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Show ) 218 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. and all tho ·while ·he ·wa: on1ployotl a· night-n ur~o to 1Ir . FliuL'.· ehilurou. ~E'inally, toiling all day, antl being dopri \·eel of rot at night, eotnplcLoly broke down her con.-LiLu Lion, and Dr. Plint clcclared iL \n"ts inlpos.·iblc she could cv r boc01no th n1othor of ali ving child. Tho fear f lo ·ing ~o valualllc a · rvant Ly JoaLh, now inclucod thon1 to allow her to sleep in her little roo1n in tho on t-hou. o, ex ·cpt when thoro \vas ·icknos · in the fa1nily. She afterwards hau two r~· ol>lo baLe', one of wh01n died in a fC\Y day , anJ tho other in four \YOelcs. I \Yell ron1Cnlher her pation t . 'OITO\V a· ·he hold the la t dead baby in her anns. "1 \vi.-h it could have lived," she said; "it is noL tho \vill of Gocl that any of my cbilclron should live. But I ·will try to be iit to n10ct their liLLlo spiritt; in heaven." .A.. unt Nancy \vas housekeeper and \Vaiting-nulicl in Dr . .H'lint't; fanrily. Indeed, ·he \Vas tho factotum of the hotL·chold. Nothing \vent on ·well w·ithout h r. She wa.- n1y 1noth r' · t\vin i~ter, and, as far as wa ju her p wor, 'ho F;npplio<l a 1n Lhcr' ·place to us orphans. I slept ·with her all tho tin1o I li vod in rny old n1a.tcr's house, and tho bond between n .· \Yas very t;t rong. When 1ny friends triocl to discourage 1nc frotn running away, he always oncourao·od 1110. \Vhon they thmu)'ht I had better return ancl a ·k 1ny n1a. tor's pardon, l>ecauso thoro \Vas no po .·il>ility of escape, she ·ont n1e wordnoYcr to yield. She ·aid if I por.-ovoroJ I 1nio·ht, pcrhap ·, gain tho freodo1n of n1y children ; and eYon if I pori.·hcJ in doing it, that was hotter than to lea,-c thcn1 to groan under tho f'anH~ ]H.lr::-;ccntions that had blie·l1torl u1y O\nl life. 1\Jter 1 \n.l. · ~hnL up in my J.ark cell, she stole away, \vhonovor she could, to ( I ( Aunt Nancy. 219 bring me tho no\vs and ay soinothing cheering. Ticw o[Len did I kneel down to listen Lo her word.· of co1L·ola. tion, \Vhi.sporod through a Tac]r! " I anl old, anu have not loug to li vo," ~he u:e<l to ·ay; " and I coulu die hal py if I could only :-~eo yon and th children free. Yon n1n:-~t pray to Gou, Linda, af-5 1 do for you, thn.L he will lead you onL or this clarl r no~s." I would l>eg her not to worry b 'rsolf on n1y ae ·onut; that Llleru \Va~ an en<l of all ~ nflerin g ·oonor r lat er, and tlw,t wll etl10r I lived in chains or in fre dotn, 1 shouhl alway· remetubcr her as tho o·o d friend who had been t iH' emufort of n1y lifo. A. word frmn h 'r n.l way.' .-trcuglhone<l ll10; ancl not lDO on] J. rrho whole f~unily relied U pOll her jndgulcnt, and were g ui<l<~d by her a(l,·ico. 1 had been in 1ny cell f'ix )'l~n r~ \Vhon 1ny gralldmothee -yvas .· u1ninoncd to the l>cd~idc of tl1is, her lnf-it r01naining danshtor. ~he wn~ Yl'ry ill and thry :-~a id he would clio. GrandnloLht•r lHHl nol out('re<l Dr. Flinf.· house for s ,~oral year:. 'l'hey had treated hcl' cruelly, lntt 'he thcnt<rhL noLhing of 1hat now. ~he was pTatoful for p 'nni.·sion to wltteh l1y the deaLh-1,ed of her chiltl. rl'lwy lHtll nl wnys been dc\·oLcd lo each other ; and now th r :-~at looki 11g in Lo each oLhcr\; eyes, louo·ing Lo sp aJ~ of tl1 ':-;('crcL that had wcig1H•(1 so nnteh on tile h 'a.ris oC l)(>ih. :Jfy nuni had hcon ~Lri<'k n with para} y:-~is. ~ ;110 li \rOd lnt t l WO <.Jay~, anu tho la~t day he was :-;p ochle ·s. ne1t)l'l; she lost tho power or uttel'anco, she tol(l her 1noLhr r not Lo gricYc if she conlcl not spt,~ttk to l1cr; tlw.t slw wottl(l try to hot(t up her hand to let her knuw !hat all \\'a:-~ weH with her. E,·cn' the h~trd-ht;artl•d duel()!' was a 1ittln .·of't ·ned when he s~~w Lll, dyiug \Vui n~u t try to ::-·tuilc on the aged |