the narrative of the life-第13章

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such　connections　as　to　make　it　an　interesting　word

to　me。　　If　a　slave　ran　away　and　succeeded　in　getting

clear；　or　if　a　slave　killed　his　master；　set　fire　to　a

barn；　or　did　any　thing　very　wrong　in　the　mind　of　a

slaveholder；　it　was　spoken　of　as　the　fruit　of　~abolition。~

Hearing　the　word　in　this　connection　very　often；　I　set

about　learning　what　it　meant。　　The　dictionary　af…

forded　me　little　or　no　help。　　I　found　it　was　〃the　act

of　abolishing；〃　but　then　I　did　not　know　what　was

to　be　abolished。　　Here　I　was　perplexed。　　I　did　not

dare　to　ask　any　one　about　its　meaning；　for　I　was

satisfied　that　it　was　something　they　wanted　me　to

know　very　little　about。　　After　a　patient　waiting；　I　got

one　of　our　city　papers；　containing　an　account　of　the

number　of　petitions　from　the　north；　praying　for　the

abolition　of　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　and

of　the　slave　trade　between　the　States。　　From　this

time　I　understood　the　words　~abolition~　and　~abolition…

ist；~　and　always　drew　near　when　that　word　was　spoken；

expecting　to　hear　something　of　importance　to　my…

self　and　fellow…slaves。　　The　light　broke　in　upon　me

by　degrees。　　I　went　one　day　down　on　the　wharf　of

Mr。　Waters；　and　seeing　two　Irishmen　unloading　a

scow　of　stone；　I　went；　unasked；　and　helped　them。

When　we　had　finished；　one　of　them　came　to　me

and　asked　me　if　I　were　a　slave。　　I　told　him　I　was。　　He

asked；　〃Are　ye　a　slave　for　life？〃　　I　told　him　that　I

was。　　The　good　Irishman　seemed　to　be　deeply　af…

fected　by　the　statement。　　He　said　to　the　other　that

it　was　a　pity　so　fine　a　little　fellow　as　myself　should

be　a　slave　for　life。　　He　said　it　was　a　shame　to　hold

me。　　They　both　advised　me　to　run　away　to　the　north；

that　I　should　find　friends　there；　and　that　I　should

be　free。　　I　pretended　not　to　be　interested　in　what

they　said；　and　treated　them　as　if　I　did　not　under…

stand　them；　for　I　feared　they　might　be　treacherous。

White　men　have　been　known　to　encourage　slaves　to

escape；　and　then；　to　get　the　reward；　catch　them　and

return　them　to　their　masters。　　I　was　afraid　that　these

seemingly　good　men　might　use　me　so；　but　I　never…

theless　remembered　their　advice；　and　from　that　time

I　resolved　to　run　away。　　I　looked　forward　to　a　time

at　which　it　would　be　safe　for　me　to　escape。　　I　was

too　young　to　think　of　doing　so　immediately；　besides；

I　wished　to　learn　how　to　write；　as　I　might　have　oc…

casion　to　write　my　own　pass。　　I　consoled　myself　with

the　hope　that　I　should　one　day　find　a　good　chance。

Meanwhile；　I　would　learn　to　write。

　

　　The　idea　as　to　how　I　might　learn　to　write　was

suggested　to　me　by　being　in　Durgin　and　Bailey's

ship…yard；　and　frequently　seeing　the　ship　carpenters；

after　hewing；　and　getting　a　piece　of　timber　ready

for　use；　write　on　the　timber　the　name　of　that　part

of　the　ship　for　which　it　was　intended。　　When　a　piece

of　timber　was　intended　for　the　larboard　side；　it

would　be　marked　thus〃L。〃　　When　a　piece　was　for

the　starboard　side；　it　would　be　marked　thus〃S。〃　　A

piece　for　the　larboard　side　forward；　would　be　marked

thus〃L。　F。〃　　When　a　piece　was　for　starboard　side

forward；　it　would　be　marked　thus〃S。　F。〃　　For　lar…

board　aft；　it　would　be　marked　thus〃L。　A。〃　　For　star…

board　aft；　it　would　be　marked　thus〃S。　A。〃　　I　soon

learned　the　names　of　these　letters；　and　for　what

they　were　intended　when　placed　upon　a　piece　of

timber　in　the　ship…yard。　　I　immediately　commenced

copying　them；　and　in　a　short　time　was　able　to　make

the　four　letters　named。　　After　that；　when　I　met　with

any　boy　who　I　knew　could　write；　I　would　tell　him

I　could　write　as　well　as　he。　　The　next　word　would　be；

〃I　don't　believe　you。　　Let　me　see　you　try　it。〃　　I　would

then　make　the　letters　which　I　had　been　so　fortunate

as　to　learn；　and　ask　him　to　beat　that。　　In　this　way　I

got　a　good　many　lessons　in　writing；　which　it　is　quite

possible　I　should　never　have　gotten　in　any　other　way。

During　this　time；　my　copy…book　was　the　board　fence；

brick　wall；　and　pavement；　my　pen　and　ink　was　a

lump　of　chalk。　　With　these；　I　learned　mainly　how　to

write。　　I　then　commenced　and　continued　copying　the

Italics　in　Webster's　Spelling　Book；　until　I　could　make

them　all　without　looking　on　the　book。　　By　this　time；

my　little　Master　Thomas　had　gone　to　school；　and

learned　how　to　write；　and　had　written　over　a　number

of　copy…books。　　These　had　been　brought　home；　and

shown　to　some　of　our　near　neighbors；　and　then　laid

aside。　　My　mistress　used　to　go　to　class　meeting　at

the　Wilk　Street　meetinghouse　every　Monday　after…

noon；　and　leave　me　to　take　care　of　the　house。　　When

left　thus；　I　used　to　spend　the　time　in　writing　in　the

spaces　left　in　Master　Thomas's　copy…book；　copying

what　he　had　written。　　I　continued　to　do　this　until　I

could　write　a　hand　very　similar　to　that　of　Master

Thomas。　　Thus；　after　a　long；　tedious　effort　for　years；

I　finally　succeeded　in　learning　how　to　write。

　

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VIII

　

　

　　In　a　very　short　time　after　I　went　to　live　at　Balti…

more；　my　old　master's　youngest　son　Richard　died；

and　in　about　three　years　and　six　months　after　his

death；　my　old　master；　Captain　Anthony；　died；　leav…

only　his　son；　Andrew；　and　daughter；　Lucretia；　to

share　his　estate。　　He　died　while　on　a　visit　to　see　his

daughter　at　Hillsborough。　　Cut　off　thus　unexpectedly；

he　left　no　will　as　to　the　disposal　of　his　property。　　It

was　therefore　necessary　to　have　a　valuation　of　the

property；　that　it　might　be　equally　divided　between

Mrs。　Lucretia　and　Master　Andrew。　　I　was　immedi…

ately　sent　for；　to　be　valued　with　the　other　property。

Here　again　my　feelings　rose　up　in　detestation　of

slavery。　　I　had　now　a　new　conception　of　my　degraded

condition。　　Prior　to　this；　I　had　become；　if　not　in…

sensible　to　my　lot；　at　least　partly　so。　　I　left　Baltimore

with　a　young　heart　overborne　with　sadness；　and　a

soul　full　of　apprehension。　　I　took　passage　with　Cap…

tain　Rowe；　in　the　schooner　Wild　Cat；　and；　after　a

sail　of　about　twenty…four　hours；　I　found　myself　near

the　place　of　my　birth。　　I　had　now　been　absent　from

it　almost；　if　not　quite；　five　years。　　I；　however；　re…

membered　the　place　very　well。　　I　was　only　about

five　years　old　when　I　left　it；　to　go　and　live　with　my

old　master　on　Colonel　Lloyd's　plantation；　so　that

I　was　now　between　ten　and　eleven　years　old。

　

　　We　were　all　ranked　together　at　the　valuation。　　Men

and　women；　old　and　young；　married　and　single；　were

ranked　with　horses；　sheep；　and　swine。　　There　were

horses　and　men；　cattle　and　women；　pigs　and　chil…

dren；　all　holding　the　same　rank　in　the　scale　of　being；

and　were　all　subjected　to　the　same　narrow　examina…

tion。　　Silvery…headed　age　and　sprightly　youth；　maids

and　matrons；　had　to　undergo　the　same　indelicate

inspection。　　At　this　moment；　I　saw　more　clearly　than

ever　the　brutalizing　effects　of　slavery　upon　both

slave　and　slaveholder。

　

　　After　the　valuation；　then　came　the　division。　　I　have

no　language　to　express　the　high　excitement　and　deep

anxiety　which　were　felt　among　us　poor　slaves　during

this　time。　　Our　fate　for　life　was　now　to　be　decided。

we　had　no　more　voice　in　that　decision　than　the

brutes　among　whom　we　were　ranked。　　A　single　word

from　the　white　men　was　enoughagainst　all　our

wishes；　prayers；　and　entreatiesto　sunder　forever　the

dearest　friends；　dearest　kindred；　and　strongest　ties

known　to　human　beings。　　In　addition　to　the　pain　of

separation；　there　was　the　horrid　dread　of　falling　into

the　hands　of　Master　Andrew。　　He　was　known　to　us

all　as　being　a　most　cruel　wretch；a　common　drunk…

ard；　who　had；　by　his　reckless　mismanagement　and

profligate　dissipation；　already　wasted　a　large　por…

tion　of　his　father's　property。　　We　all　felt　that　we

might　as　well　be　sold　at　once　to　the　Georgia　traders；

as　to　pass　into　his　hands；　for　we　knew　that　that

would　be　our　inevitable　condition；a　condition　held

by　us　all　in　the　utmost　horror　and　dread。

　

　　I　suffered　more　anxiety　than　most　of　my　fellow…

slaves。　　I　had　known　what　it　was　to　be　kindly　treated