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Show Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. slavery ; that such a great obligation could. not be easily cancelled ; and that I preferred to go to my brother in California. Without my kno,vledge, ~Irs. Bruce employed a gentleman in N O\V York to enter into negotiations with Mr. Dodge. IIo proposed to pay three hundred dollars dow·n, if Mr. Dodge \vould soll1no, and enter into obligations to relinquish all clai1n to 1nc or 1ny children forever after. IIe who called himself 1ny master said he scorned so s1nall an offer for snch a valuable servant. The gontlo1nan replied, " You can do as you choo o, sir. If you reject this offer you will never get any thing; for the woman has fricnd.s \vho \Vill convey her and her children out of tho country.'' Mr. Dodge concluded that "half a loaf ·was better than no broad," and he agreed. to tho proffered tenns. By the next 1nail I received this brief letter fro1n I\frs. Bruce : " I am rejoiced to tell you that the money for ' your freodo1n has been paid to ~fr. Dodge. Co1nc hon1c to-n1o1TOW. I long to soc yo tl and n1y sweet babe." My brain reeled as I read these lines. A gcutlmnan near 1ne said, "It's true; I have soon the bill of sale.'' " The bill of sale ! '' Those words struck 1ne like a blo\v. So I was sold at last ! .A. htunan being sold in the free city of N e\v York ! The bill of sale is on record, and future generations will learn fron1 it that women were articles of traffic in N O\V York, late in tho nineteenth century of the Christian r eligion. It n1ay hereafter prove a useful doctunent to antiquaries, 1\rllO arc seeking to measure the progress of civilization in tho United States. I well kno\V the value of that bit Free at Lafi. 301 of paper ; but Inu~h as I love freedom I do t 1'1 t 1 . ' no 1 co o ook upon It. I am deeply grateful t tl ~. . ~ o 1e generous fnond who procured 1t but I despi'se tlle . ' mt croant who dem.anded ~aymont for \Vhat never rightfully bolono'ed to lnn1 or Ins. b I had objected to having my freedmn bought yet I must confess th~t 1vhen it was dono I felt as if a 'heavy load had been hftod fro1n my weary shoulders. 1Vhon I rode ho1ne in the cars I was no longer afraid to uu Yoil my face and. look at people as they passed. I should have been glad to have 1not Daniel DocJO'e himself· to have had him seen me and known n1o, ~hat he 111/ght have mourned over the untoward circu1nstances which con1pelled him to sell1ne for three hundred dollars. When I reached home, the anns of 1ny benefactress were thrown round me, and our tears n1ingled. As soon as she could speak, she said, " 0 Linda, I'ln so glad it's all over ! You wrote to 1ue as if you thought you were going to be transferred fro1n one owner to another. But I did not buy you for yonr services. I should have done just the same, if you had been going to sail for California to-morrow. I should at least have the satisfaction of knowing that you ' left n1e a' free woman." My heart was exceedingly full. I re1nembered how my poor father had tried to buy me, when I was a 1nall child, and how he had been disappointed. I hoped his spirit was rejoicing over me now. I r01nembered how my good old grandmother had laid up her earnings to purchase 1ne in later years, and how often her plans ll had been frustrated. How that faithful, loving old. heart would leap for joy, if she could look on me and 26 |