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Show ) 2 54 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. XXXIII. A Hu:\IE FOUND. My greatest anxiety now was to obtain Cluploy1ncnt. ~fy health 'vas greatly irnprovcd , L11 ongh my li1nbs con .. tinucd to trouble n1c with swclli11g whenever I walked much. The greatest difficulty in my way 1-va, , that tho. e 'vho 01nploycd strangers required a rccoluinendation; and in n1y peculiar po .. i.tion, I could, of cour e, obtain no certificates fro1u the frunilics I had so faith fully served. One day an acquaintance told 1110 of a lady who wanted a nur ·e for her babe, and I i1nmcdiately applied for the ·ituation. The lady tolJ n1c she preferred to have one who had been a mother, ancl accu.Jo1neu to the care of infants. I told her I had nursed. two babes of my own. She asked me 1nany questions, but, to my great relief, diu not require a recoin1ncndation from n1y for1ncr c1nployers. She told me she was an English wo1nan, and that ·wa · a pleasant circum tanco to me, because I had hoard they had loss prejudice against color than An1cricans en tortaincd. It was agreccl that \YO should try each other for a week. Tho trial proved atisfactory to both parties, and I \Vas on .. gaged for a n1onth. The heavenly Father had been most 1ncrcifnl to me in I cadi ng n1c to thi place. ~1rs . Bruce was a kind. and gentle lady, and proYccl a true and sy1npa.thizing friend. Before the stipulated 1nonth expi.rccl, tho necessity of ( ' A Ho1ne Found. passing up and do·wn stair· frcqncnLly, can ·eel my limbs to swell ·o painful} y, that I lJeca1nc unable to 1 ) rfonn roy clutie ·. nfany ladies would have though Lie· ·ly discharged 1110; but ~Ir . Bruce llHHlo arrancrCluont.· to save 1110 t ops, and 01nployed a physician to attend. upon 1no. 1llad not yet tolcl her Lhat 1 was a fu gitive .·lave. ,he noticed that I 'va · often saJ, and kindly i 1H1uired. tho cau.'e. 1 spoke of beiu o· f-'eparated fro n1 1ny eJ 1ildron, an(l frotn r elatives \Vho were clear to lllO; uut I did not n1ontion the con: taut feeli11g of in securi Lr which opprc -.·o(l n1y ~pirit ·. 1longrd for son1c one to ~co11fl de in; but 1 had been f-;0 J.eeeive<t by whi Le peo1Jle, that I had lost all conrldcnoo in them. J f they .-poke ki nd. word to 1nc, I thought it \v·a. · for son1e selfu;a pu rpo~e. I had entered thi · fa1nily " 'ith the distru ·Lful feelings l had brought w·ith 1110 out of' ·laYery ; hut ore .·ix nwnth · bad pa ~ cl, I found that Lhe ge ntle deportment of ~Irs . Bruce antl tho .·nlilcs or her lorcly habc " ere thawing 1ny chilled hear t. .i\Iy narrow 1nin(l al ·o began to expn.n<l. under tho i.niluonce · of her intelligent convcnmtion, and tho oppottuniti<':) for roauing, which w \re gladly allowed tllC wh ' DCYer 1 had 1 ei ~Hll' fro1n n1y dutie ·. l gradtutlly l)c~an1 0 n1ore energetic atlt] 1nore cheerful. r_}_'Jle Ol<l feeling Ot' i n.'eC lll'it y, especially ' vith regard to 1ny childr n, oi'Lun th r< ·w iL· dark t-~h n.dow acro~s tny snn.·hin . :1\[rs. Brn ·c oflc'n'll 1nc a h01nc for Ellen; but pleasallt as iL \Vonld b ~tr e been, I did noL dare to accept iL, for fear of of1l:udiug l llu ll obl>s fiu nily. Their knowledge of 1uy pn· eariow~ ~i tual ion pL.teull n1o in their power ; and 1 fl' IL tl a t. il was in q)Orlallt for me lo keep Oll the ri i-!'lJt ~i de of tlle lll, titl, l;y dint of labor an<l econon1y, 1 coul<l llli.tke a lton1o for n1y ehiluren. |