TORONTO, May 7,1854.
MR. W. STILL:--_Dear Sir_--I take this opportunity of writing
you these few lines and hope when they reach you they will find
you well. I would have written you before, but I was waiting to
hear from my friend, Mr. Brown. I judge his business has been of
importance as the occasion why he has not written before. Dear
sir, nothing would have prevented me from writing, in a case of
this kind, except death.
My soul is vexed, my troubles are inexpressible. I often feel as
if I were willing to die. I must see my wife in short, if not, I
will die. What would I not give no tongue can utter. Just to
gaze on her sweet lips one moment I would be willing to die the
next. I am determined to see her some time or other. The thought
of being a slave again is miserable. I hope heaven will smile
upon me again, before I am one again. I will leave Canada again
shortly, but I don't name the place that I go, it may be in the
bottom of the ocean. If I had known as much before I left, as I
do now, I would never have left until I could have found means
to have brought her with me. You have never suffered from being
absent from a wife, as I have. I consider that to be nearly
superior to death, and hope you will do all you can for me, and
inquire from your friends if nothing can be done for me. Please
write to me immediately on receipt of this, and say something
that will cheer up my drooping spirits. You will oblige me by
seeing Mr. Brown and ask him if he would oblige me by going to
Richmond and see my wife, and see what arrangements he could
make with her, and I would be willing to pay all his expenses
there and back. Please to see both Mr. Bagnel and Mr. Minkins,
and ask them if they have seen my wife. I am determined to see
her, if I die the next moment. I can say I was once happy, but
never will be again, until I see her; because what is freedom to
me, when I know that my wife is in slavery? Those persons that
you shipped a few weeks ago, remained at St. Catherine, instead
of coming over to Toronto. I sent you two letters last week and
I hope you will please attend to them. The post-office is shut,
so I enclose the money to pay the post, and please write me in
haste.