the narrative of the life-第21章

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out　by　his　master？　　He　is　indeed　presumptuous；　and

getting　above　himself；　and　nothing　less　than　a　flog…

ging　will　do　for　him。　　Does　he；　while　ploughing；

break　a　plough；or；　while　hoeing；　break　a　hoe？　　It

is　owing　to　his　carelessness；　and　for　it　a　slave　must

always　be　whipped。　　Mr。　Hopkins　could　always　find

something　of　this　sort　to　justify　the　use　of　the　lash；

and　he　seldom　failed　to　embrace　such　opportunities。

There　was　not　a　man　in　the　whole　county；　with

whom　the　slaves　who　had　the　getting　their　own

home；　would　not　prefer　to　live；　rather　than　with

this　Rev。　Mr。　Hopkins。　　And　yet　there　was　not　a

man　any　where　round；　who　made　higher　professions

of　religion；　or　was　more　active　in　revivals；more

attentive　to　the　class；　love…feast；　prayer　and　preach…

ing　meetings；　or　more　devotional　in　his　family；

that　prayed　earlier；　later；　louder；　and　longer；than

this　same　reverend　slave…driver；　Rigby　Hopkins。

　

　　But　to　return　to　Mr。　Freeland；　and　to　my　experi…

ence　while　in　his　employment。　　He；　like　Mr。　Covey；

gave　us　enough　to　eat；　but；　unlike　Mr。　Covey；　he

also　gave　us　sufficient　time　to　take　our　meals。　　He

worked　us　hard；　but　always　between　sunrise　and

sunset。　　He　required　a　good　deal　of　work　to　be　done；

but　gave　us　good　tools　with　which　to　work。　　His

farm　was　large；　but　he　employed　hands　enough　to

work　it；　and　with　ease；　compared　with　many　of

his　neighbors。　　My　treatment；　while　in　his　employ…

ment；　was　heavenly；　compared　with　what　I　experi…

enced　at　the　hands　of　Mr。　Edward　Covey。

　

　　Mr。　Freeland　was　himself　the　owner　of　but　two

slaves。　　Their　names　were　Henry　Harris　and　John

Harris。　　The　rest　of　his　hands　he　hired。　　These　con…

sisted　of　myself；　Sandy　Jenkins；*　and　Handy　Cald…

well。　　Henry　and　John　were　quite　intelligent；　and　in

a　very　little　while　after　I　went　there；　I　succeeded　in

creating　in　them　a　strong　desire　to　learn　how　to

read。　　This　desire　soon　sprang　up　in　the　others　also。

They　very　soon　mustered　up　some　old　spelling…books；

and　nothing　would　do　but　that　I　must　keep　a　Sab…

bath　school。　　I　agreed　to　do　so；　and　accordingly

devoted　my　Sundays　to　teaching　these　my　loved　fel…

low…slaves　how　to　read。　　Neither　of　them　knew　his

letters　when　I　went　there。　　Some　of　the　slaves　of　the

neighboring　farms　found　what　was　going　on；　and

also　availed　themselves　of　this　little　opportunity　to

learn　to　read。　　It　was　understood；　among　all　who

came；　that　there　must　be　as　little　display　about　it

as　possible。　　It　was　necessary　to　keep　our　religious

masters　at　St。　Michael's　unacquainted　with　the　fact；

that；　instead　of　spending　the　Sabbath　in　wrestling；

boxing；　and　drinking　whisky；　we　were　trying　to　learn

how　to　read　the　will　of　God；　for　they　had　much

　

　

　　*This　is　the　same　man　who　gave　me　the　roots　to　prevent

my　being　whipped　by　Mr。　Covey。　　He　was　〃a　clever　soul。〃

We　used　frequently　to　talk　about　the　fight　with　Covey；　and

as　often　as　we　did　so；　he　would　claim　my　success　as　the

result　of　the　roots　which　he　gave　me。　　This　superstition

is　very　common　among　the　more　ignorant　slaves。　　A　slave

seldom　dies　but　that　his　death　is　attributed　to　trickery。

rather　see　us　engaged　in　those　degrading　sports；　than

to　see　us　behaving　like　intellectual；　moral；　and　ac…

countable　beings。　　My　blood　boils　as　I　think　of　the

bloody　manner　in　which　Messrs。　Wright　Fairbanks

and　Garrison　West；　both　class…leaders；　in　connection

with　many　others；　rushed　in　upon　us　with　sticks

and　stones；　and　broke　up　our　virtuous　little　Sab…

bath　school；　at　St。　Michael'sall　calling　themselves

Christians！　humble　followers　of　the　Lord　Jesus

Christ！　　But　I　am　again　digressing。

　

　　I　held　my　Sabbath　school　at　the　house　of　a　free

colored　man；　whose　name　I　deem　it　imprudent　to

mention；　for　should　it　be　known；　it　might　embar…

rass　him　greatly；　though　the　crime　of　holding　the

school　was　committed　ten　years　ago。　　I　had　at　one

time　over　forty　scholars；　and　those　of　the　right　sort；

ardently　desiring　to　learn。　　They　were　of　all　ages；

though　mostly　men　and　women。　　I　look　back　to　those

Sundays　with　an　amount　of　pleasure　not　to　be　ex…

pressed。　　They　were　great　days　to　my　soul。　　The　work

of　instructing　my　dear　fellow…slaves　was　the　sweetest

engagement　with　which　I　was　ever　blessed。　　We　loved

each　other；　and　to　leave　them　at　the　close　of　the

Sabbath　was　a　severe　cross　indeed。　　When　I　think

that　these　precious　souls　are　to…day　shut　up　in　the

prison…house　of　slavery；　my　feelings　overcome　me；

and　I　am　almost　ready　to　ask；　〃Does　a　righteous

God　govern　the　universe？　and　for　what　does　he　hold

the　thunders　in　his　right　hand；　if　not　to　smite　the

oppressor；　and　deliver　the　spoiled　out　of　the　hand

of　the　spoiler？〃　　These　dear　souls　came　not　to　Sab…

bath　school　because　it　was　popular　to　do　so；　nor　did

I　teach　them　because　it　was　reputable　to　be　thus

engaged。　　Every　moment　they　spent　in　that　school；

they　were　liable　to　be　taken　up；　and　given　thirty…

nine　lashes。　　They　came　because　they　wished　to

learn。　　Their　minds　had　been　starved　by　their　cruel

masters。　　They　had　been　shut　up　in　mental　darkness。

I　taught　them；　because　it　was　the　delight　of　my

soul　to　be　doing　something　that　looked　like　better…

ing　the　condition　of　my　race。　　I　kept　up　my　school

nearly　the　whole　year　I　lived　with　Mr。　Freeland；

and；　beside　my　Sabbath　school；　I　devoted　three　eve…

nings　in　the　week；　during　the　winter；　to　teaching　the

slaves　at　home。　　And　I　have　the　happiness　to　know；

that　several　of　those　who　came　to　Sabbath　school

learned　how　to　read；　and　that　one；　at　least；　is　now

free　through　my　agency。

　

　　The　year　passed　off　smoothly。　　It　seemed　only

about　half　as　long　as　the　year　which　preceded　it。

I　went　through　it　without　receiving　a　single　blow。

I　will　give　Mr。　Freeland　the　credit　of　being　the

best　master　I　ever　had；　~till　I　became　my　own　mas…

ter。~　　For　the　ease　with　which　I　passed　the　year；　I

was；　however；　somewhat　indebted　to　the　society　of

my　fellow…slaves。　　They　were　noble　souls；　they　not

only　possessed　loving　hearts；　but　brave　ones。　　We

were　linked　and　interlinked　with　each　other。　　I　loved

them　with　a　love　stronger　than　any　thing　I　have

experienced　since。　　It　is　sometimes　said　that　we

slaves　do　not　love　and　confide　in　each　other。　　In

answer　to　this　assertion；　I　can　say；　I　never　loved

any　or　confided　in　any　people　more　than　my　fellow…

slaves；　and　especially　those　with　whom　I　lived　at

Mr。　Freeland's。　　I　believe　we　would　have　died　for

each　other。　　We　never　undertook　to　do　any　thing；

of　any　importance；　without　a　mutual　consultation。

We　never　moved　separately。　　We　were　one；　and　as

much　so　by　our　tempers　and　dispositions；　as　by　the

mutual　hardships　to　which　we　were　necessarily　sub…

jected　by　our　condition　as　slaves。

　

　　At　the　close　of　the　year　1834；　Mr。　Freeland　again

hired　me　of　my　master；　for　the　year　1835。　　But；　by

this　time；　I　began　to　want　to　live　~upon　free　land~

as　well　as　~with　freeland；~　and　I　was　no　longer　con…

tent；　therefore；　to　live　with　him　or　any　other　slave…

holder。　　I　began；　with　the　commencement　of　the

year；　to　prepare　myself　for　a　final　struggle；　which

should　decide　my　fate　one　way　or　the　other。　　My

tendency　was　upward。　　I　was　fast　approaching　man…

hood；　and　year　after　year　had　passed；　and　I　was

still　a　slave。　　These　thoughts　roused　meI　must　do

something。　　I　therefore　resolved　that　1835　should

not　pass　without　witnessing　an　attempt；　on　my　part；

to　secure　my　liberty。　　But　I　was　not　willing　to　cherish

this　determination　alone。　　My　fellow…slaves　were　dear

to　me。　　I　was　anxious　to　have　them　participate　with

me　in　this；　my　life…giving　determination。　　I　therefore；

though　with　great　prudence；　commenced　early　to

ascertain　their　views　and　feelings　in　regard　to　their

condition；　and　to　imbue　their　minds　with　thoughts

of　freedom。　　I　bent　myself　to　devising　ways　and

means　for　our　escape；　and　meanwhile　strove；　on　all

fitting　occasions；　to　impress　them　with　the　gross

fraud　and　inhumani