the narrative of the life-第10章

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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；

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

i