the narrative of the life-第14章

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　　I　suffered　more　anxiety　than　most　of　my　fellow…

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

they　had　known　nothing　of　the　kind。　　They　had　seen

little　or　nothing　of　the　world。　　They　were　in　very

deed　men　and　women　of　sorrow；　and　acquainted　with

grief。　　Their　backs　had　been　made　familiar　with　the

bloody　lash；　so　that　they　had　become　callous；　mine

was　yet　tender；　for　while　at　Baltimore　I　got　few　whip…

pings；　and　few　slaves　could　boast　of　a　kinder　master

and　mistress　than　myself；　and　the　thought　of　pass…

ing　out　of　their　hands　into　those　of　Master　Andrew

a　man　who；　but　a　few　days　before；　to　give　me　a

sample　of　his　bloody　disposition；　took　my　little

brother　by　the　throat；　threw　him　on　the　ground；　and

with　the　heel　of　his　boot　stamped　upon　his　head

till　the　blood　gushed　from　his　nose　and　earswas

well　calculated　to　make　me　anxious　as　to　my　fate。

After　he　had　committed　this　savage　outrage　upon

my　brother；　he　turned　to　me；　and　said　that　was　the

way　he　meant　to　serve　me　one　of　these　days；mean…

ing；　I　suppose；　when　I　came　into　his　possession。

　

　　Thanks　to　a　kind　Providence；　I　fell　to　the　portion

of　Mrs。　Lucretia；　and　was　sent　immediately　back

to　Baltimore；　to　live　again　in　the　family　of　Master

Hugh。　　Their　joy　at　my　return　equalled　their　sorrow

at　my　departure。　　It　was　a　glad　day　to　me。　　I　had

escaped　a　worse　than　lion's　jaws。　　I　was　absent　from

Baltimore；　for　the　purpose　of　valuation　and　division；

just　about　one　month；　and　it　seemed　to　have　been

six。

　

　　Very　soon　after　my　return　to　Baltimore；　my　mis…

tress；　Lucretia；　died；　leaving　her　husband　and　one

child；　Amanda；　and　in　a　very　short　time　after　her

death；　Master　Andrew　died。　　Now　all　the　property

of　my　old　master；　slaves　included；　was　in　the　hands

of　strangers；strangers　who　had　had　nothing　to　do

with　accumulating　it。　　Not　a　slave　was　left　free。　　All

remained　slaves；　from　the　youngest　to　the　oldest。　　If

any　one　thing　in　my　experience；　more　than　another；

served　to　deepen　my　conviction　of　the　infernal　char…

acter　of　slavery；　and　to　fill　me　with　unutterable

loathing　of　slaveholders；　it　was　their　base　ingrati…

tude　to　my　poor　old　grandmother。　　She　had　served

my　old　master　faithfully　from　youth　to　old　age。　　She

had　been　the　source　of　all　his　wealth；　she　had　peo…

pled　his　plantation　with　slaves；　she　had　become　a

great　grandmother　in　his　service。　　She　had　rocked

him　in　infancy；　attended　him　in　childhood；　served

him　through　life；　and　at　his　death　wiped　from　his

icy　brow　the　cold　death…sweat；　and　closed　his　eyes

forever。　　She　was　nevertheless　left　a　slavea　slave　for

lifea　slave　in　the　hands　of　strangers；　and　in　their

hands　she　saw　her　children；　her　grandchildren；　and

her　great…grandchildren；　divided；　like　so　many　sheep；

without　being　gratified　with　the　small　privilege　of　a

single　word；　as　to　their　or　her　own　destiny。　　And；　to

cap　the　climax　of　their　base　ingratitude　and　fiendish

barbarity；　my　grandmother；　who　was　now　very　old；

having　outlived　my　old　master　and　all　his　children；

having　seen　the　beginning　and　end　of　all　of　them；

and　her　present　owners　finding　she　was　of　but　little

value；　her　frame　already　racked　with　the　pains　of　old

age；　and　complete　helplessness　fast　stealing　over　her

once　active　limbs；　they　took　her　to　the　woods；　built

her　a　little　hut；　put　up　a　little　mud…chimney；　and

then　made　her　welcome　to　the　privilege　of　support…

ing　herself　there　in　perfect　loneliness；　thus　virtually

turning　her　out　to　die！　　If　my　poor　old　grandmother

now　lives；　she　lives　to　suffer　in　utter　loneliness；　she

lives　to　remember　and　mourn　over　the　loss　of　chil…

dren；　the　loss　of　grandchildren；　and　the　loss　of　great…

grandchildren。　　They　are；　in　the　language　of　the

slave's　poet；　Whittier；

　

　

　　〃Gone；　gone；　sold　and　gone

　

　　To　the　rice　swamp　dank　and　lone；

　

　　Where　the　slave…whip　ceaseless　swings；

　

　　Where　the　noisome　insect　stings；

　

　　Where　the　fever…demon　strews

　

　　Poison　with　the　falling　dews；

　

　　Where　the　sickly　sunbeams　glare

　

　　Through　the　hot　and　misty　air：

　

　　　　Gone；　gone；　sold　and　gone

　

　　　　To　the　rice　swamp　dank　and　lone；

　

　　　　From　Virginia　hills　and　waters

　

　　　　Woe　is　me；　my　stolen　daughters！〃

　

　

　　The　hearth　is　desolate。　　The　children；　the　uncon…

scious　children；　who　once　sang　and　danced　in　her

presence；　are　gone。　　She　gropes　her　way；　in　the　dark…

ness　of　age；　for　a　drink　of　water。　　Instead　of　the　voices

of　her　children；　she　hears　by　day　the　moans　of　the

dove；　and　by　night　the　screams　of　the　hideous　owl。

All　is　gloom。　　The　grave　is　at　the　door。　　And　now；

when　weighed　down　by　the　pains　and　aches　of　old

age；　when　the　head　inclines　to　the　feet；　when　the

beginning　and　ending　of　human　existence　meet；　and

helpless　infancy　and　painful　old　age　combine　to…

getherat　this　time；　this　most　needful　time；　the　time

for　the　exercise　of　that　tenderness　and　affection

which　children　only　can　exercise　towards　a　declining

parentmy　poor　old　grandmother；　the　devoted

mother　of　twelve　children；　is　left　all　alone；　in　yonder

little　hut；　before　a　few　dim　embers。　　She　stands

she　sitsshe　staggersshe　fallsshe　groansshe　dies

and　there　are　none　of　her　children　or　grandchildren

present；　to　wipe　from　her　wrinkled　brow　the　cold

sweat　of　death；　or　to　place　beneath　the　sod　her

fallen　remains。　　Will　not　a　righteous　God　visit　for

these　things？

　

　　In　about　two　years　after　the　death　of　Mrs。　Lu…

cretia；　Master　Thomas　married　his　second　wife。　　Her

name　was　Rowena　Hamilton。　　She　was　the　eldest

daughter　of　Mr。　William　Hamilton。　　Master　now

lived　in　St。　Michael's。　　Not　long　after　his　marriage；

a　misunderstanding　took　place　between　himself　and

Master　Hugh；　and　as　a　means　of　punishing　his

brother；　he　took　me　from　him　to　live　with　himself

at　St。　Michael's。　　Here　I　underwent　another　most

painful　separation。　　It；　however；　was　not　so　severe

as　the　one　I　dreaded　at　the　division　of　property；　for；

during　this　interval；　a　great　change　had　taken　place

in　Master　Hugh　and　his　once　kind　and　affectionate

wife。　　The　influence　of　brandy　upon　him；　and　of

slavery　upon　her；　had　effected　a　disastrous　change

in　the　characters　of　both；　so　that；　as　far　as　they

were　concerned；　I　thought　I　had　little　to　lose　by　the

change。　　But　it　was　not　to　them　that　I　was　attached。

It　was　to　those　little　Baltimore　boys　that　I　felt　the

strongest　attachment。　　I　had　received　many　good

lessons　from　them；　and　was　still　receiving　them；　and

the　thought　of　leaving　them　was　painful　indeed。　　I

was　leaving；　too；　without　the　hope　of　ever　being

allowed　to　return。　　Master　Thomas　had　said　he　would

never　let　me　return　again。　　The　barrier　betwixt　him…

self　and　brother　he　considered　impassable。

　

　　I　then　had　to　regret　that　I　did　not　at　least　make

the　attempt　to　carry　out　my　resolution　to　run　away；

for　the　chances　of　success　are　tenfold　greater　from

the　city　than　from　the　country。

　

　　I　sailed　from　Baltimore　for　St。　Michael's　in　the

sloop　Amanda；　Captain　Edward　Dodson。　　On　my

passage；　I　paid　particular　attention　to　the　direction

which　the　steamboats　took　to　go　to　Philadelphia。　　I

found；　instead　of　going　down；　on　reaching　North

Point　they　went　up　the　bay；　in　a　north…easterly　direc…

tion。　　I　deemed　this　knowledge　of　the　utmost　im…

portance。　　My　determination　to　run　away　was　again

revived。　　I　resolved　to　wait　only　so　long　as　the　offering

of　a　favorable　opportunity。　　When　that　came；　I　was

determined　to　be　off。

　

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IX

　

　

　　I　have　now　reached　a　period　of　my　life　when　I

can　give　dates。　　I　left　Baltimore；　and　went　to　live

with　Master　Thomas　Auld；　at　St。　Michael's；　in

March；　1832。　　It　was　now　more　than　seven　years

since　I　lived　with　him　in　the　family　of　my　old　mas…

ter；　on　Colonel　Lloyd's　plantation。　　We　of　course

were　now　almost　entire　strangers　to　each　other。　　He

was　to　me　a　new　master；　and　I　to　him　a　new　slave。

I