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Show g6 Incidents in the Life of a Sl~ve Girl. threats, jf he was not careful ahont his futnre be~ haYior. A the n1onth pas.cd on,1nvhoyin11H'OYed in health. When he was a year olcl, i.hcy c(tlL.:rl hin1 hcautifnl. The little vine was taking <lccp root jn 1ny existence, though its cliuo·iug fondness excited a 1nixture of love and pain. \Vhen I was n1o:t sorely oppres~ed I found a solace in his s1niles. I loved to ·watch 11 i, j n Cant shunbcrs; but alway there was a clark clond over my enjoyn1cnt. I could ncr cr forget that he \vas a .-laYo. Son1otitnos I wi. hod that he n1io·bt die in infancy. God tried n1c. 1fy darling hoean1e Ycry ill. The bright eyes grew lnll, and the little £ et and hands \vcro so icy colu that I thonght death had alreac1y touched thetn. I had prayed. for his <loath , lH1t ncYer so earnestly as I now prnycc1 for his life; and 1ny prayer was heard. A.la., wh·1t 1nockcry it i. for a sli_t,·c n1othor to try to pray back her dying chihl to l ife! Death is better than slaYory. It was a sa<l thought that 1 had no na1nc to give 1ny child. IIi.· fath r caressed hi1n and treated hin1 kitH1ly, whcncYcr he had a chance to sec hi1n. IJc was not unwilling that he .-houl(l hear his nan1e ; but he had no legal elain1 to it; ntHl if I had be towed it upon hitn, n1y 1nastcr \Vottl(l l1aYC regarded it as a new critne, a new pi ce of in ~ol c nce, and would, perhaps, roveno·c it on the hov. 0 the b •' , serpent of Slavery has n1any and poisollous fangs! F ear of Iniurrection. 97 XII. FID1\R OF INSURT{l~CTION. N OT far fro1n thjs ti1ne Nat Turner's in.-nrrection broke out; and the ne\vs thre\v our to\Yll into f!Teat comn1otion. jLrano·e that they ·houl<l he alannod, when their ·laves \vere so " conteniecl ancl happy" ! Bnt so it \vas. It was alway. the en. ton1 to haYe a n1nstcr every year. On that occa.-ion ev ' l'Y \Vl1il c 1nan ~houlclercd his musk t. The citiz 'ns an<l the so-called country gentlotnen \\'Ore 1nil i Lary uni fonns. The poor wh itc·. took tltcir place.- in Lhc ranks in eYcry-clny drcs.·, . o1nc without shoes, f-;Olnc \vi thou t hat.-. This p:rand occasion had already pn . .-.-ed; n.ul \\'hen the f-;lavc.- .. were tolcl there wa.- to be another nntsLer, they '-rcrc surprised and r cjoicctl. Poor cr 'ai ures ! 'rhry thought it wa going to he a holit1ny. l "rns in funned of the true state of affair., and iu1 partctl it io the few I conld trust. nfo t gladly w·oulcl I ha\'e pro laitncd it to every slave ; but I dared 110L A.ll could not be relied 011. :Mjghty is the power of th0 tori nring la.-h. By sunrise, people w·cre pouring i 11 fron1 CYcry q narter within twenty 111iles o(' the to\Vn. l knC\'l the houses \Vere to he , carche<l ; and l expected it would be done hy country bullio. and. the poor whj tc~ . I knew nothing annoye<.l then1 so tnnch a· to sec colored people living in cotnfort and r espectability; . o I nuule arrangetnents for th u n with c~pccial care. I arranged ~) |