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Show 2 58 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. XXXIV. TilE OLD ENEl\fY AG_A.IN. ~IY young 1ni tress, l\fiss Etnily Flint, did not re .. turn any an5\ver to 1ny letter roque ting her to con::;cnt to my being .. old. But after a while, I rcccivccl a reply, which purported to be -written by h er younger brother. In order rightly to enjoy the contents of thi.' l etter, the reader 1nu t bear in mind that the Flint fan11ly ·up· posed I had hccn at the north 1nany years. They had no idea that I kne\v of the doctor's three cxcur ·ions to N C\V York in search of 1110 ; that I had h eard his voice, when he catne to borro-w five hundred dollars for that purpose; and that I had seen him pas on his way to the ·tean11Joat. Neither \Vere they aware that all the particulars of aunt Nancy's death and burial were convcycu to n1e at the ti1nc they occurred. I have kept the letter, of \vhich I herewith subjoin a copy:- "Your letter to sjstcr was received a fc\v days ago. I gather from it that you arc desirous of returning to your natiYc place, atnong your friends and rclatiYos. W c -were all gratified \vith the contents of your l etter; anu lot n1c a sure you that if any n1e1nbcrs of tho family haYo hau any feeliug of rcscntJncnt to-wards you, they feel it no longer. W c all ._ y1npathizc \VHh yon in your unfortunate condition, and arc ready to do all in our pow·er to 1nakc yon contented and happy. 1 t is difficult for you to return ho1nc as a free person. If The Old Enemy Again. You ·were purchased by your O'randn1otl1e1· 1·, · 1 l b , ll lS < 0\1 )t-ful whether you w·ould bo porn1itted to r01nain althou<rh it would be lawful for you to do ·o. If a ·orYaut hould be allo\ved to purchase her ·elf, after absenting ho1 ,_. 0 lf so long ~ro:n .her owner ·, and return free, it wonlu have an ll1JUnons effect. Protn your letter, 1 think your situation 1nust be huru and unco1nfortablc. Conw ho1ne. You have it in your po,~ror to be reinstated in our affection ' ·. \V c \vould r ecoi--re you with open anus and tear· of JOy. You need not apprehend any unkind treattncnt, as ·we have not put ourscl--ro to any trouble or expense to got you. IIad we dono . ·o, perhaps we should feel otherwise. You know 111y sistor was always attached to you, and that yon were never treated as a slave. You wore never put to hard work, nor exposed to field labor. On the contrary, you were taken into the house, and treated as one of us and alrno t as free; aud we, at least, felt that you were' abo--re di ~gracing yourself by running away. Boljoving you 1nay Lc induced to come hon1o Yoluntarily hns induced n1c to write for 1ny sister. Tho fa1nily w dl be rojoicecl to .sec you ; ancl your poor old granchnothor ox pre, ·cu a great desire to have you co1ne, \Yhon she hoard your l etter read. In her old age she nood-: tho consolation of having her children round her. Doubtloss you haYe heard of the death of your aunt. 'he was a faithful servant, and a faithful 1nmnbor of tho Epi.·copal church. In her Christian lifo she taught us how to li vc- and, 0, too high the price of knowledge, he taught us ho'Y to die! Could you haYo oen us round her death bod, \vith her n1othor, all Iningling our Lean; in one culnlllOil &Lrmuu , you woulJ have |
