Two years after my father's departure, my mother, with her two
children, my sister and myself, attempted to make her escape. After
traveling two days we reached Illinois. We slept in the woods at
night. I believe my mother had food to supply us but fasted herself.
But the advertisement had reached there before us, and loafers were
already in search of us, and as soon as we were discovered on the
brink of the river one of the spies made enquiries respecting her
suspicious appearance. She was aware that she was arrested,
consequently she gave a true account of herself--that she was in
search of her husband. We were then destitute of any articles of
clothing excepting our wearing apparel. Mother had become so weary
that she was compelled to leave our package of clothing on the way. We
were taken back to St. Louis and committed to prison and remained
there one week, after which they put us in Linch's trader's yard,
where we remained about four weeks. We were then sold to William
Lewis. Mr. Lewis was a very severe master, and inflicted such
punishment upon us as he thought proper. However, I only remember one
severe contest Mr. Lewis had with my mother. For some slight offence
Mrs. Lewis became offended and was tartly and loudly reprimanding her,
when Mr. L. came in and rashly felled her to the floor with his fist.
But his wife was constantly pulling our ears, snapping us with her
thimble, rapping us on the head and sides of it. It appeared
impossible to please her. When we first went to Mr. L.'s they had a
cowhide which she used to inflict on a little slave girl she
previously owned, nearly every night. This was done to learn the
little girl to wake early to wait on her children. But my mother was a
cook, as I before stated, and was in the habit of roasting meats and
toasting bread. As they stinted us for food my mother roasted the
cowhide. It was rather poor picking, but it was the last cowhide my
mother ever had an opportunity to cook while we remained in his
family. Mr. L. soon moved about six miles from the city, and entered
in partnership with his brother-in-law. The servants were then divided
and distributed in both families. It unfortunately fell to my lot to
live with Mrs. Larry, my mistress' sister, which rendered my condition
worse than the first. My master even disapproved of my ill treatment
and took me to another place; the place my mother resided before my
father's escape. After a short time Mr. Lewis again returned to the
city. My mother still remained as cook in his family. After six years'
absence of my father my mother married again a man by the name of
George Brown, and lived with her second husband about four years, and
had two children, when he was sold for requesting a different kind and
enough food. His master considered it a great insult, and declared he
would sell him. But previous to this insult, as he called it, my
step-father was foreman in Mr. L.'s tobacco factory. He was trusty and
of good moral habits, and was calculated to bring the highest price in
the human market; therefore the excuse to sell him for the above
offence was only a plot. The morning this offence occurred, Mr. L. bid
my father to remain in the kitchen till he had taken his breakfast.
After pulling his ears and slapping his face bade him come to the
factory; but instead of going to the factory he went to Canada. Thus
my poor mother was again left alone with two more children added to
her misery and sorrow to toil on her weary pilgrimage.
Racked with agony and pain she was left alone again,
With a purpose nought could move
And the zeal of woman's love,
Down she knelt in agony
To ask the Lord to clear the way.
True she said O gracious Lord,
True and faithful is thy word;
But the humblest, poorest, may
Eat the crumbs they cast away.
Though nine long years had passed
Without one glimmering light of day
She never did forget to pray
And has not yet though whips and chains are cast away.
For thus said the blessed Lord,
I will verify my word;
By the faith that has not failed,
Thou hast asked and shall prevail.
We remained but a short time at the same residence when Mr. Lewis
moved again to the country. Soon after, my little brother was taken
sick in consequence of being confined in a box in which my mother was
obliged to keep him. If permitted to creep around the floor her
mistress thought it would take too much time to attend to him. He was
two years old and never walked. His limbs were perfectly paralyzed for
want of exercise. We now saw him gradually failing, but was not
allowed to render him due attention. Even the morning he died she was
compelled to attend to her usual work. She watched over him for three
months by night and attended to her domestic affairs by day. The night
previous to his death we were aware he could not survive through the
approaching day, but it made no impression on my mistress until she
came into the kitchen and saw his life fast ebbing away, then she put
on a sad countenance for fear of being exposed, and told my mother to
take the child to her room, where he only lived one hour. When she
found he was dead she ordered grave clothes to be brought and gave my
mother time to bury him. O that morning, that solemn morning. It
appears to me that when that little spirit departed as though all
heaven rejoiced and angels veiled their faces.
My mother too in concert joined,--
Her mingled praise with them combined.
Her little saint had gone to God
Who saved him with his precious blood.