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Show 244 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. by her husband and children, in a hon1e maue sacred by protecting laws. I thought of n1y o\vu ehiluron, and sjghcd. After dinner ~Ir. Durhan1 ·went ·with 1ne in que t of the fricn<ls I had spoken of. 'rhcy \vent fron1 1ny nn.tiYe town, and l anticipated n1uch pleasure in looking on fatniliar faces. '£hey \Yore not at hon1e, an<l we rctracccl our step through .trects delightfully clean. On tho \vay, ~Ir. Dnrhan1 ob crve<l that I hau spoken to hitu of a uauo·htcr I expected to lllCet; that he was snrpri ·eel, for I lool~cJ so young he hau taken 1nc for a ino·lc \VOll1UlL lie \Va · approaching a suLjcct on \vhich I \vas cxtren1ely scnsitj vc. lie would a ·k ahont 1ny husl>and next, I thouO'ht, and if I atL'\VCred hin1 truly, \vhat woulu he think of n1c? I tolU. hin1 I had. two children, one in N cw York the other at the south. He a ·ked so1nc further que tions, and I frankly told hin1 son1c of the n1o.:t itnportant cv0nts of n1y life. It was painful for 1uc to do it; but I \Vonlcl not <..lcccive hi1n. If he ·was de ·irous of being n1y friend, I thought he ought to kno\v how far I was \vorthy of it. "Excuse 1nc, if I have tried your feelings, '' said he. " I diu not question you fro1n icllc curiosity. l "ranted to under taud your situation, in order to kno\v ·whether I could be of any service to you, or your little girl. Your straight-forward ans·wcrs do you credit; but don't answer every body so openly. lt 1night o·iyc so111e heartless people a pretext for treating you with contc1npt." ~:'hat \Vord contentpt burned n1c like coals of .fire. I replied, '' God alone kno·ws ho\v 1 have suffered; and He, I trust, will forgive n1e. If I an1 pcrn1ittcd to Incidents in Philadelphia. Lave 1ny children, I intend to be a good 1nother, and to live in such a manner that people cannot treat me with contmnpt." "I respect your sentiments," said he. "Place your trust in God, and be governed by goou principles, and you will uot fail to find friend·." When \Ve reached hotnc, I went to n1y roon1 (rlad to " ' b shut out the world for a \Vh ilc. 'I' he word.· he had spoken made an indelible itnprc.-sion upon n1e. They brought up great s1tauow. · fron1 the n1ournful pa t. ln the miclst of 1ny n1cditations I \ra · 'tartlecl by a k11ock at the door. ~Ir . Durhan1 entered, her face allbcan1- ing with kindness, to say that there was an anti-sla:rery friend do·wn stairs, \Yho \Voulc.l like 'to sec n1e. I overcan: le 1ny dread of encountering strangers, and went with her. ~1auy questions were a ·ked conccruing n1y experiences, and 1ny escape fron1 ·laYery ; hut I observed how careful they all ·were Hot to ay any thing that n1ight wound 1ny feeling·. IIow gratifying this was, can be fully understoocl o11ly by those who haYe been accnsto1ncd to be treated as if they were not included within tbc pale of lnunan ueings. 'l'be antislaYery fricnu hau COlTIC to inq ni.re ill Lo lllJ plan ' anu to offer asf-:-i. tancc, if needed. Pn,nn y was con1forta\)ly established, for the present, ·with a l'riencl of ~Ir. Durhalu. The A... nti-~lavery 10Cicty agreed to pay her expenses to N c·w York. The san1c 'vas offered to n1 , but I clcclincu to accept it; tcUiug then1 that n1y grauJInothcr had gi vcn me sufficient to pay tny expcu~es to the cud of n1y journey. W c were Hrgcd to rcnwin in Philadcl ph ia a fc\v days, u u til sonw sui table escort coulJ be found lor us. I gladly aceqJteLl the prupusi- 21 f |