatrader。Hewasimmediatelychainedandhandcuffed;andthus，withoutamoment’swarning，hewassnatchedaway，andforeversundered，fromhisfamilyandfriends，byahandmoreunrelentingthandeath。Thisisthepenaltyoftellingthetruth，oftellingthesimpletruth，inanswertoaseriesofplainquestions。

Itispartlyinconsequenceofsuchfacts，thatslaves，wheninquiredofastotheirconditionandthecharacteroftheirmasters，almostuniversallysaytheyarecontented，andthattheirmastersarekind。

Theslaveholdershavebeenknowntosendinspiesamongtheirslaves，toascertaintheirviewsandfeel-

ingsinregardtotheircondition。Thefrequencyofthishashadtheeffecttoestablishamongtheslavesthemaxim，thatastilltonguemakesawisehead。

Theysuppressthetruthratherthantakethecon-

sequencesoftellingit，andinsodoingprovethem-

selvesapartofthehumanfamily。Iftheyhaveanythingtosayoftheirmasters，itisgenerallyintheirmasters’favor，especiallywhenspeakingtoanun-

triedman。Ihavebeenfrequentlyasked，whenaslave，ifIhadakindmaster，anddonotrememberevertohavegivenanegativeanswer;nordidI，inpursuingthiscourse，considermyselfasutteringwhatwasabsolutelyfalse;forIalwaysmeasuredthekind-

nessofmymasterbythestandardofkindnesssetupamongslaveholdersaroundus。Moreover，slavesarelikeotherpeople，andimbibeprejudicesquitecommontoothers。Theythinktheirownbetterthanthatofothers。Many，undertheinfluenceofthisprejudice，thinktheirownmastersarebetterthanthemastersofotherslaves;andthis，too，insomecases，whentheveryreverseistrue。Indeed，itisnotuncommonforslaveseventofalloutandquar-

relamongthemselvesabouttherelativegoodnessoftheirmasters，eachcontendingforthesuperiorgood-

nessofhisownoverthatoftheothers。Attheverysametime，theymutuallyexecratetheirmasterswhenviewedseparately。Itwassoonourplantation。

WhenColonelLloyd’sslavesmettheslavesofJacobJepson，theyseldompartedwithoutaquarrelabouttheirmasters;ColonelLloyd’sslavescontendingthathewastherichest，andMr。Jepson’sslavesthathewasthesmartest，andmostofaman。ColonelLloyd’sslaveswouldboasthisabilitytobuyandsellJacobJepson。Mr。Jepson’sslaveswouldboasthisabilitytowhipColonelLloyd。Thesequarrelswouldalmostalwaysendinafightbetweentheparties，andthosethatwhippedweresupposedtohavegainedthepointatissue。Theyseemedtothinkthatthegreat-

nessoftheirmasterswastransferabletothemselves。

Itwasconsideredasbeingbadenoughtobeaslave;buttobeapoorman’sslavewasdeemedadisgraceindeed！

CHAPTERIV

Mr。Hopkinsremainedbutashorttimeintheofficeofoverseer。Whyhiscareerwassoshort，I

donotknow，butsupposehelackedthenecessaryseveritytosuitColonelLloyd。Mr。Hopkinswassuc-

ceededbyMr。AustinGore，amanpossessing，inaneminentdegree，allthosetraitsofcharacterin-

dispensabletowhatiscalledafirst-rateoverseer。Mr。

GorehadservedColonelLloyd，inthecapacityofoverseer，upononeoftheout-farms，andhadshownhimselfworthyofthehighstationofoverseeruponthehomeorGreatHouseFarm。

Mr。Gorewasproud，ambitious，andpersevering。

Hewasartful，cruel，andobdurate。Hewasjustthemanforsuchaplace，anditwasjusttheplaceforsuchaman。Itaffordedscopeforthefullexerciseofallhispowers，andheseemedtobeperfectlyathomeinit。Hewasoneofthosewhocouldtorturetheslightestlook，word，orgesture，onthepartoftheslave，intoimpudence，andwouldtreatitac-

cordingly。Theremustbenoansweringbacktohim;

noexplanationwasallowedaslave，showinghimselftohavebeenwrongfullyaccused。Mr。Goreactedfullyuptothemaximlaiddownbyslaveholders，——

\"Itisbetterthatadozenslavesshouldsufferunderthelash，thanthattheoverseershouldbeconvicted，inthepresenceoftheslaves，ofhavingbeenatfault。\"

Nomatterhowinnocentaslavemightbe——itavailedhimnothing，whenaccusedbyMr。Goreofanymisdemeanor。Tobeaccusedwastobeconvicted，andtobeconvictedwastobepunished;theonealwaysfollowingtheotherwithimmutablecertainty。

Toescapepunishmentwastoescapeaccusation;andfewslaveshadthefortunetodoeither，undertheoverseershipofMr。Gore。Hewasjustproudenoughtodemandthemostdebasinghomageoftheslave，andquiteservileenoughtocrouch，himself，atthefeetofthemaster。Hewasambitiousenoughtobecontentedwithnothingshortofthehighestrankofoverseers，andperseveringenoughtoreachtheheightofhisambition。Hewascruelenoughtoin-

flicttheseverestpunishment，artfulenoughtode-

scendtothelowesttrickery，andobdurateenoughtobeinsensibletothevoiceofareprovingconscience。

Hewas，ofalltheoverseers，themostdreadedbytheslaves。Hispresencewaspainful;hiseyeflashedconfusion;andseldomwashissharp，shrillvoiceheard，withoutproducinghorrorandtremblingintheirranks。

Mr。Gorewasagraveman，and，thoughayoungman，heindulgedinnojokes，saidnofunnywords，seldomsmiled。Hiswordswereinperfectkeepingwithhislooks，andhislookswereinperfectkeepingwithhiswords。Overseerswillsometimesindulgeinawittyword，evenwiththeslaves;notsowithMr。

Gore。Hespokebuttocommand，andcommandedbuttobeobeyed;hedealtsparinglywithhiswords，andbountifullywithhiswhip，neverusingtheformerwherethelatterwouldansweraswell。Whenhewhipped，heseemedtodosofromasenseofduty，andfearednoconsequences。Hedidnothingreluctantly，nomatterhowdisagreeable;alwaysathispost，neverinconsistent。Heneverpromisedbuttofulfil。Hewas，inaword，amanofthemostin-

flexiblefirmnessandstone-likecoolness。

Hissavagebarbaritywasequalledonlybythecon-

summatecoolnesswithwhichhecommittedthegrossestandmostsavagedeedsupontheslavesunderhischarge。Mr。GoreonceundertooktowhiponeofColonelLloyd’sslaves，bythenameofDemby。HehadgivenDembybutfewstripes，when，togetridofthescourging，heranandplungedhimselfintoacreek，andstoodthereatthedepthofhisshoulders，refusingtocomeout。Mr。Goretoldhimthathewouldgivehimthreecalls，andthat，ifhedidnotcomeoutatthethirdcall，hewouldshoothim。

Thefirstcallwasgiven。Dembymadenoresponse，butstoodhisground。Thesecondandthirdcallsweregivenwiththesameresult。Mr。Gorethen，withoutconsultationordeliberationwithanyone，notevengivingDembyanadditionalcall，raisedhismuskettohisface，takingdeadlyaimathisstandingvictim，andinaninstantpoorDembywasnomore。Hismangledbodysankoutofsight，andbloodandbrainsmarkedthewaterwherehehadstood。

Athrillofhorrorflashedthrougheverysoulupontheplantation，exceptingMr。Gore。Healoneseemedcoolandcollected。HewasaskedbyColonelLloydandmyoldmaster，whyheresortedtothisextraordinaryexpedient。Hisreplywas，（aswellasIcanremember，）thatDembyhadbecomeunman-

ageable。Hewassettingadangerousexampletotheotherslaves，——onewhich，ifsufferedtopasswithoutsomesuchdemonstrationonhispart，wouldfinallyleadtothetotalsubversionofallruleandorderupontheplantation。Hearguedthatifoneslavere-

fusedtobecorrected，andescapedwithhislife，theotherslaveswouldsooncopytheexample;there-

sultofwhichwouldbe，thefreedomoftheslaves，andtheenslavementofthewhites。Mr。Gore’sde-

fencewassatisfactory。Hewascontinuedinhissta-

tionasoverseeruponthehomeplantation。Hisfameasanoverseerwentabroad。Hishorridcrimewasnotevensubmittedtojudicialinvestigation。Itwascommittedinthepresenceofslaves，andtheyofcoursecouldneitherinstituteasuit，nortestifyagainsthim;andthustheguiltyperpetratorofoneofthebloodiestandmostfoulmurdersgoesunwhippedofjustice，anduncensuredbythecommunityinwhichhelives。Mr。GorelivedinSt。Michael’s，Tal-

botcounty，Maryland，whenIleftthere;andifheisstillalive，heveryprobablylivestherenow;andifso，heisnow，ashewasthen，ashighlyesteemedandasmuchrespectedasthoughhisguiltysoulhadnotbeenstainedwithhisbrother’sblood。

IspeakadvisedlywhenIsaythis，——thatkillingaslave，oranycoloredperson，inTalbotcounty，Maryland，isnottreatedasacrime，eitherbythecourtsorthecommunity。Mr。ThomasLanman，ofSt。Michael’s，killedtwoslaves，oneofwhomhekilledwithahatchet，byknockinghisbrainsout。Heusedtoboastofthecommissionoftheawfulandbloodydeed。Ihaveheardhimdosolaughingly，saying，amongotherthings，thathewastheonlybenefactorofhiscountryinthecompany，andthatwhenotherswoulddoasmuchashehaddone，weshouldberelievedof\"thed————dniggers。\"

ThewifeofMr。GilesHicks，livingbutashortdistancefromwhereIusedtolive，murderedmywife’scousin，ayounggirlbetweenfifteenandsix-

teenyearsofage，manglingherpersoninthemosthorriblemanner，breakinghernoseandbreastbonewithastick，sothatthepoorgirlexpiredinafewhoursafterward。Shewasimmediatelyburied，buthadnotbeeninheruntimelygravebutafewhoursbeforeshewastakenupandexaminedbythecor-

oner，whodecidedthatshehadcometoherdeathbyseverebeating。Theoffenceforwhichthisgirlwasthusmurderedwasthis：——ShehadbeensetthatnighttomindMrs。Hicks’sbaby，andduringthenightshefellasleep，andthebabycried。She，havinglostherrestforseveralnightsprevious，didnothearthecrying。TheywerebothintheroomwithMrs。

Hicks。Mrs。Hicks，findingthegirlslowtomove，jumpedfromherbed，seizedanoakstickofwoodbythefireplace，andwithitbrokethegirl’snoseandbreastbone，andthusendedherlife。Iwillnotsaythatthismosthorridmurderproducednosen-

sationinthecommunity。Itdidproducesensation，butnotenoughtobringthemurderesstopunish-

ment。Therewasawarrantissuedforherarrest，butitwasneverserved。Thussheescapednotonlypunishment，buteventhepainofbeingarraignedbeforeacourtforherhorridcrime。

WhilstIamdetailingbloodydeedswhichtookplaceduringmystayonColonelLloyd’splantation，Iwillbrieflynarrateanother，whichoccurredaboutthesametimeasthemurderofDembybyMr。

Gore。

ColonelLloyd’sslaveswereinthehabitofspend-

ingapartoftheirnightsandSundaysinfishingforoysters，andinthiswaymadeupthedeficiencyoftheirscantyallowance。AnoldmanbelongingtoColonelLloyd，whilethusengaged，happenedtogetbeyondthelimitsofColonelLloyd’s，andonthepremisesofMr。BealBondly。Atthistrespass，Mr。

Bondlytookoffence，andwithhismusketcamedowntotheshore，andblewitsdeadlycontentsintothepooroldman。

Mr。BondlycameovertoseeColonelLloydthenextday，whethertopayhimforhisproperty，ortojustifyhimselfinwhathehaddone，Iknownot。

Atanyrate，thiswholefiendishtransactionwassoonhushedup。Therewasverylittlesaidaboutitatall，andnothingdone。Itwasacommonsaying，evenamonglittlewhiteboys，thatitwasworthahalf-

centtokilla\"nigger，\"andahalf-centtoburyone。

CHAPTERV

AstomyowntreatmentwhileIlivedonColonelLloyd’splantation，itwasverysimilartothatoftheotherslavechildren。Iwasnotoldenoughtoworkinthefield，andtherebeinglittleelsethanfieldworktodo，Ihadagreatdealofleisuretime。ThemostIhadtodowastodriveupthecowsatevening，keepthefowlsoutofthegarden，keepthefrontyardclean，andrunoferrandsformyoldmaster’sdaughter，Mrs。LucretiaAuld。Themostofmylei-

suretimeIspentinhelpingMasterDanielLloydinfindinghisbirds，afterhehadshotthem。MyconnectionwithMasterDanielwasofsomeadvan-

tagetome。Hebecamequiteattachedtome，andwasasortofprotectorofme。Hewouldnotallowtheolderboystoimposeuponme，andwoulddividehiscakeswithme。

Iwasseldomwhippedbymyoldmaster，andsuf-

feredlittlefromanythingelsethanhungerandcold。Isufferedmuchfromhunger，butmuchmorefromcold。Inhottestsummerandcoldestwinter，I

waskeptalmostnaked——noshoes，nostockings，nojacket，notrousers，nothingonbutacoarsetowlinenshirt，reachingonlytomyknees。Ihadnobed。I

musthaveperishedwithcold，butthat，thecoldestnights，Iusedtostealabagwhichwasusedforcarry-

ingcorntothemill。Iwouldcrawlintothisbag，andtheresleeponthecold，damp，clayfloor，withmyheadinandfeetout。Myfeethavebeensocrackedwiththefrost，thatthepenwithwhichI

amwritingmightbelaidinthegashes。

Wewerenotregularlyallowanced。Ourfoodwascoarsecornmealboiled。ThiswascalledMUSH。Itwasputintoalargewoodentrayortrough，andsetdownupontheground。Thechildrenwerethencalled，likesomanypigs，andlikesomanypigstheywouldcomeanddevourthemush;somewithoyster-

shells，otherswithpiecesofshingle，somewithnakedhands，andnonewithspoons。Hethatatefastestgotmost;hethatwasstrongestsecuredthebestplace;andfewleftthetroughsatisfied。

IwasprobablybetweensevenandeightyearsoldwhenIleftColonelLloyd’splantation。Ileftitwithjoy。IshallneverforgettheecstasywithwhichI

receivedtheintelligencethatmyoldmaster（An-

thony）haddeterminedtoletmegotoBaltimore，tolivewithMr。HughAuld，brothertomyoldmaster’sson-in-law，CaptainThomasAuld。Ire-

ceivedthisinformationaboutthreedaysbeforemydeparture。TheywerethreeofthehappiestdaysIeverenjoyed。Ispentthemostpartofallthesethreedaysinthecreek，washingofftheplantationscurf，andpreparingmyselfformydeparture。

Theprideofappearancewhichthiswouldindicatewasnotmyown。Ispentthetimeinwashing，notsomuchbecauseIwishedto，butbecauseMrs。

LucretiahadtoldmeImustgetallthedeadskinoffmyfeetandkneesbeforeIcouldgotoBalti-

more;forthepeopleinBaltimorewereverycleanly，andwouldlaughatmeifIlookeddirty。Besides，shewasgoingtogivemeapairoftrousers，whichI

shouldnotputonunlessIgotallthedirtoffme。

Thethoughtofowningapairoftrouserswasgreatindeed！Itwasalmostasufficientmotive，notonlytomakemetakeoffwhatwouldbecalledbypig-

droversthemange，buttheskinitself。Iwentatitingoodearnest，workingforthefirsttimewiththehopeofreward。

Thetiesthatordinarilybindchildrentotheirhomeswereallsuspendedinmycase。Ifoundnoseveretrialinmydeparture。Myhomewascharm-

less;itwasnothometome;onpartingfromit，I

couldnotfeelthatIwasleavinganythingwhichI

couldhaveenjoyedbystaying。Mymotherwasdead，mygrandmotherlivedfaroff，sothatIseldomsawher。Ihadtwosistersandonebrother，thatlivedinthesamehousewithme;buttheearlyseparationofusfromourmotherhadwellnighblottedthefactofourrelationshipfromourmemories。Ilookedforhomeelsewhere，andwasconfidentoffindingnonewhichIshouldrelishlessthantheonewhichIwasleaving。If，however，Ifoundinmynewhomehard-

ship，hunger，whipping，andnakedness，IhadtheconsolationthatIshouldnothaveescapedanyoneofthembystaying。Havingalreadyhadmorethanatasteoftheminthehouseofmyoldmaster，andhavingenduredthemthere，Iverynaturallyinferredmyabilitytoendurethemelsewhere，andespeciallyatBaltimore;forIhadsomethingofthefeelingaboutBaltimorethatisexpressedintheproverb，that\"beinghangedinEnglandispreferabletodyinganaturaldeathinIreland。\"IhadthestrongestdesiretoseeBaltimore。CousinTom，thoughnotfluentinspeech，hadinspiredmewiththatdesirebyhiseloquentdescriptionoftheplace。IcouldneverpointoutanythingattheGreatHouse，nomatterhowbeautifulorpowerful，butthathehadseensomethingatBaltimorefarexceeding，bothinbeautyandstrength，theobjectwhichIpointedouttohim。EventheGreatHouseitself，withallitspictures，wasfarinferiortomanybuildingsinBal-

timore。Sostrongwasmydesire，thatIthoughtagratificationofitwouldfullycompensateforwhat-

everlossofcomfortsIshouldsustainbytheex-

change。Ileftwithoutaregret，andwiththehighesthopesoffuturehappiness。

WesailedoutofMilesRiverforBaltimoreonaSaturdaymorning。Irememberonlythedayoftheweek，foratthattimeIhadnoknowledgeofthedaysofthemonth，northemonthsoftheyear。Onsettingsail，Iwalkedaft，andgavetoColonelLloyd’splantationwhatIhopedwouldbethelastlook。I

thenplacedmyselfinthebowsofthesloop，andtherespenttheremainderofthedayinlookingahead，interestingmyselfinwhatwasinthedistanceratherthaninthingsnearbyorbehind。

Intheafternoonofthatday，wereachedAnnap-

olis，thecapitaloftheState。Westoppedbutafewmoments，sothatIhadnotimetogoonshore。

ItwasthefirstlargetownthatIhadeverseen，andthoughitwouldlooksmallcomparedwithsomeofourNewEnglandfactoryvillages，Ithoughtitawonderfulplaceforitssize——moreimposingeventhantheGreatHouseFarm！

WearrivedatBaltimoreearlyonSundaymorn-

ing，landingatSmith’sWharf，notfarfromBow-

ley’sWharf。Wehadonboardthesloopalargeflockofsheep;andafteraidingindrivingthemtotheslaughterhouseofMr。CurtisonLoudenSlater’sHill，IwasconductedbyRich，oneofthehandsbelongingonboardofthesloop，tomynewhomeinAllicianaStreet，nearMr。Gardner’sship-yard，onFellsPoint。

Mr。andMrs。Auldwerebothathome，andmetmeatthedoorwiththeirlittlesonThomas，totakecareofwhomIhadbeengiven。AndhereIsawwhatIhadneverseenbefore;itwasawhitefacebeamingwiththemostkindlyemotions;itwasthefaceofmynewmistress，SophiaAuld。IwishIcouldde-

scribetherapturethatflashedthroughmysoulasI

beheldit。Itwasanewandstrangesighttome，brighteningupmypathwaywiththelightofhappi-

ness。LittleThomaswastold，therewashisFreddy，——andIwastoldtotakecareoflittleThomas;andthusIentereduponthedutiesofmynewhomewiththemostcheeringprospectahead。

IlookuponmydeparturefromColonelLloyd’splantationasoneofthemostinterestingeventsofmylife。Itispossible，andevenquiteprobable，thatbutforthemerecircumstanceofbeingremovedfromthatplantationtoBaltimore，Ishouldhaveto-day，insteadofbeinghereseatedbymyowntable，intheenjoymentoffreedomandthehappinessofhome，writingthisNarrative，beenconfinedinthegallingchainsofslavery。GoingtoliveatBaltimorelaidthefoundation，andopenedthegateway，toallmysubsequentprosperity。Ihaveeverregardeditasthefirstplainmanifestationofthatkindprovi-

dencewhichhaseversinceattendedme，andmarkedmylifewithsomanyfavors。Iregardedtheselectionofmyselfasbeingsomewhatremarkable。TherewereanumberofslavechildrenthatmighthavebeensentfromtheplantationtoBaltimore。Therewerethoseyounger，thoseolder，andthoseofthesameage。Iwaschosenfromamongthemall，andwasthefirst，last，andonlychoice。

Imaybedeemedsuperstitious，andevenegotisti-

cal，inregardingthiseventasaspecialinterpositionofdivineProvidenceinmyfavor。ButIshouldbefalsetotheearliestsentimentsofmysoul，ifIsup-

pressedtheopinion。Iprefertobetruetomyself，evenatthehazardofincurringtheridiculeofothers，ratherthantobefalse，andincurmyownabhor-

rence。Frommyearliestrecollection，Idatetheen-

tertainmentofadeepconvictionthatslaverywouldnotalwaysbeabletoholdmewithinitsfoulem-

brace;andinthedarkesthoursofmycareerinslav-

ery，thislivingwordoffaithandspiritofhopede-

partednotfromme，butremainedlikeministeringangelstocheermethroughthegloom。ThisgoodspiritwasfromGod，andtohimIofferthanksgivingandpraise。

CHAPTERVI

MynewmistressprovedtobeallsheappearedwhenIfirstmetheratthedoor，——awomanofthekindestheartandfinestfeelings。Shehadneverhadaslaveunderhercontrolpreviouslytomyself，andpriortohermarriageshehadbeendependentuponherownindustryforaliving。Shewasbytradeaweaver;andbyconstantapplicationtoherbusiness，shehadbeeninagooddegreepreservedfromtheblightinganddehumanizingeffectsofslavery。Iwasutterlyastonishedathergoodness。Iscarcelyknewhowtobehavetowardsher。ShewasentirelyunlikeanyotherwhitewomanIhadeverseen。IcouldnotapproachherasIwasaccustomedtoapproachotherwhiteladies。Myearlyinstructionwasalloutofplace。Thecrouchingservility，usuallysoacceptableaqualityinaslave，didnotanswerwhenmanifestedtowardher。Herfavorwasnotgainedbyit;sheseemedtobedisturbedbyit。Shedidnotdeemitimpudentorunmannerlyforaslavetolookherintheface。Themeanestslavewasputfullyateaseinherpresence，andnoneleftwithoutfeelingbet-

terforhavingseenher。Herfacewasmadeofheav-

enlysmiles，andhervoiceoftranquilmusic。

But，alas！thiskindhearthadbutashorttimetoremainsuch。Thefatalpoisonofirresponsiblepowerwasalreadyinherhands，andsooncommenceditsinfernalwork。Thatcheerfuleye，undertheinflu-

enceofslavery，soonbecameredwithrage;thatvoice，madeallofsweetaccord，changedtooneofharshandhorriddiscord;andthatangelicfacegaveplacetothatofademon。

VerysoonafterIwenttolivewithMr。andMrs。

Auld，sheverykindlycommencedtoteachmetheA，B，C。AfterIhadlearnedthis，sheassistedmeinlearningtospellwordsofthreeorfourletters。Justatthispointofmyprogress，Mr。Auldfoundoutwhatwasgoingon，andatonceforbadeMrs。Auldtoinstructmefurther，tellingher，amongotherthings，thatitwasunlawful，aswellasunsafe，toteachaslavetoread。Tousehisownwords，further，hesaid，\"Ifyougiveaniggeraninch，hewilltakeanell。Aniggershouldknownothingbuttoobeyhismaster——todoasheistoldtodo。Learningwould~spoil~thebestniggerintheworld。Now，\"saidhe，\"ifyouteachthatnigger（speakingofmyself）howtoread，therewouldbenokeepinghim。Itwouldfor-

everunfithimtobeaslave。Hewouldatoncebe-

comeunmanageable，andofnovaluetohismaster。

Astohimself，itcoulddohimnogood，butagreatdealofharm。Itwouldmakehimdiscontentedandunhappy。\"Thesewordssankdeepintomyheart，stirredupsentimentswithinthatlayslumbering，andcalledintoexistenceanentirelynewtrainofthought。Itwasanewandspecialrevelation，ex-

plainingdarkandmysteriousthings，withwhichmyyouthfulunderstandinghadstruggled，butstruggledinvain。Inowunderstoodwhathadbeentomeamostperplexingdifficulty——towit，thewhiteman’spowertoenslavetheblackman。Itwasagrandachievement，andIprizedithighly。Fromthatmo-

ment，Iunderstoodthepathwayfromslaverytofree-

dom。ItwasjustwhatIwanted，andIgotitatatimewhenItheleastexpectedit。WhilstIwassad-

denedbythethoughtoflosingtheaidofmykindmistress，Iwasgladdenedbytheinvaluableinstruc-

tionwhich，bythemerestaccident，Ihadgainedfrommymaster。Thoughconsciousofthedifficultyoflearningwithoutateacher，Isetoutwithhighhope，andafixedpurpose，atwhatevercostoftrou-

ble，tolearnhowtoread。Theverydecidedmannerwithwhichhespoke，andstrovetoimpresshiswifewiththeevilconsequencesofgivingmeinstruction，servedtoconvincemethathewasdeeplysensibleofthetruthshewasuttering。ItgavemethebestassurancethatImightrelywiththeutmostconfi-

denceontheresultswhich，hesaid，wouldflowfromteachingmetoread。Whathemostdreaded，thatImostdesired。Whathemostloved，thatImosthated。Thatwhichtohimwasagreatevil，tobecarefullyshunned，wastomeagreatgood，tobediligentlysought;andtheargumentwhichhesowarmlyurged，againstmylearningtoread，onlyservedtoinspiremewithadesireanddetermina-

tiontolearn。Inlearningtoread，Iowealmostasmuchtothebitteroppositionofmymaster，astothekindlyaidofmymistress。Iacknowledgethebenefitofboth。

IhadresidedbutashorttimeinBaltimorebeforeIobservedamarkeddifference，inthetreatmentofslaves，fromthatwhichIhadwitnessedinthecoun-

try。Acityslaveisalmostafreeman，comparedwithaslaveontheplantation。Heismuchbetterfedandclothed，andenjoysprivilegesaltogetherunknowntotheslaveontheplantation。Thereisavestigeofdecency，asenseofshame，thatdoesmuchtocurbandcheckthoseoutbreaksofatrociouscrueltysocommonlyenactedupontheplantation。Heisades-

perateslaveholder，whowillshockthehumanityofhisnon-slaveholdingneighborswiththecriesofhislaceratedslave。Fewarewillingtoincurtheodiumattachingtothereputationofbeingacruelmaster;

andaboveallthings，theywouldnotbeknownasnotgivingaslaveenoughtoeat。Everycityslave-

holderisanxioustohaveitknownofhim，thathefeedshisslaveswell;anditisduetothemtosay，thatmostofthemdogivetheirslavesenoughtoeat。

Thereare，however，somepainfulexceptionstothisrule。Directlyoppositetous，onPhilpotStreet，livedMr。ThomasHamilton。Heownedtwoslaves。TheirnameswereHenriettaandMary。Henriettawasabouttwenty-twoyearsofage，Marywasaboutfour-

teen;andofallthemangledandemaciatedcreaturesIeverlookedupon，thesetwowerethemostso。Hisheartmustbeharderthanstone，thatcouldlookupontheseunmoved。Thehead，neck，andshouldersofMarywereliterallycuttopieces。Ihavefre-

quentlyfeltherhead，andfounditnearlycoveredwithfesteringsores，causedbythelashofhercruelmistress。Idonotknowthathermastereverwhippedher，butIhavebeenaneye-witnesstothecrueltyofMrs。Hamilton。IusedtobeinMr。Hamilton’shousenearlyeveryday。Mrs。Hamiltonusedtositinalargechairinthemiddleoftheroom，withaheavycow-

skinalwaysbyherside，andscarceanhourpassedduringthedaybutwasmarkedbythebloodofoneoftheseslaves。Thegirlsseldompassedherwithouthersaying，\"Movefaster，you~blackgip！~\"atthesametimegivingthemablowwiththecowskinovertheheadorshoulders，oftendrawingtheblood。Shewouldthensay，\"Takethat，you~blackgip！~\"con-

tinuing，\"Ifyoudon’tmovefaster，I’llmoveyou！\"

Addedtothecruellashingstowhichtheseslavesweresubjected，theywerekeptnearlyhalf-starved。

Theyseldomknewwhatitwastoeatafullmeal。

IhaveseenMarycontendingwiththepigsfortheoffalthrownintothestreet。SomuchwasMarykickedandcuttopieces，thatshewasoftenercalled\"~pecked~\"thanbyhername。

CHAPTERVII

IlivedinMasterHugh’sfamilyaboutsevenyears。

Duringthistime，Isucceededinlearningtoreadandwrite。Inaccomplishingthis，Iwascompelledtore-

sorttovariousstratagems。Ihadnoregularteacher。

Mymistress，whohadkindlycommencedtoinstructme，had，incompliancewiththeadviceanddirec-

tionofherhusband，notonlyceasedtoinstruct，buthadsetherfaceagainstmybeinginstructedbyanyoneelse。Itisdue，however，tomymistresstosayofher，thatshedidnotadoptthiscourseoftreat-

mentimmediately。Sheatfirstlackedthedepravityindispensabletoshuttingmeupinmentaldarkness。

Itwasatleastnecessaryforhertohavesometrainingintheexerciseofirresponsiblepower，tomakeherequaltothetaskoftreatingmeasthoughIwereabrute。

Mymistresswas，asIhavesaid，akindandtender-

heartedwoman;andinthesimplicityofhersoulshecommenced，whenIfirstwenttolivewithher，totreatmeasshesupposedonehumanbeingoughttotreatanother。Inenteringuponthedutiesofaslaveholder，shedidnotseemtoperceivethatIsus-

tainedtohertherelationofamerechattel，andthatforhertotreatmeasahumanbeingwasnotonlywrong，butdangerouslyso。Slaveryprovedasinjurioustoherasitdidtome。WhenIwentthere，shewasapious，warm，andtender-heartedwoman。

Therewasnosorroworsufferingforwhichshehadnotatear。Shehadbreadforthehungry，clothesforthenaked，andcomfortforeverymournerthatcamewithinherreach。Slaverysoonproveditsabilitytodivestheroftheseheavenlyqualities。Underitsin-

fluence，thetenderheartbecamestone，andthelamblikedispositiongavewaytooneoftiger-likefierceness。Thefirststepinherdownwardcoursewasinherceasingtoinstructme。Shenowcommencedtopractiseherhusband’sprecepts。Shefinallybe-

cameevenmoreviolentinheroppositionthanherhusbandhimself。Shewasnotsatisfiedwithsimplydoingaswellashehadcommanded;sheseemedanxioustodobetter。Nothingseemedtomakehermoreangrythantoseemewithanewspaper。Sheseemedtothinkthatherelaythedanger。Ihavehadherrushatmewithafacemadeallupoffury，andsnatchfrommeanewspaper，inamannerthatfullyrevealedherapprehension。Shewasanaptwoman;

andalittleexperiencesoondemonstrated，tohersatisfaction，thateducationandslaverywereincom-

patiblewitheachother。

FromthistimeIwasmostnarrowlywatched。IfI

wasinaseparateroomanyconsiderablelengthoftime，Iwassuretobesuspectedofhavingabook，andwasatoncecalledtogiveanaccountofmyself。

Allthis，however，wastoolate。Thefirststephadbeentaken。Mistress，inteachingmethealphabet，hadgivenmethe~inch，~andnoprecautioncouldpre-

ventmefromtakingthe~ell。~

TheplanwhichIadopted，andtheonebywhichIwasmostsuccessful，wasthatofmakingfriendsofallthelittlewhiteboyswhomImetinthestreet。

AsmanyoftheseasIcould，Iconvertedintoteach-

ers。Withtheirkindlyaid，obtainedatdifferenttimesandindifferentplaces，Ifinallysucceededinlearn-

ingtoread。WhenIwassentoferrands，Ialwaystookmybookwithme，andbygoingonepartofmyerrandquickly，Ifoundtimetogetalessonbe-

foremyreturn。Iusedalsotocarrybreadwithme，enoughofwhichwasalwaysinthehouse，andtowhichIwasalwayswelcome;forIwasmuchbetteroffinthisregardthanmanyofthepoorwhitechil-

dreninourneighborhood。ThisbreadIusedtobe-

stowuponthehungrylittleurchins，who，inreturn，wouldgivemethatmorevaluablebreadofknowl-

edge。Iamstronglytemptedtogivethenamesoftwoorthreeofthoselittleboys，asatestimonialofthegratitudeandaffectionIbearthem;butpru-

denceforbids;——notthatitwouldinjureme，butitmightembarrassthem;foritisalmostanunpar-

donableoffencetoteachslavestoreadinthisChris-

tiancountry。Itisenoughtosayofthedearlittlefellows，thattheylivedonPhilpotStreet，verynearDurginandBailey’sship-yard。Iusedtotalkthismatterofslaveryoverwiththem。Iwouldsometimessaytothem，IwishedIcouldbeasfreeastheywouldbewhentheygottobemen。\"Youwillbefreeassoonasyouaretwenty-one，~butIamaslaveforlife！~HavenotIasgoodarighttobefreeasyouhave？\"Thesewordsusedtotroublethem;theywouldexpressformetheliveliestsympathy，andcon-

solemewiththehopethatsomethingwouldoccurbywhichImightbefree。

Iwasnowabouttwelveyearsold，andthethoughtofbeing~aslaveforlife~begantobearheavilyuponmyheart。Justaboutthistime，Igotholdofabookentitled\"TheColumbianOrator。\"Everyopportu-

nityIgot，Iusedtoreadthisbook。Amongmuchofotherinterestingmatter，Ifoundinitadialoguebe-

tweenamasterandhisslave。Theslavewasrepre-

sentedashavingrunawayfromhismasterthreetimes。Thedialoguerepresentedtheconversationwhichtookplacebetweenthem，whentheslavewasretakenthethirdtime。Inthisdialogue，thewholeargumentinbehalfofslaverywasbroughtforwardbythemaster，allofwhichwasdisposedofbytheslave。Theslavewasmadetosaysomeverysmartaswellasimpressivethingsinreplytohismaster——

thingswhichhadthedesiredthoughunexpectedef-

fect;fortheconversationresultedinthevoluntaryemancipationoftheslaveonthepartofthemaster。

Inthesamebook，ImetwithoneofSheridan’smightyspeechesonandinbehalfofCatholiceman-

cipation。Thesewerechoicedocumentstome。Ireadthemoverandoveragainwithunabatedinterest。

Theygavetonguetointerestingthoughtsofmyownsoul，whichhadfrequentlyflashedthroughmymind，anddiedawayforwantofutterance。ThemoralwhichIgainedfromthedialoguewasthepoweroftruthovertheconscienceofevenaslaveholder。WhatIgotfromSheridanwasabolddenunciationofslav-

ery，andapowerfulvindicationofhumanrights。

Thereadingofthesedocumentsenabledmetouttermythoughts，andtomeettheargumentsbroughtforwardtosustainslavery;butwhiletheyrelievedmeofonedifficulty，theybroughtonan-

otherevenmorepainfulthantheoneofwhichIwasrelieved。ThemoreIread，themoreIwasledtoabhoranddetestmyenslavers。Icouldregardtheminnootherlightthanabandofsuccessfulrobbers，whohadlefttheirhomes，andgonetoAfrica，andstolenusfromourhomes，andinastrangelandreducedustoslavery。Iloathedthemasbeingthemeanestaswellasthemostwickedofmen。AsI

readandcontemplatedthesubject，behold！thatverydiscontentmentwhichMasterHughhadpredictedwouldfollowmylearningtoreadhadalreadycome，totormentandstingmysoultounutterableanguish。

AsIwrithedunderit，Iwouldattimesfeelthatlearningtoreadhadbeenacurseratherthanabless-

ing。Ithadgivenmeaviewofmywretchedcondi-

tion，withouttheremedy。Itopenedmyeyestothehorriblepit，buttonoladderuponwhichtogetout。

Inmomentsofagony，Ienviedmyfellow-slavesfortheirstupidity。Ihaveoftenwishedmyselfabeast。

Ipreferredtheconditionofthemeanestreptiletomyown。Anything，nomatterwhat，togetridofthinking！Itwasthiseverlastingthinkingofmycon-

ditionthattormentedme。Therewasnogettingridofit。Itwaspresseduponmebyeveryobjectwithinsightorhearing，animateorinanimate。Thesilvertrumpoffreedomhadrousedmysoultoeternalwakefulness。Freedomnowappeared，todisappearnomoreforever。Itwasheardineverysound，andseenineverything。Itwaseverpresenttotormentmewithasenseofmywretchedcondition。Isawnothingwithoutseeingit，Iheardnothingwithouthearingit，andfeltnothingwithoutfeelingit。Itlookedfromeverystar，itsmiledineverycalm，breathedineverywind，andmovedineverystorm。

Ioftenfoundmyselfregrettingmyownexistence，andwishingmyselfdead;andbutforthehopeofbeingfree，IhavenodoubtbutthatIshouldhavekilledmyself，ordonesomethingforwhichIshouldhavebeenkilled。Whileinthisstateofmind，Iwaseagertohearanyonespeakofslavery。Iwasareadylistener。Everylittlewhile，Icouldhearsomethingabouttheabolitionists。ItwassometimebeforeI

foundwhatthewordmeant。Itwasalwaysusedinsuchconnectionsastomakeitaninterestingwordtome。Ifaslaveranawayandsucceededingettingclear，orifaslavekilledhismaster，setfiretoabarn，ordidanythingverywronginthemindofaslaveholder，itwasspokenofasthefruitof~abolition。~

Hearingthewordinthisconnectionveryoften，Isetaboutlearningwhatitmeant。Thedictionaryaf-

fordedmelittleornohelp。Ifounditwas\"theactofabolishing;\"butthenIdidnotknowwhatwastobeabolished。HereIwasperplexed。Ididnotdaretoaskanyoneaboutitsmeaning，forIwassatisfiedthatitwassomethingtheywantedmetoknowverylittleabout。Afterapatientwaiting，Igotoneofourcitypapers，containinganaccountofthenumberofpetitionsfromthenorth，prayingfortheabolitionofslaveryintheDistrictofColumbia，andoftheslavetradebetweentheStates。FromthistimeIunderstoodthewords~abolition~and~abolition-

ist，~andalwaysdrewnearwhenthatwordwasspoken，expectingtohearsomethingofimportancetomy-

selfandfellow-slaves。Thelightbrokeinuponmebydegrees。IwentonedaydownonthewharfofMr。Waters;andseeingtwoIrishmenunloadingascowofstone，Iwent，unasked，andhelpedthem。

Whenwehadfinished，oneofthemcametomeandaskedmeifIwereaslave。ItoldhimIwas。Heasked，\"Areyeaslaveforlife？\"ItoldhimthatI

was。ThegoodIrishmanseemedtobedeeplyaf-

fectedbythestatement。Hesaidtotheotherthatitwasapitysofinealittlefellowasmyselfshouldbeaslaveforlife。Hesaiditwasashametoholdme。Theybothadvisedmetorunawaytothenorth;

thatIshouldfindfriendsthere，andthatIshouldbefree。Ipretendednottobeinterestedinwhattheysaid，andtreatedthemasifIdidnotunder-

standthem;forIfearedtheymightbetreacherous。

Whitemenhavebeenknowntoencourageslavestoescape，andthen，togetthereward，catchthemandreturnthemtotheirmasters。Iwasafraidthattheseseeminglygoodmenmightusemeso;butInever-

thelessrememberedtheiradvice，andfromthattimeIresolvedtorunaway。Ilookedforwardtoatimeatwhichitwouldbesafeformetoescape。Iwastooyoungtothinkofdoingsoimmediately;besides，Iwishedtolearnhowtowrite，asImighthaveoc-

casiontowritemyownpass。IconsoledmyselfwiththehopethatIshouldonedayfindagoodchance。

Meanwhile，Iwouldlearntowrite。

TheideaastohowImightlearntowritewassuggestedtomebybeinginDurginandBailey’sship-yard，andfrequentlyseeingtheshipcarpenters，afterhewing，andgettingapieceoftimberreadyforuse，writeonthetimberthenameofthatpartoftheshipforwhichitwasintended。Whenapieceoftimberwasintendedforthelarboardside，itwouldbemarkedthus——\"L。\"Whenapiecewasforthestarboardside，itwouldbemarkedthus——\"S。\"A

pieceforthelarboardsideforward，wouldbemarkedthus——\"L。F。\"Whenapiecewasforstarboardsideforward，itwouldbemarkedthus——\"S。F。\"Forlar-

boardaft，itwouldbemarkedthus——\"L。A。\"Forstar-

boardaft，itwouldbemarkedthus——\"S。A。\"Isoonlearnedthenamesoftheseletters，andforwhattheywereintendedwhenplaceduponapieceoftimberintheship-yard。Iimmediatelycommencedcopyingthem，andinashorttimewasabletomakethefourlettersnamed。Afterthat，whenImetwithanyboywhoIknewcouldwrite，IwouldtellhimIcouldwriteaswellashe。Thenextwordwouldbe，\"Idon’tbelieveyou。Letmeseeyoutryit。\"IwouldthenmaketheletterswhichIhadbeensofortunateastolearn，andaskhimtobeatthat。InthiswayI

gotagoodmanylessonsinwriting，whichitisquitepossibleIshouldneverhavegotteninanyotherway。

Duringthistime，mycopy-bookwastheboardfence，brickwall，andpavement;mypenandinkwasalumpofchalk。Withthese，Ilearnedmainlyhowtowrite。IthencommencedandcontinuedcopyingtheItalicsinWebster’sSpellingBook，untilIcouldmakethemallwithoutlookingonthebook。Bythistime，mylittleMasterThomashadgonetoschool，andlearnedhowtowrite，andhadwrittenoveranumberofcopy-books。Thesehadbeenbroughthome，andshowntosomeofournearneighbors，andthenlaidaside。MymistressusedtogotoclassmeetingattheWilkStreetmeetinghouseeveryMondayafter-

noon，andleavemetotakecareofthehouse。Whenleftthus，IusedtospendthetimeinwritinginthespacesleftinMasterThomas’scopy-book，copyingwhathehadwritten。IcontinuedtodothisuntilI

couldwriteahandverysimilartothatofMasterThomas。Thus，afteralong，tediouseffortforyears，Ifinallysucceededinlearninghowtowrite。

CHAPTERVIII

InaveryshorttimeafterIwenttoliveatBalti-

more，myoldmaster’syoungestsonRicharddied;

andinaboutthreeyearsandsixmonthsafterhisdeath，myoldmaster，CaptainAnthony，died，leav-

onlyhisson，Andrew，anddaughter，Lucretia，tosharehisestate。HediedwhileonavisittoseehisdaughteratHillsborough。Cutoffthusunexpectedly，heleftnowillastothedisposalofhisproperty。Itwasthereforenecessarytohaveavaluationoftheproperty，thatitmightbeequallydividedbetweenMrs。LucretiaandMasterAndrew。Iwasimmedi-

atelysentfor，tobevaluedwiththeotherproperty。

Hereagainmyfeelingsroseupindetestationofslavery。Ihadnowanewconceptionofmydegradedcondition。Priortothis，Ihadbecome，ifnotin-

sensibletomylot，atleastpartlyso。IleftBaltimorewithayoungheartoverbornewithsadness，andasoulfullofapprehension。ItookpassagewithCap-

tainRowe，intheschoonerWildCat，and，afterasailofabouttwenty-fourhours，Ifoundmyselfneartheplaceofmybirth。Ihadnowbeenabsentfromitalmost，ifnotquite，fiveyears。I，however，re-

memberedtheplaceverywell。IwasonlyaboutfiveyearsoldwhenIleftit，togoandlivewithmyoldmasteronColonelLloyd’splantation;sothatIwasnowbetweentenandelevenyearsold。

Wewereallrankedtogetheratthevaluation。Menandwomen，oldandyoung，marriedandsingle，wererankedwithhorses，sheep，andswine。Therewerehorsesandmen，cattleandwomen，pigsandchil-

dren，allholdingthesamerankinthescaleofbeing，andwereallsubjectedtothesamenarrowexamina-

tion。Silvery-headedageandsprightlyyouth，maidsandmatrons，hadtoundergothesameindelicateinspection。Atthismoment，Isawmoreclearlythaneverthebrutalizingeffectsofslaveryuponbothslaveandslaveholder。

Afterthevaluation，thencamethedivision。Ihavenolanguagetoexpressthehighexcitementanddeepanxietywhichwerefeltamonguspoorslavesduringthistime。Ourfateforlifewasnowtobedecided。

wehadnomorevoiceinthatdecisionthanthebrutesamongwhomwewereranked。Asinglewordfromthewhitemenwasenough——againstallourwishes，prayers，andentreaties——tosunderforeverthedearestfriends，dearestkindred，andstrongesttiesknowntohumanbeings。Inadditiontothepainofseparation，therewasthehorriddreadoffallingintothehandsofMasterAndrew。Hewasknowntousallasbeingamostcruelwretch，——acommondrunk-

ard，whohad，byhisrecklessmismanagementandprofligatedissipation，alreadywastedalargepor-

tionofhisfather’sproperty。WeallfeltthatwemightaswellbesoldatoncetotheGeorgiatraders，astopassintohishands;forweknewthatthatwouldbeourinevitablecondition，——aconditionheldbyusallintheutmosthorroranddread。

Isufferedmoreanxietythanmostofmyfellow-

slaves。Ihadknownwhatitwastobekindlytreated;

theyhadknownnothingofthekind。Theyhadseenlittleornothingoftheworld。Theywereinverydeedmenandwomenofsorrow，andacquaintedwithgrief。Theirbackshadbeenmadefamiliarwiththebloodylash，sothattheyhadbecomecallous;minewasyettender;forwhileatBaltimoreIgotfewwhip-

pings，andfewslavescouldboastofakindermasterandmistressthanmyself;andthethoughtofpass-

ingoutoftheirhandsintothoseofMasterAndrew——

amanwho，butafewdaysbefore，togivemeasampleofhisbloodydisposition，tookmylittlebrotherbythethroat，threwhimontheground，andwiththeheelofhisbootstampeduponhisheadtillthebloodgushedfromhisnoseandears——waswellcalculatedtomakemeanxiousastomyfate。

Afterhehadcommittedthissavageoutrageuponmybrother，heturnedtome，andsaidthatwasthewayhemeanttoservemeoneofthesedays，——mean-

ing，Isuppose，whenIcameintohispossession。

ThankstoakindProvidence，IfelltotheportionofMrs。Lucretia，andwassentimmediatelybacktoBaltimore，toliveagaininthefamilyofMasterHugh。Theirjoyatmyreturnequalledtheirsorrowatmydeparture。Itwasagladdaytome。Ihadescapedaworsethanlion’sjaws。IwasabsentfromBaltimore，forthepurposeofvaluationanddivision，justaboutonemonth，anditseemedtohavebeensix。

VerysoonaftermyreturntoBaltimore，mymis-

tress，Lucretia，died，leavingherhusbandandonechild，Amanda;andinaveryshorttimeafterherdeath，MasterAndrewdied。Nowallthepropertyofmyoldmaster，slavesincluded，wasinthehandsofstrangers，——strangerswhohadhadnothingtodowithaccumulatingit。Notaslavewasleftfree。Allremainedslaves，fromtheyoungesttotheoldest。Ifanyonethinginmyexperience，morethananother，servedtodeepenmyconvictionoftheinfernalchar-

acterofslavery，andtofillmewithunutterableloathingofslaveholders，itwastheirbaseingrati-

tudetomypooroldgrandmother。Shehadservedmyoldmasterfaithfullyfromyouthtooldage。Shehadbeenthesourceofallhiswealth;shehadpeo-

pledhisplantationwithslaves;shehadbecomeagreatgrandmotherinhisservice。Shehadrockedhimininfancy，attendedhiminchildhood，servedhimthroughlife，andathisdeathwipedfromhisicybrowthecolddeath-sweat，andclosedhiseyesforever。Shewasneverthelessleftaslave——aslaveforlife——aslaveinthehandsofstrangers;andintheirhandsshesawherchildren，hergrandchildren，andhergreat-grandchildren，divided，likesomanysheep，withoutbeinggratifiedwiththesmallprivilegeofasingleword，astotheirorherowndestiny。And，tocaptheclimaxoftheirbaseingratitudeandfiendishbarbarity，mygrandmother，whowasnowveryold，havingoutlivedmyoldmasterandallhischildren，havingseenthebeginningandendofallofthem，andherpresentownersfindingshewasofbutlittlevalue，herframealreadyrackedwiththepainsofoldage，andcompletehelplessnessfaststealingoverheronceactivelimbs，theytookhertothewoods，builtheralittlehut，putupalittlemud-chimney，andthenmadeherwelcometotheprivilegeofsupport-

ingherselfthereinperfectloneliness;thusvirtuallyturningherouttodie！Ifmypooroldgrandmothernowlives，shelivestosufferinutterloneliness;shelivestorememberandmournoverthelossofchil-

dren，thelossofgrandchildren，andthelossofgreat-

grandchildren。Theyare，inthelanguageoftheslave’spoet，Whittier，——

\"Gone，gone，soldandgoneTothericeswampdankandlone，Wheretheslave-whipceaselessswings，Wherethenoisomeinsectstings，Wherethefever-demonstrewsPoisonwiththefallingdews，WherethesicklysunbeamsglareThroughthehotandmistyair：——

Gone，gone，soldandgoneTothericeswampdankandlone，FromVirginiahillsandwaters——

Woeisme，mystolendaughters！\"

Thehearthisdesolate。Thechildren，theuncon-

sciouschildren，whooncesanganddancedinherpresence，aregone。Shegropesherway，inthedark-

nessofage，foradrinkofwater。Insteadofthevoicesofherchildren，shehearsbydaythemoansofthedove，andbynightthescreamsofthehideousowl。

Allisgloom。Thegraveisatthedoor。Andnow，whenweigheddownbythepainsandachesofoldage，whentheheadinclinestothefeet，whenthebeginningandendingofhumanexistencemeet，andhelplessinfancyandpainfuloldagecombineto-

gether——atthistime，thismostneedfultime，thetimefortheexerciseofthattendernessandaffectionwhichchildrenonlycanexercisetowardsadecliningparent——mypooroldgrandmother，thedevotedmotheroftwelvechildren，isleftallalone，inyonderlittlehut，beforeafewdimembers。Shestands——

shesits——shestaggers——shefalls——shegroans——shedies——andtherearenoneofherchildrenorgrandchildrenpresent，towipefromherwrinkledbrowthecoldsweatofdeath，ortoplacebeneaththesodherfallenremains。WillnotarighteousGodvisitforthesethings？

InabouttwoyearsafterthedeathofMrs。Lu-

cretia，MasterThomasmarriedhissecondwife。HernamewasRowenaHamilton。ShewastheeldestdaughterofMr。WilliamHamilton。MasternowlivedinSt。Michael’s。Notlongafterhismarriage，amisunderstandingtookplacebetweenhimselfandMasterHugh;andasameansofpunishinghisbrother，hetookmefromhimtolivewithhimselfatSt。Michael’s。HereIunderwentanothermostpainfulseparation。It，however，wasnotsosevereastheoneIdreadedatthedivisionofproperty;for，duringthisinterval，agreatchangehadtakenplaceinMasterHughandhisoncekindandaffectionatewife。Theinfluenceofbrandyuponhim，andofslaveryuponher，hadeffectedadisastrouschangeinthecharactersofboth;sothat，asfarastheywereconcerned，IthoughtIhadlittletolosebythechange。ButitwasnottothemthatIwasattached。

ItwastothoselittleBaltimoreboysthatIfeltthestrongestattachment。Ihadreceivedmanygoodlessonsfromthem，andwasstillreceivingthem，andthethoughtofleavingthemwaspainfulindeed。I

wasleaving，too，withoutthehopeofeverbeingallowedtoreturn。MasterThomashadsaidhewouldneverletmereturnagain。Thebarrierbetwixthim-

selfandbrotherheconsideredimpassable。

IthenhadtoregretthatIdidnotatleastmaketheattempttocarryoutmyresolutiontorunaway;

forthechancesofsuccessaretenfoldgreaterfromthecitythanfromthecountry。

IsailedfromBaltimoreforSt。Michael’sinthesloopAmanda，CaptainEdwardDodson。Onmypassage，IpaidparticularattentiontothedirectionwhichthesteamboatstooktogotoPhiladelphia。I

found，insteadofgoingdown，onreachingNorthPointtheywentupthebay，inanorth-easterlydirec-

tion。Ideemedthisknowledgeoftheutmostim-

portance。Mydeterminationtorunawaywasagainrevived。Iresolvedtowaitonlysolongastheofferingofafavorableopportunity。Whenthatcame，Iwasdeterminedtobeoff。

CHAPTERIX

IhavenowreachedaperiodofmylifewhenI

cangivedates。IleftBaltimore，andwenttolivewithMasterThomasAuld，atSt。Michael’s，inMarch，1832。ItwasnowmorethansevenyearssinceIlivedwithhiminthefamilyofmyoldmas-

ter，onColonelLloyd’splantation。Weofcoursewerenowalmostentirestrangerstoeachother。Hewastomeanewmaster，andItohimanewslave。

Iwasignorantofhistemperanddisposition;hewasequallysoofmine。Averyshorttime，however，broughtusintofullacquaintancewitheachother。