the narrative of the life-第5章

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the　night。　　She　would　lie　down　with　me；　and　get　me

to　sleep；　but　long　before　I　waked　she　was　gone。　　Very

little　communication　ever　took　place　between　us。

Death　soon　ended　what　little　we　could　have　while

she　lived；　and　with　it　her　hardships　and　suffering。

She　died　when　I　was　about　seven　years　old；　on　one

of　my　master's　farms；　near　Lee's　Mill。　　I　was　not　al…

lowed　to　be　present　during　her　illness；　at　her　death；

or　burial。　　She　was　gone　long　before　I　knew　any　thing

about　it。　　Never　having　enjoyed；　to　any　considerable

extent；　her　soothing　presence；　her　tender　and　watch…

ful　care；　I　received　the　tidings　of　her　death　with

much　the　same　emotions　I　should　have　probably

felt　at　the　death　of　a　stranger。

　

　　Called　thus　suddenly　away；　she　left　me　without

the　slightest　intimation　of　who　my　father　was。　　The

whisper　that　my　master　was　my　father；　may　or　may

not　be　true；　and；　true　or　false；　it　is　of　but　little　con…

sequence　to　my　purpose　whilst　the　fact　remains；

in　all　its　glaring　odiousness；　that　slaveholders　have

ordained；　and　by　law　established；　that　the　children

of　slave　women　shall　in　all　cases　follow　the　condi…

tion　of　their　mothers；　and　this　is　done　too　obviously

to　administer　to　their　own　lusts；　and　make　a　grati…

fication　of　their　wicked　desires　profitable　as　well　as

pleasurable；　for　by　this　cunning　arrangement；　the

slaveholder；　in　cases　not　a　few；　sustains　to　his　slaves

the　double　relation　of　master　and　father。

　

　　I　know　of　such　cases；　and　it　is　worthy　of　remark

that　such　slaves　invariably　suffer　greater　hardships；

and　have　more　to　contend　with；　than　others。　　They

are；　in　the　first　place；　a　constant　offence　to　their

mistress。　　She　is　ever　disposed　to　find　fault　with　them；

they　can　seldom　do　any　thing　to　please　her；　she　is

never　better　pleased　than　when　she　sees　them　under

the　lash；　especially　when　she　suspects　her　husband

of　showing　to　his　mulatto　children　favors　which　he

withholds　from　his　black　slaves。　　The　master　is　fre…

quently　compelled　to　sell　this　class　of　his　slaves；　out

of　deference　to　the　feelings　of　his　white　wife；　and；

cruel　as　the　deed　may　strike　any　one　to　be；　for　a

man　to　sell　his　own　children　to　human　flesh…mongers；

it　is　often　the　dictate　of　humanity　for　him　to　do　so；

for；　unless　he　does　this；　he　must　not　only　whip　them

himself；　but　must　stand　by　and　see　one　white　son

tie　up　his　brother；　of　but　few　shades　darker　com…

plexion　than　himself；　and　ply　the　gory　lash　to　his

naked　back；　and　if　he　lisp　one　word　of　disapproval；

it　is　set　down　to　his　parental　partiality；　and　only

makes　a　bad　matter　worse；　both　for　himself　and　the

slave　whom　he　would　protect　and　defend。

　

　　Every　year　brings　with　it　multitudes　of　this　class

of　slaves。　　It　was　doubtless　in　consequence　of　a　knowl…

edge　of　this　fact；　that　one　great　statesman　of　the

south　predicted　the　downfall　of　slavery　by　the　in…

evitable　laws　of　population。　　Whether　this　prophecy

is　ever　fulfilled　or　not；　it　is　nevertheless　plain　that　a

very　different…looking　class　of　people　are　springing　up

at　the　south；　and　are　now　held　in　slavery；　from　those

originally　brought　to　this　country　from　Africa；　and

if　their　increase　do　no　other　good；　it　will　do

away　the　force　of　the　argument；　that　God　cursed

Ham；　and　therefore　American　slavery　is　right。　　If　the

lineal　descendants　of　Ham　are　alone　to　be　scriptur…

ally　enslaved；　it　is　certain　that　slavery　at　the　south

must　soon　become　unscriptural；　for　thousands　are

ushered　into　the　world；　annually；　who；　like　myself；

owe　their　existence　to　white　fathers；　and　those　fa…

thers　most　frequently　their　own　masters。

　

　　I　have　had　two　masters。　　My　first　master's　name

was　Anthony。　　I　do　not　remember　his　first　name。

He　was　generally　called　Captain　Anthonya　title

which；　I　presume；　he　acquired　by　sailing　a　craft　on

the　Chesapeake　Bay。　　He　was　not　considered　a　rich

slaveholder。　　He　owned　two　or　three　farms；　and　about

thirty　slaves。　　His　farms　and　slaves　were　under　the

care　of　an　overseer。　　The　overseer's　name　was

Plummer。　　Mr。　Plummer　was　a　miserable　drunkard；

a　profane　swearer；　and　a　savage　monster。　　He　always

went　armed　with　a　cowskin　and　a　heavy　cudgel。　　I

have　known　him　to　cut　and　slash　the　women's　heads

so　horribly；　that　even　master　would　be　enraged　at

his　cruelty；　and　would　threaten　to　whip　him　if　he

did　not　mind　himself。　　Master；　however；　was　not　a

humane　slaveholder。　　It　required　extraordinary　bar…

barity　on　the　part　of　an　overseer　to　affect　him。　　He

was　a　cruel　man；　hardened　by　a　long　life　of　slave…

holding。　　He　would　at　times　seem　to　take　great　pleas…

ure　in　whipping　a　slave。　　I　have　often　been　awakened

at　the　dawn　of　day　by　the　most　heart…rending　shrieks

of　an　own　aunt　of　mine；　whom　he　used　to　tie　up

to　a　joist；　and　whip　upon　her　naked　back　till　she

was　literally　covered　with　blood。　　No　words；　no　tears；

no　prayers；　from　his　gory　victim；　seemed　to　move

his　iron　heart　from　its　bloody　purpose。　　The　louder

she　screamed；　the　harder　he　whipped；　and　where

the　blood　ran　fastest；　there　he　whipped　longest。　　He

would　whip　her　to　make　her　scream；　and　whip　her

to　make　her　hush；　and　not　until　overcome　by　fatigue；

would　he　cease　to　swing　the　blood…clotted　cowskin。

I　remember　the　first　time　I　ever　witnessed　this　hor…

rible　exhibition。　　I　was　quite　a　child；　but　I　well　re…

member　it。　　I　never　shall　forget　it　whilst　I　remember

any　thing。　　It　was　the　first　of　a　long　series　of　such　out…

rages；　of　which　I　was　doomed　to　be　a　witness　and　a

participant。　　It　struck　me　with　awful　force。　　It　was

the　blood…stained　gate；　the　entrance　to　the　hell　of

slavery；　through　which　I　was　about　to　pass。　　It　was

a　most　terrible　spectacle。　　I　wish　I　could　commit　to

paper　the　feelings　with　which　I　beheld　it。

　

　　This　occurrence　took　place　very　soon　after　I　went

to　live　with　my　old　master；　and　under　the　following

circumstances。　　Aunt　Hester　went　out　one　night；

where　or　for　what　I　do　not　know；and　happened　to

be　absent　when　my　master　desired　her　presence。　　He

had　ordered　her　not　to　go　out　evenings；　and　warned

her　that　she　must　never　let　him　catch　her　in　com…

pany　with　a　young　man；　who　was　paying　attention

to　her　belonging　to　Colonel　Lloyd。　　The　young　man's

name　was　Ned　Roberts；　generally　called　Lloyd's

Ned。　　Why　master　was　so　careful　of　her；　may　be

safely　left　to　conjecture。　　She　was　a　woman　of　noble

form；　and　of　graceful　proportions；　having　very　few

equals；　and　fewer　superiors；　in　personal　appearance；

among　the　colored　or　white　women　of　our　neighbor…

hood。

　

　　Aunt　Hester　had　not　only　disobeyed　his　orders　in

going　out；　but　had　been　found　in　company　with

Lloyd's　Ned；　which　circumstance；　I　found；　from

what　he　said　while　whipping　her；　was　the　chief　of…

fence。　　Had　he　been　a　man　of　pure　morals　himself；

he　might　have　been　thought　interested　in　protecting

the　innocence　of　my　aunt；　but　those　who　knew　him

will　not　suspect　him　of　any　such　virtue。　　Before

he　commenced　whipping　Aunt　Hester；　he　took　her

into　the　kitchen；　and　stripped　her　from　neck　to　waist；

leaving　her　neck；　shoulders；　and　back；　entirely

naked。　　He　then　told　her　to　cross　her　hands；　calling

her　at　the　same　time　a　dd　b…h。　　After　crossing

her　hands；　he　tied　them　with　a　strong　rope；　and　led

her　to　a　stool　under　a　large　hook　in　the　joist；　put

in　for　the　purpose。　　He　made　her　get　upon　the　stool；

and　tied　her　hands　to　the　hook。　　She　now　stood　fair

for　his　infernal　purpose。　　Her　arms　were　stretched

up　at　their　full　length；　so　that　she　stood　upon　the

ends　of　her　toes。　　He　then　said　to　her；　〃Now；　you

dd　b…h；　I'll　learn　you　how　to　disobey　my

orders！〃　and　after　rolling　up　his　sleeves；　he　com…

menced　to　lay　on　the　heavy　cowskin；　and　soon　the

warm；　red　blood　（amid　heart…rending　shrieks　from

her；　and　horrid　oaths　from　him）　came　dripping　to

the　floor。　　I　was　so　terrified　and　horror…stricken　at　the

sight；　that　I　hid　myself　in　a　closet；　and　dared　not

venture　out　till　long　after　the　bloody　transacti