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Show Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 1 tl r the father of your child is white or black." rnc "\V 10 10 . . 1 , , 1 1 · d I 1 . t t 1 " \.11swcr 111e tlus 1nstan t . 10 cxc a1mc . lCSl a CC • .i c • I d1. c1 answer. IIc ·~ ])l'("{, llob· U})On 1110 hkc a ·wolf, and gral) b ecl 1ny a<- nn <a- · if he w• ould • ha• ve broken it. " Do 1 . 11·yon o' e 1 111 ?• " •' "t t. 'tel he ' 1·n a lnss1ng ton• e. "I aln thankful that I do not desp1sc hin1," I re-plied. . . (' 11 . . He raised his hand to stnkc n1e ; but It 1C aga111. I don't know what arrc ted the blow. Tic sat down, with lip tightly co1nprcsscd. A.t la t ~1c spoke. " .r can1e here,'' said he, " to 1nakc you a fncndly proposl-t1. 011 .' but Jv our ino0 Tatitnclc chafes 1. nc bey• ond cndur-ance. You turn a ide all tny good 1ntcnhons to·wards you. I don't know what it is th~t keeps 1nc fro~1 killing you." Again he rose, as 1f he had a m1nd to strike 1no. But he rcsunlCcl. " On one condition I will forgive ) yonr insolence and cri1nc. You 1nust henceforth ~-'--~~~~;;;:.;;:::;;;;;;.... have no co1nn1nnication of any kind ·with the fath er of your chilJ. You n1ust not ask any thing fron1lti1n, or receive any thing frotn hi1n. I will take care of you and your child. Yon had bettor pro1nisc this at once, and not wait till you arc deserted by him. This is the last act of 1nercy I hall show towards you." I said so1ncthing about being unwilling to have 1ny child supported by a n1an who had cursed it and me aL·o. He rejoined, that a woman who hacl sunk to 1ny level had no right to expect any thing else. He askcJ., for the la t titne, would I accept his kindness? I answered that I would not. '' V cry well," saicl he ; " then take the consc(]_uences of your wayward cour~e. Never look to me for help. The Ne\v Tie to Life. 93 You arc 1ny .lave, and sh all always he 1ny slave. I will never sell you, that yon 1nay dcponcl upon.'' llope d.iccl away in 1ny heart a · ho clo ·cd the cloor after hin1. I had calculated. that in his rage he ·would sell1no to a sla vc-tradcr ; and I knew the father of 1ny child was on tho ·watch to Luy 1nc. A.bout this t in1c n1y unelc Phillip \Yas cxpcctcc.l to return fro1n a voyage. 'rho d.·1y before hi.· departure I had officiated a.· lJridc. 1naid to a young fr iend. 1fy heart was then ill at ea ·c, but 1ny ·1niliug countenance did not betray it. Only a year had pa~scd; but "\vhat fearful cl1angcs it haa \\Tou <l'h t ! ~ r y heart hacl gro\vn gray in 1niscry. LiYe, that ilatih in sunshine, and li,·es that arc born in tears, recciYc t heir hue fron1 circunlstances. None of us k now "\\'hut a year 1nay Lring forth. I felt no joy \vhen they told 1110 n1y uncle had co1nc. IIc wanted to sec 1nc, t hough be knew ·what had happened. I shrank frotn hin1 at il.r.-t; but at last consented that he houlJ co1ne to 1ny roo1n . lie received me as he always hacl done. 0, h o\v 1ny heart n1otc me when I felt his tears on n1y Lur ning ch ecks ! The words of n1y grand1nother ca1ne to n1y 1nind, -" Perhaps your n1othor and. father arc taken fron1 the evil days to con1o." ~Iy disappointed h eart coulJ now praise God that it 1vas so. Bnt \\rhy, thought I, did my relatives ever ch eri sh h ope for 1110? \Vhat was there to save 1110 fro1n the u su al fate of ~lave g irls? !fnny 1norc bcantiflll and n1orc inicllio·cnt than I had ' oxperieneoJ a sin1ilar fate, or a far \\'Orsc one. IIo\V could they hope that I should e ·cape '( ~Iy uncle's stay was short, and 1 \vas n ot sorry for |
