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Show 2c6 In idents in the Life of a Slave Girl. shall not go for hilu, or send for hin1. I feel conf1dent that he ·will ·oon return to n1c." I afterward heard an account of the affair from Willian1 hin1 ·elf. Ile had not been urg <l away Ly abolitionist·. lie needed no inforn1ation they could give hiu1 about slavery to stinntlatc hi' clcsjre for frccclon1. lie looked at hi hands, and rctncrnbered. that they "r rc once in irons. 'Vhat security had he that they ·would not be so again'? l\Ir. Sands was kind to hin1; but he 1uight indcGnitcly postpone the pro1nisc he haJ n1acle to give hi1n hi.· freeclon1. IIe might co1ne und. r pecuniary ctnbarras 'lUCnt~, and his property be .-cizcd by creditor· ; or he 1night die, with~ out n1aking any arrangc1nents in hi fayor. lie had too often known ·uch acci<..1cn ts to happen to slaves who bad kind n1astcrs, ancl he \Vi ·ely rc:ol vcd to 1nake sure of the pre cnt opportunity to O\Vn hin1-Sclf. lie was ·crupulous about taking any n1oncy fron1 his rna. tor on ful. ·c pretences ; o he sold his best clothes to pay for hi.· pas. age to Boston. The sla.v-choluers pronounced hin1 a base, ungrateful wretch, for thus requiting his rnastcr's indulgence. What ·would they have done under sin1ilar circutnstanccs ? V\ hen Dr. Flint's family heard that Willia1n had deserted ~fr. ands, they chuckled. greatly over the new·. ~Irs. Flint n1adc her usual n1anifcstations of Chri tian feeling, uy saying, "l'n1 glad of it. I hope he'll never get hi1n again. I like to see people paid. back in their own coin. I reckon Linda's cbilJren will l1aYc to pay for it. I should uc glad to sec them in the . pcculator't> hands again, for l'1n tired of seeing thot>c little niggers n1arch about the streets.'' ( I New Dcftination for the Children. 207 XXVII. NEW DE TINATIO~ FOR TIJB CIIILDREN. :MRS. FLINT proclaimed her intention of inforrnino- o Mrs. ands who wa the father of 1ny chilureu. • ,he likewise propo cd to tell h er ·what an artful devil J wa.· ; that I had 1nadc a great <leal of trouble in her fmui]y ; that when :i\fr. Sands wa at the north, 'he dicln't doubt I had followc l hitn in di.·gui ·e, and per.·uadeJ Wi1lia1n to run a·way. 1hc ha<l ·on1e rca ·on to entertain such an iJca; for I had \Vrittcn frotn the north from tin1c to titnc, and I elated n1y letter · fron1 various' place~. :i\fany of thctn fell into J)r .. Flint' · hanc1 , a · I expected they woulu; and he nnt~t ha\·c con1e to the conclusion that I traYcllcd ahont a good deal. lie kept a close ·watch over tny chllurcn, thinki11 g they wonld eventually lead to 1ny detection. A.. new and unexpccteJ triul was in store for rne. One day, when ~Ir. Sands and his wife were walking iu the street, they n1ct Benny. The lady took a fancy to him, and cxclai1ned, " What a pretty little negro ! Whon1 docs he belong to ? " Benny did not hear the answer ; bn t he came hon1e very indignant with the stranger lady, bccau c she had called him a negro. A few days afterwards, 1Ir. ~ancls called on 1ny grand1nothcr, and told her he wanted her to take the children to his hou.·c. lie said he had infonned hL· wife of hi.· relation to the1n, anu told her they were n1othcrlcss; and she wanted to sec them. |