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Show 136 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. ·wo1unJl ,v-hon1 she had nouri hod ·with her 1nilk ·when a babe. Tho doctor's \Yife ' vould gltL<Ily have prevented our intcrconr e '\Vith nliss Fanny if she could have J.one it, bnt fortunately she was not dependent on the bounty of the Flints. She had enough to be independent; and that is n1orc than can ever be gained fron1 charity, however laYish it n1ay be. ~li s Fanny '\vas endeared to 1ne by 1nany recollec-tions, antl I was rejoiced to sec her at the plantation. The wannth of her large, loyal h eart 1nade the house scc1n plea antcr while she '\Va in it. ~he taid a '\veck, and I hall 1nany talks with her. She said her principal object in cmning '\Y:1 to sec h o\V I -was treated, and wheLhcr any thing could be done for n1e. She inquired whether she coulJ help n1e in any \vay. I told her I belie-reJ not. She condol a \ViLh ll1e in h er own peculiar way; saying she wi~hed that I ancl all n1y gran hnothcr·s frunily were at rest in our gra\·cs, for not until then ~h o uld she feel any peace about ns. rrhc good old soul did not drea1n that I '\vas planning to Lcstow peace upon her, with regarJ. to 1ny elf and n1y children ; not by death, but l>y securing our frccdo1n. Again and again I had traversed those dreary twelve miles, to and fron1 the town; and all the -way, I was meditating upon orne rneans of escape for n1ysclf and 1ny children. ~ly friends had 1nacle every effort that ingenuity could devise to effect our purchase, l.nrL all their plans had proved abortive. Dr. Flint \'las suspicious, and clctcnnined not to loosen his grasp upon us. I could have n1aue 111y escape alone ; uut it was n1orc for my helpless children than for n1y::;clf that I longed Scenes at the Plantation. 137 for ~recdo1n. Though the boon \Vould have been precious to n1e, above all price, I ·would not have taken it. at the expense of leaving .then1 in slavery. Every tnal I endured, every sacnfice I 1naJe for their sakes, drew them closer to my heart, and gave me frc ·h courage to beat back the dark waves that rolled and rolled over 1ne in a sec1ningly endlos~ night of stonus. The six weeks were nearly co1npletcd when Mr. Flint's bride was expected to take posse~sion of her new hon1c.. Th~ arraugen1ents '\verc all co1npleted, and l\fr. Fhnt sa1d I had done well. He expected to leave horne on Saturday, and return with his bride the following Wednesday. .After receiving various or<lers from. hi1n, I ventured to ask per1nission to spend unday rn to·wn. It '\Vas granted; for \vhich favor I \vas thankful. It \Yas the first I had ever a ·keel of hi1n and I intended it should be the last. I t needed 111or~ than one night to aceon1pli 'h the project I had in view; but the whole of Sunday '\Vould give 1ne an opportunity. I spent the. abbath -with rny grandruother. ..A.. cahner, n1ore beautlful day never ca1nc clown out of heaven. !o 1ne it \Yas a day of conflicting en1otioll ·. P erhnps 1t wa. · the ~a t day I shoul<l eYer ·pend un<ler that J ar, old · ·hcltcnng roof! Perhap · the. e '\\'Ore the la~t talks I · houl~ ever have with the faithful olJ frienJ of 1ny wl~ole hfc ! Perhaps it was the la t time I and n1y clnldren should be together ! \V ell, better so, I thought, than that they should be ~lave~ . I knew the doon~ that a\Yaitecl my fair baby jn ~lnscry, and 1 <lc~ crmm e<l to save her. fi·01u it, or peri'h in the attempt. went to 111ake thts v w aL the gr<.tvc.· of 1ny pour 11 * |