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Show 176 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Aunt Nancy brought 1nc all the nc·ws she could hear at Dr. Flint's. Pro1n her I learned that the doctor had written to New York to a colored ·woman, ·who had been born and rai~ed in our neighborhood, and ha<l breathed his cou taini11atiug atnlo" 1JI1crc. He off red her a reward if she could find out any thing a Lout n1e. I know not ·what was the nature of her reply; Lnt he soon after started for N cw York in haste, saying to his fatnily that he had business of importance to tran act. I peeped at him as he passed on his way to the stc~unboat. It was a sati faction to have 1niles of land and water between u s, even for a little "vhile ; and it was a still greater satisfaction to know that he believed 1nc to be in the Free States. ~1y little den seemed less dreary than it had done. lie returned, as he did from his fonner journey to N e'v York, w·ithout obtaining any satisfactory information. When he passed our hon e next morning, Benny was standing at the gate. IIc had heard them say that he had gone to find 1ne, and he called out, "Dr. Flint, did you bring my mother ho1ne? I want to sec her." The doctor stamped his foot at hin1 in a rage, and exclairned, " Get out of the way, you little datnned rascal! If you don't, I'll cut off your head." Benny ran terrified into tho house, saying, " You can't put me in jail again. I don't belong to you now." It was well that the wind carried the words a'vay from the doctor's oar. I told my grandmother of it, \vhen we had our next conference at the trap· -door· and bCO'O'e<l ' bb of her not to allow the children to be in1pcrtincnt to the irascible old n1an. .A.. utumn ca1ne, with a pleasant abatcrnent of heal. The Loophole of I~etreat. 177 My eyes had become accu to1nocl to the ditn li rrht and by holding 1ny hook or '\rork in a ccrtn in po: i tion 'ncar the aperture l contriveu to road and sew. rrhat wn: a great relic£ to tho tedion · 1nonotony of 1ny life. But when winter cruno, tho cold penetrated through the thin shingle roof, and I 'vas d.r.. ca<lfully chilled. rrhc winter there arc not ·o long, or ·o severe, a· in northern lati-tudes ; but tho hou ·es arc not builL to shelLer fro1n colu and n1y little don vva"' peculiarly cotnforilc . The kind granun1othcr brou gh t 1110 heel-clothes and wann drinks. Often I wa · obliged to lie in bed all day to keep co1ufortal> lc ; but 'vith all 1ny precaution·, n1y shoulclcrs and feet were frostbitten. 0, those long, glootny days, with no ol>jcct for tny eye to r est upon, and no thoughts to occupy n1y n1incl, except the dreary past and the uncertain futnrc ! l ·was thankful when there can1c a day sufficiently n1ild for 1110 to wrap 1ny ·elf up and ·it at tho loophole to ·watch tho paf'~ rs by. Southern rs have the habit of stopping anu talkino· in the trcels, and I heard n1any conYcr:ations not intended to 111 et n1y cars. l heard ·!aYe-hunters planning how to catch son1c poor fugitive. cvcral tin1cs I heard allu ·ions to Dr. Flint, 1ny ·elf, and the hi:tory of n1y children, who, pcrhap , 'vcre playing ncar tho gate. One \YOHlll ·ay, "I wouldn't move n1y little finger to catch her, as old Flint's property.'' A.nother ' voulcl. ay, ''I'll cateh any nigger for tho r o\vard. 1\. n1an ought to haYc what Lelongs to hin1, if he is a dan1ncd brute." The opin~ ion was often ex pre ·sod that I \Yas in the Free ~Ln te:. ·very rarely did any one sngo·est that I n1i{)'ht Le iu tho .. . b b Vlcunty. II ad tho least sn ·picion rested ou n1y gran< 1- tnothcr's house, it \Yonl<l havu been burned to the grouuu. |