running a thousand miles for freedom-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sir；〃　I　indifferently　replied；　〃I　can't　promise　to　do　that。〃　　〃Why　not？〃　said　the


*　I　may　state　here　that　every　man　slave　is　called　boy　till　he　is　very　old；　then　the　more　respectable　slaveholders　call　him　uncle。　　The　women　are　all　girls　till　they　are　aged；　then　they　are　called　aunts。　　This　is　the　reason　why　Mrs。　Stowe　calls　her　characters　Uncle　Tom；　Aunt　Chloe；　Uncle　Tiff；　&c。　conductor；　evidently　much　surprised；　〃don't　you　want　your　liberty？〃　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　replied；　〃but　I　shall　never　run　away　from　such　a　good　master　as　I　have　at　present。〃

One　of　the　men　said　to　the　guard；　〃Let　him　alone；　I　guess　he　will　open　his　eyes　when　he　gets　to　Philadelphia；　and　see　things　in　another　light。〃　After　giving　me　a　good　deal　of　information；　which　I　afterwards　found　to　be　very　useful；　they　left　me　alone。

I　also　met　with　a　coloured　gentleman　on　this　train；　who　recommended　me　to　a　boarding…house　that　was　kept　by　an　abolitionist；　where　he　thought　I　would　be　quite　safe；　if　I　wished　to　run　away　from　my　master。　　I　thanked　him　kindly；　but　of　course　did　not　let　him　know　who　we　were。　　Late　at　night；　or　rather　early　in　the　morning；　I　heard　a　fearful　whistling　of　the　steam…engine；　so　I　opened　the　window　and　looked　out；　and　saw　a　large　number　of　flickering　lights　in　the　distance；　and　heard　a　passenger　in　the　next　carriage　who　also　had　his　head　out　of　the　windowsay　to　his　companion；　〃Wake　up；　old　horse；　we　are　at　Philadelphia！〃

The　sight　of　those　lights　and　that　announce…　ment　made　me　feel　almost　as　happy　as　Bunyan's　Christian　must　have　felt　when　he　first　caught　sight　of　the　cross。　　I；　like　him；　felt　that　the　straps　that　bound　the　heavy　burden　to　my　back　began　to　pop；　and　the　load　to　roll　off。　　I　also　looked；　and　looked　again；　for　it　appeared　very　wonderful　to　me　how　the　mere　sight　of　our　first　city　of　refuge　should　have　all　at　once　made　my　hitherto　sad　and　heavy　heart　become　so　light　and　happy。　　As　the　train　speeded　on；　I　rejoiced　and　thanked　God　with　all　my　heart　and　soul　for　his　great　kindness　and　tender　mercy；　in　watching　over　us；　and　bringing　us　safely　through。

As　soon　as　the　train　had　reached　the　platform；　before　it　had　fairly　stopped；　I　hurried　out　of　my　carriage　to　my　master；　whom　I　got　at　once　into　a　cab；　placed　the　luggage　on；　jumped　in　myself；　and　we　drove　off　to　the　boarding…house　which　was　so　kindly　recommended　to　me。　　On　leaving　the　station；　my　masteror　rather　my　wife；　as　I　may　now　say　who　had　from　the　commencement　of　the　journey　borne　up　in　a　manner　that　much　surprised　us　both；　grasped　me　by　the　hand；　and　said；　〃Thank　God；　William；　we　are　safe！〃　and　then　burst　into　tears；　leant　upon　me；　and　wept　like　a　child。　　The　reaction　was　fearful。　　So　when　we　reached　the　house；　she　was　in　reality　so　weak　and　faint　that　she　could　scarcely　stand　alone。　　However；　I　got　her　into　the　apartments　that　were　pointed　out；　and　there　we　knelt　down；　on　this　Sabbath；　and　Christmas…day；a　day　that　will　ever　be　memorable　to　us；and　poured　out　our　heartfelt　gratitude　to　God；　for　his　good…　ness　in　enabling　us　to　overcome　so　many　perilous　difficulties；　in　escaping　out　of　the　jaws　of　the　wicked。





PART　II。




AFTER　my　wife　had　a　little　recovered　herself；　she　threw　off　the　disguise　and　assumed　her　own　apparel。　　We　then　stepped　into　the　sitting…room；　and　asked　to　see　the　landlord。　　The　man　came　in；　but　he　seemed　thunderstruck　on　finding　a　fugitive　slave　and　his　wife；　instead　of　a　〃young　cotton　planter　and　his　nigger。〃　　As　his　eyes　travelled　round　the　room；　he　said　to　me；　〃Where　is　your　master？〃　　I　pointed　him　out。　　The　man　gravely　replied；　〃I　am　not　joking；　I　really　wish　to　see　your　master。〃　　I　pointed　him　out　again；　but　at　first　he　could　not　believe　his　eyes；　he　said　〃he　knew　that　was　not　the　gentleman　that　came　with　me。〃

But；　after　some　conversation；　we　satisfied　him　that　we　were　fugitive　slaves；　and　had　just　escaped　in　the　manner　I　have　described。　　We　asked　him　if　he　thought　it　would　be　safe　for　us　to　stop　in　Phila…　delphia。　　He　said　he　thought　not；　but　he　would　call　in　some　persons　who　knew　more　about　the　laws　than　himself。　　He　then　went　out；　and　kindly　brought　in　several　of　the　leading　abolitionists　of　the　city；　who　gave　us　a　most　hearty　and　friendly　welcome　amongst　them。　　As　it　was　in　December；　and　also　as　we　had　just　left　a　very　warm　climate；　they　advised　us　not　to　go　to　Canada　as　we　had　intended；　but　to　settle　at　Boston　in　the　United　States。　　It　is　true　that　the　constitution　of　the　Re…　public　has　always　guaranteed　the　slaveholders　the　right　to　come　into　any　of　the　so…called　free　States；　and　take　their　fugitives　back　to　southern　Egypt。　But　through　the　untiring；　uncompromising；　and　manly　efforts　of　Mr。　Garrison；　Wendell　Phillips；　Theodore　Parker；　and　a　host　of　other　noble　aboli…　tionists　of　Boston　and　the　neighbourhood；　public　opinion　in　Massachusetts　had　become　so　much　opposed　to　slavery　and　to　kidnapping；　that　it　was　almost　impossible　for　any　one　to　take　a　fugitive　slave　out　of　that　State。

So　we　took　the　advice　of　our　good　Philadelphia　friends；　and　settled　at　Boston。　　I　shall　have　some…　thing　to　say　about　our　sojourn　there　presently。

Among　other　friends　we　met　with　at　Philadel…　phia；　was　Robert　Purves；　Esq。；　a　well　educated　and　wealthy　coloured　gentleman；　who　introduced　us　to　Mr。　Barkley　Ivens；　a　member　of　the　Society　of　Friends；　and　a　noble　and　generous…hearted　farmer；　who　lived　at　some　distance　in　the　country。

This　good　Samaritan　at　once　invited　us　to　go　and　stop　quietly　with　his　family；　till　my　wife　could　somewhat　recover　from　the　fearful　reaction　of　the　past　journey。　　We　most　gratefully　accepted　the　invitation；　and　at　the　time　appointed　we　took　a　steamer　to　a　place　up　the　Delaware　river；　where　our　new　and　dear　friend　met　us　with　his　snug　little　cart；　and　took　us　to　his　happy　home。　　This　was　the　first　act　of　great　and　disinterested　kindness　we　had　ever　received　from　a　white　person。

The　gentleman　was　not　of　the　fairest　complexion；　and　therefore；　as　my　wife　was　not　in　the　room　when　I　received　the　information　respecting　him　and　his　anti…slavery　character；　she　thought　of　course　he　was　a　quadroon　like　herself。　　But　on　arriving　at　the　house；　and　finding　out　her　mistake；　she　became　more　nervous　and　timid　than　ever。

As　the　cart　came　into　the　yard；　the　dear　good　old　lady；　and　her　three　charming　and　affectionate　daughters；　all　came　to　the　door　to　meet　us。　　We　got　out；　and　the　gentleman　said；　〃Go　in；　and　make　yourselves　at　home；　I　will　see　after　the　baggage。〃　But　my　wife　was　afraid　to　approach　them。　　She　stopped　in　the　yard；　and　said　to　me；　〃William；　I　thought　we　were　coming　among　coloured　people？〃　　I　replied；　〃It　is　all　right；　these　are　the　same。〃　　〃No；〃　she　said；　〃it　is　not　all　right；　and　I　am　not　going　to　stop　here；　I　have　no　confidence　whatever　in　white　people；　they　are　only　trying　to　get　us　back　to　slavery。〃　　She　turned　round　and　said；　〃I　am　going　right　off。〃　　The　old　lady　then　came　out；　with　her　sweet；　soft；　and　winning　smile；　shook　her　heartily　by　the　hand；　and　kindly　said；　〃How　art　thou；　my　dear？　　We　are　all　very　glad　to　see　thee　and　thy　husband。　　Come　in；　to　the　fire；　I　dare　say　thou　art　cold　and　hungry　after　thy　journey。〃

We　went　in；　and　the　young　ladies　asked　if　she　would　like　to　go　upstairs　and　〃fix〃　herself　before　tea。　　My　wife　said；　〃No；　I　thank　you；　I　shall　only　stop　a　little　while。〃　　〃But　where　art　thou　going　this　cold　night？〃　said　Mr。　Ivens；　who　had　just　stepped　in。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃Well；　then；〃　he　continued；　〃I　think　thou　hadst　better　take　off　thy　things　and　sit　near　the　fire；　tea　will　soon　be　ready。　　〃Yes；　come；　Ellen；〃　said　Mrs。　Ivens；　〃let　me　assist　thee；〃　（as　she　commenced　undoing　my　wife's　bonnet…strings；）　〃don't　be　frightened；　Ellen；　I　shall　not　hurt　a　single　hair　of　thy　head。　We　have　heard　with　much　pleasure　of　the　marvel…　lous　escape　of　thee　and　thy　husband；　and　deeply　sympathise　with　thee　in　all　that　thou　hast　under…　gone。　　I　don't　wonder　at　thee；　poor　thing；　being　timid；　but　thou　needs　not　fear　us；　we　would　as　soon　send　one　of　our　own　daughters　into　slavery　as　thee；　so　thou　mayest　make　thyself　quite　at　ease！〃　These　soft　and　soothing　words　fell　like　balm　upon　my　wife's　unstrung　nerves；　and　melted　her　to　tears；　her　fears　and　prejudices　vanished；　and　from　that　day　she　has　firmly　believed　tha