OCR Text |
Show 122 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. xv. CONTINUED PERSECUTIONS. }.fy children grew finely; and Dr. Flint woulu often say to 1110, with an exulting RnlilC', "The e brats will bring 1nc a handsome surn of n1oney one of these days." . I thonght to rnysclf that, God bctng rny helper, they should never pass into hi· h n,nc1s. It corned to rne I ·would raLhcr sec thc1n killed Lhan h ave thcn1 given up to his power. 1'hc 1noncy for the. frc clon1 of rnysclf and n1y children coulu be ol>La1necl; but I derived no tu1vantagc fro1n that circun1 ·tance. Dr. Plint loved rnoney, but he loved power rnore. 1\_fter rnu ~h discus ·ion, rny friend resolved on rnaking another trial. There ·wa.· a lavcholdcr about to leave for Texas, and he was connnis ·ioned to buy rnc. lie ·was to bcgi.n with nine hundred dollars, and go up to twelve. l\Iy n1a. tor refused his offers. " Sir," ·aiu h e, " ·he don't belong to n1e. She is rny daughter's property, and I have no right to sell her. I mistrust that you con1e frorn her paramour. If so, yon rnay tell hirn that he cannot buy h er for any money ; neither can he buy her children." The doctor carne to sec rnc the next day, and n1y h eart beat q u ickcr as he entered. I neYer hall f'Ccn ibc ol<l1nan trcu.c.l \riih so 1na.jc:tic a step. lie seated himself and looked at 1nc with \vith ring scorn. 1Iy ch ildren had learn ell to be afraid of hin1. The li ttlc one ( l Continued Pcrfccutions. would shut her eyes and hide her face on rny . ·houlucr whenever she saw· hi1n; and Benny, \vho \va: no\v nearly five years old, often inquired, "\VhaL 1nakcs that bad 1nan con1c h ere so n1a ny tirncs ? Docs he \\rant to hurt us ? " I would cl~L p the dear boy in rny ann. , trn ting that h e ·woulu be free before he \va · olu enough to solve the proLlenr. Ancl now, a· Lhc doctor at there :o grin1 and silent, the chilJ. lcf'L l1 i: play and can1e and nc~tlctl up hy rne. 1\t last rny tornH'nLor spoke. " So you nrc l cfL in di~gust, are you'? " . ·aiel he. "lt is no n1orc Lhan I expe~te(l. You r ctne1nhc r 1 tol<i yon years ago that you \voulcl be treated :o. So lw is tirocl of you? lla! ha ! ha! Tho virLtt01t.' rnadc.un don't like to h ear al>ou t it, docs 'ho ? II a! ha ! ha ! " There was a t iug in his calling 1uc \·i rLtlou: 1nad:.un. I no longer had the power of an~\rcring hitn as 1 had fonncr] y done. Ile con Lin uccl : " So it scmn: you are tryiu ~· to o·ct up another intri gue. Your new panunour can1c to n1e, an<l offerccl to buy you ; but yon 1nay be as ·urcd you ·will not succeed. You arc rninc; and yon shall he lninc for lifo. rrbcre live: 110 htlllHtll l>e in<r Lhat L can take yon out of slaYcry. l would ha,·c do11e it; lJnt you rcje~ted 1ny kin<l offer." I told hin1 I dicl not wish to get np any intrigue; that I hall llC\'C r ,'eCll Lh n1an who offer cl to buy n1e. " Do )'Oll tell lllC 1 lie?'' rxclain10d he, dragging 1ne fronr n1y chair. " \Vill you ~ay again that you Jl C\'Or sa.w that 1nan ? " 1 answered," 1 do ~ar so ." lle clinch "d n1y ann with a Yo1lcy of onl11:. Ben be~all Lo f-i~re~un aud l Lold h int to o·o to his OT~UH1- ~ ' b n1other. |