the narrative of the life-第15章

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

I　was　ignorant　of　his　temper　and　disposition；　he

was　equally　so　of　mine。　　A　very　short　time；　however；

brought　us　into　full　acquaintance　with　each　other。

I　was　made　acquainted　with　his　wife　not　less　than

with　himself。　　They　were　well　matched；　being　equally

mean　and　cruel。　　I　was　now；　for　the　first　time　during

a　space　of　more　than　seven　years；　made　to　feel　the

painful　gnawings　of　hungera　something　which　I

had　not　experienced　before　since　I　left　Colonel

Lloyd's　plantation。　　It　went　hard　enough　with　me

then；　when　I　could　look　back　to　no　period　at　which

I　had　enjoyed　a　sufficiency。　　It　was　tenfold　harder

after　living　in　Master　Hugh's　family；　where　I　had

always　had　enough　to　eat；　and　of　that　which　was

good。　　I　have　said　Master　Thomas　was　a　mean　man。

He　was　so。　　Not　to　give　a　slave　enough　to　eat；　is

regarded　as　the　most　aggravated　development　of

meanness　even　among　slaveholders。　　The　rule　is；　no

matter　how　coarse　the　food；　only　let　there　be　enough

of　it。　　This　is　the　theory；　and　in　the　part　of　Maryland

from　which　I　came；　it　is　the　general　practice；though

there　are　many　exceptions。　　Master　Thomas　gave　us

enough　of　neither　coarse　nor　fine　food。　　There　were

four　slaves　of　us　in　the　kitchenmy　sister　Eliza；　my

aunt　Priscilla；　Henny；　and　myself；　and　we　were　al…

lowed　less　than　a　half　of　a　bushel　of　corn…meal　per

week；　and　very　little　else；　either　in　the　shape　of

meat　or　vegetables。　　It　was　not　enough　for　us　to

subsist　upon。　　We　were　therefore　reduced　to　the

wretched　necessity　of　living　at　the　expense　of　our

neighbors。　　This　we　did　by　begging　and　stealing；

whichever　came　handy　in　the　time　of　need；　the　one

being　considered　as　legitimate　as　the　other。　　A　great

many　times　have　we　poor　creatures　been　nearly

perishing　with　hunger；　when　food　in　abundance　lay

mouldering　in　the　safe　and　smoke…house；　and　our

pious　mistress　was　aware　of　the　fact；　and　yet　that

mistress　and　her　husband　would　kneel　every　morn…

ing；　and　pray　that　God　would　bless　them　in　basket

and　store！

　

　　Bad　as　all　slaveholders　are；　we　seldom　meet　one

destitute　of　every　element　of　character　commanding

respect。　　My　master　was　one　of　this　rare　sort。　　I　do

not　know　of　one　single　noble　act　ever　performed　by

him。　　The　leading　trait　in　his　character　was　mean…

ness；　and　if　there　were　any　other　element　in　his

nature；　it　was　made　subject　to　this。　　He　was　mean；

and；　like　most　other　mean　men；　he　lacked　the　ability

to　conceal　his　meanness。　　Captain　Auld　was　not　born

a　slaveholder。　　He　had　been　a　poor　man；　master　only

of　a　Bay　craft。　　He　came　into　possession　of　all　his

slaves　by　marriage；　and　of　all　men；　adopted　slave…

holders　are　the　worst。　　He　was　cruel；　but　cowardly。

He　commanded　without　firmness。　　In　the　enforce…

ment　of　his　rules；　he　was　at　times　rigid；　and　at　times

lax。　　At　times；　he　spoke　to　his　slaves　with　the　firmness

of　Napoleon　and　the　fury　of　a　demon；　at　other　times；

he　might　well　be　mistaken　for　an　inquirer　who　had

lost　his　way。　　He　did　nothing　of　himself。　　He　might

have　passed　for　a　lion；　but　for　his　ears。　　In　all　things

noble　which　he　attempted；　his　own　meanness　shone

most　conspicuous。　　His　airs；　words；　and　actions；

were　the　airs；　words；　and　actions　of　born　slave…

holders；　and；　being　assumed；　were　awkward　enough。

He　was　not　even　a　good　imitator。　　He　possessed　all

the　disposition　to　deceive；　but　wanted　the　power。

Having　no　resources　within　himself；　he　was　com…

pelled　to　be　the　copyist　of　many；　and　being　such；　he

was　forever　the　victim　of　inconsistency；　and　of　con…

sequence　he　was　an　object　of　contempt；　and　was　held

as　such　even　by　his　slaves。　　The　luxury　of　having

slaves　of　his　own　to　wait　upon　him　was　something

new　and　unprepared　for。　　He　was　a　slaveholder　with…

out　the　ability　to　hold　slaves。　　He　found　himself　in…

capable　of　managing　his　slaves　either　by　force；　fear；

or　fraud。　　We　seldom　called　him　〃master；〃　we　gen…

erally　called　him　〃Captain　Auld；〃　and　were　hardly

disposed　to　title　him　at　all。　　I　doubt　not　that　our

conduct　had　much　to　do　with　making　him　appear

awkward；　and　of　consequence　fretful。　　Our　want　of

reverence　for　him　must　have　perplexed　him　greatly。

He　wished　to　have　us　call　him　master；　but　lacked

the　firmness　necessary　to　command　us　to　do　so。　　His

wife　used　to　insist　upon　our　calling　him　so；　but　to

no　purpose。　　In　August；　1832；　my　master　attended　a

Methodist　camp…meeting　held　in　the　Bay…side；　Tal…

bot　county；　and　there　experienced　religion。　　I　in…

dulged　a　faint　hope　that　his　conversion　would　lead

him　to　emancipate　his　slaves；　and　that；　if　he　did　not

do　this；　it　would；　at　any　rate；　make　him　more　kind

and　humane。　　I　was　disappointed　in　both　these　re…

spects。　　It　neither　made　him　to　be　humane　to　his

slaves；　nor　to　emancipate　them。　　If　it　had　any　effect

on　his　character；　it　made　him　more　cruel　and　hateful

in　all　his　ways；　for　I　believe　him　to　have　been　a　much

worse　man　after　his　conversion　than　before。　　Prior

to　his　conversion；　he　relied　upon　his　own　depravity

to　shield　and　sustain　him　in　his　savage　barbarity；

but　after　his　conversion；　he　found　religious　sanction

and　support　for　his　slaveholding　cruelty。　　He　made

the　greatest　pretensions　to　piety。　　His　house　was　the

house　of　prayer。　　He　prayed　morning；　noon；　and

night。　　He　very　soon　distinguished　himself　among

his　brethren；　and　was　soon　made　a　class…leader　and

exhorter。　　His　activity　in　revivals　was　great；　and　he

proved　himself　an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the

church　in　converting　many　souls。　　His　house　was　the

preachers'　home。　　They　used　to　take　great　pleasure

in　coming　there　to　put　up；　for　while　he　starved　us；　he

stuffed　them。　　We　have　had　three　or　four　preachers

there　at　a　time。　　The　names　of　those　who　used　to

come　most　frequently　while　I　lived　there；　were　Mr。

Storks；　Mr。　Ewery；　Mr。　Humphry；　and　Mr。　Hickey。

I　have　also　seen　Mr。　George　Cookman　at　our　house。

We　slaves　loved　Mr。　Cookman。　　We　believed　him　to

be　a　good　man。　　We　thought　him　instrumental　in　get…

ting　Mr。　Samuel　Harrison；　a　very　rich　slaveholder；　to

emancipate　his　slaves；　and　by　some　means　got　the

impression　that　he　was　laboring　to　effect　the　emanci…

pation　of　all　the　slaves。　　When　he　was　at　our　house；

we　were　sure　to　be　called　in　to　prayers。　　When　the

others　were　there；　we　were　sometimes　called　in　and

sometimes　not。　　Mr。　Cookman　took　more　notice　of

us　than　either　of　the　other　ministers。　　He　could　not

come　among　us　without　betraying　his　sympathy　for

us；　and；　stupid　as　we　were；　we　had　the　sagacity　to

see　it。

　

　　While　I　lived　with　my　master　in　St。　Michael's；

there　was　a　white　young　man；　a　Mr。　Wilson；　who

proposed　to　keep　a　Sabbath　school　for　the　instruction

of　such　slaves　as　might　be　disposed　to　learn　to　read

the　New　Testament。　　We　met　but　three　times；　when

Mr。　West　and　Mr。　Fairbanks；　both　class…leaders；

with　many　others；　came　upon　us　with　sticks　and

other　missiles；　drove　us　off；　and　forbade　us　to　meet

again。　　Thus　ended　our　little　Sabbath　school　in　the

pious　town　of　St。　Michael's。

　

　　I　have　said　my　master　found　religious　sanction

for　his　cruelty。　　As　an　example；　I　will　state　one　of

many　facts　going　to　prove　the　charge。　　I　have　seen

him　tie　up　a　lame　young　woman；　and　whip　her　with

a　heavy　cowskin　upon　her　naked　shoulders；　causing

the　warm　red　blood　to　drip；　and；　in　justification

of　the　bloody　deed；　he　would　quote　this　passage　of

Scripture〃He　that　knoweth　his　master's　will；　and

doeth　it　not；　shall　be　beaten　with　many　stripes。〃

　

　　Master　would　keep　this　lacerated　young　woman

tied　up　in　this　horrid　situation　four　or　five　hours　at

a　time。　　I　have　known　him　to　tie　her　up　early　in　the

morning；　and　whip　her　before　breakfast；　leave　her；

go　to　his　store；　return　at　dinner；　and　whip　her　again；

cutting　her　in　the　places　already　made　raw　with　his

cruel　lash。　　The　secret　of　master's　cruelty　toward

〃Henny〃　is　found　in　the　fact　of　her　being　almost

helpless。　　When