A woman of color, living in Chrystie street, New York, is now, 1825,
about one hundred years old. She retains her faculties remarkably well,
and she recently gave the following account of herself: "When I was a
small child in Africa, being one day at play in the woods, some people
came along; one of whom catched me, and throwing me over his shoulder,
ran away with me. After he had gone some distance, he put me down and
whipped me to make me run.
"When we came to the water, they put me into the ship and carried me
to Antigua. Soon after, the captain of a vessel from New York, taking
a liking to me, bought me, and brought me here. I was then so little,
that I slept sometimes at my mistress's feet. I think there was only
one house for worship in the city then; and I remember very well that
up Broadway there were only a few small houses; and where the college
(in Park Place) stands it was woods.
"I was sold several times, married twice, and had one child that died
young. I was baptized in St. Paul's church, not long after it was
built; and when I was about forty years old, I bought my freedom for
twenty pounds. Not long after I married my last husband, I paid for
his freedom, and we went to Charleston. After living there about seven
years, he died; and knowing I had many friends and acquaintances in New
York, I came back.
"I brought a hundred dollars with me, which I put into the church
stock. From that I have received seven dollars every year, and with it
I buy my winter firewood. By working early and late, besides my day's
work, I earned money, and got a life lease of this spot of ground, and
built this house; and in this room" (which is on the first floor) "I
have lived many years.
"The upper part I rent; but sometimes the people have been poor, and
could not pay me; then I lost it; but these people pay me very well. I
have been asked many times to sell it, but I think it is much better
for me to stay quietly here than to be moving about: and besides, I
let Mr. ---- have fifty dollars, and when he failed, I lost it; and the
bad folks have several times taken money out of my chest; and I was
afraid, if I did sell, I should lose that also, and then I should be
very bad off.
"As I have no relation of my own, when I am gone, and don't want these
things any more, they are to be divided among my husband's folks." A
person present told her she should have a writing drawn, to tell how
they should be divided; saying, "Perhaps they will quarrel about it."
She said, "I have told them if they did, them that quarrelled must not
have anything."
When asked if she could read, she answered, "Yes; when I was young I
learned to spell a little, but I did not know how to put the words
together, till I went to the Clarkson school. There I learned to read;
and though I can't read all the hard words in the Bible, I can read
Matthew and John very well." A representation of the crucifixion of
Christ hanging over the chimney-piece, she pointed to it, and explained
it very intelligibly, remarking that, "To Mary, who was kneeling near
the cross, it was said, 'Woman, behold thy Son,' and to one of those
standing by, 'Behold thy Mother.'"
This representation appeared to afford her much interest in
contemplating it, though she looked only to the Lord for consolation,
and several times, while giving this account, testified of His goodness
and mercy to her; saying, "It is the Lord's will that I should be so
comfortably provided for. When I was younger, and worked so steadily,
the people used to say, 'Belinda, what do you work so hard for, and lay
up money? you have no children to take it when you are gone.'
"I did not know then, but the Lord knew that I was to live a great
while, and He put it into my heart to do so, and now I have plenty, and
trouble nobody for a living. I am unwell this morning, but by and by,
when I feel better, I intend to clean up. I used to live very snug and
comfortable; I can't get anybody now to put up my things for me so well
as I can do it for myself." Her bed had curtains, and appeared to have
comfortable covering on it. She had a looking-glass, an arm-chair, a
carpet on her floor, and other necessary furniture.
She further said, "When I was able, I went often to see the sick, and
the suffering poor, and do something for them, and I sometimes prayed
by their bedside;" and added, "I believe the Lord heard my prayers."
Placing her hands in an attitude of supplication, and turning her eyes
upward, "I often pray now, and I leave it to Him, and He gives me
what I pray for. If He thinks it best for me to live longer yet, I am
willing to stay; and if He thinks best to take me away, I am ready to
go."
On being asked how old she was, she replied, "When Peter Williams was
going to Hayti, and he came to see me and bid me farewell, he said,
'Belinda, I have been calculating your age, as near as I can from
circumstances, and I believe you are about a hundred years old.' I
thought I was older, but I suppose he must be correct.
"I used to work for the rich folks, and they seemed to love me, and
treated me very kindly. Mrs. T----, and Mrs. H----, and many others,
have been to see me a great many times. Mr. Livingston, the lawyer, who
died at Washington, you remember--with his first wife's father, Mr.
Kittletas, I lived, and of him I bought my freedom. And when I went to
Mr. Livingston's, he would say, 'Why, Belinda, you have a long life of
it here.' I would say, 'Yes, master, the Lord knows, but I don't, why I
stay so long'--but, dear man, he is gone!"
On being asked why she lived alone, she said, "If I have somebody with
me, they will want other company, and that will make more noise than
I like. I love to be still; then I can think. And when I am sick, the
people up stairs are kind to me, and do what little I want done."
When speaking of reading, she said, "I met with a bad accident lately;
I dropped my spectacles in the fire, and it spoiled them: when I can
get into the Bowery, to Mr. ----'s store, I can get another pair;
but nobody can get them for me--they would not know how to suit my
eyes--and then I always pay cash for what I get--I have found it the
best way. In all my life long, there has never anybody had the scratch
of a pen against me. I have been saving too: them plates there"
(pointing to her closet), "I brought them with me from Charleston
before Washington's war."
In this unpolished narrative, we see the benefit of acquiring steady
habits in early life--of honest, persevering industry--and frugality in
the use of what was so obtained. From the one hundred dollars put into
church stock, she has in fifty years received three hundred and fifty
dollars; and in such a way as to be particularly useful to her. Her
pious care of the sick; her quiet, decent, and comely way of living;
and her exertions in learning to read, even at the advanced age of
eighty years, are also worthy of particular notice.