running a thousand miles for freedom-第15节

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a　woman　at　St。　John's。　But；　poor　fellow；　as　he　was　passing　down　the　street　one　day；　he　met　a　woman；　at　the　first　glance　they　nearly　recognized　each　other；　they　both　turned　round　and　stared；　and　unconsciously　advanced；　till　she　screamed　and　flew　into　his　arms。　　Her　first　words　were；　〃Dear；　are　you　married？〃　　On　his　answering　in　the　affirmative；　she　shrank　from　his　embrace；　hung　her　head；　and　wept。　　A　person　who　witnessed　this　meeting　told　me　it　was　most　affecting。

This　couple　knew　nothing　of　each　other's　escape　or　whereabouts。　　The　woman　had　escaped　a　few　years　before　to　the　free　States；　by　secreting　herself　in　the　hold　of　a　vessel；　but　as　they　tried　to　get　her　back　to　bondage；　she　fled　to　New　Brunswick　for　that　protection　which　her　native　country　was　too　mean　to　afford。

The　man　at　once　took　his　old　wife　to　see　his　new　one；　who　was　also　a　fugitive　slave；　and　as　they　all　knew　the　workings　of　the　infamous　system　of　slavery；　the　could　（as　no　one　else　can；）　sympathise　with　each　other's　misfortune。

According　to　the　rules　of　slavery；　the　man　and　his　first　wife　were　already　divorced；　but　not　morally；　and　therefore　it　was　arranged　between　the　three　that　he　should　live　only　with　the　lastly　married　wife；　and　allow　the　other　one　so　much　a　week；　as　long　as　she　requested　his　assistance。

After　staying　at　St。　John's　two　days；　the　steamer　arrived；　which　took　us　to　Windsor；　where　we　found　a　coach　bound　for　Halifax。　　Prejudice　against　colour　forced　me　on　the　top　in　the　rain。　　On　arriving　within　about　seven　miles　of　the　town；　the　coach　broke　down　and　was　upset。　　I　fell　upon　the　big　crotchety　driver；　whose　head　stuck　in　the　mud；　and　as　he　〃always　objected　to　niggers　riding　inside　with　white　folks；〃　I　was　not　particularly　sorry　to　see　him　deeper　in　the　mire　than　myself。　　All　of　us　were　scratched　and　bruised　more　or　less。　　After　the　passengers　had　crawled　out　as　best　they　could；　we　all　set　off；　and　paddled　through　the　deep　mud　and　cold　and　rain；　to　Halifax。

On　leaving　Boston；　it　was　our　intention　to　reach　Halifax　at　least　two　or　three　days　before　the　steamer　from　Boston　touched　there；　en　route　for　Liverpool；　but；　having　been　detained　so　long　at　Portland　and　St。　John's；　we　had　the　misfortune　to　arrive　at　Halifax　at　dark；　just　two　hours　after　the　steamer　had　gone；　consequently　we　had　to　wait　there　a　fortnight；　for　the　Cambria。

The　coach　was　patched　up；　and　reached　Halifax　with　the　luggage；　soon　after　the　passengers　arrived。　The　only　respectable　hotel　that　was　then　in　the　town　had　suspended　business；　and　was　closed；　so　we　went　to　the　inn；　opposite　the　market；　where　the　coach　stopped：　a　most　miserable；　dirty　hole　it　was。

Knowing　that　we　were　still　under　the　influence　of　the　low　Yankee　prejudice；　I　sent　my　wife　in　with　the　other　passengers；　to　engage　a　bed　for　herself　and　husband。　　I　stopped　outside　in　the　rain　till　the　coach　came　up。　　If　I　had　gone　in　and　asked　for　a　bed　they　would　have　been　quite　full。　　But　as　they　thought　my　wife　was　white；　she　had　no　difficulty　in　securing　apartments；　into　which　the　luggage　was　afterwards　carried。　　The　landlady；　observing　that　I　took　an　interest　in　the　baggage；　became　some…　what　uneasy；　and　went　into　my　wife's　room；　and　said　to　her；　〃Do　you　know　the　dark　man　downstairs？〃　〃Yes；　he　is　my　husband。〃　　〃Oh！　　I　mean　the　black　manthe　NIGGER？〃　　〃I　quite　understand　you；　he　is　my　husband。〃　　〃My　God！〃　exclaimed　the　woman　as　she　flounced　out　and　banged　to　the　door。　　On　going　upstairs；　I　heard　what　had　taken　place：　but；　as　we　were　there；　and　did　not　mean　to　leave　that　night；　we　did　not　disturb　ourselves。　On　our　ordering　tea；　the　landlady　sent　word　back　to　say　that　we　must　take　it　in　the　kitchen；　or　in　our　bed…room；　as　she　had　no　other　room　for　〃niggers。〃　We　replied　that　we　were　not　particular；　and　that　they　could　sent　it　up　to　our　room；which　they　did。

After　the　pro…slavery　persons　who　were　staying　there　heard　that　we　were　in；　the　whole　house　became　agitated；　and　all　sorts　of　oaths　and　fearful　threats　were　heaped　upon　the　〃dd　niggers；　for　coming　among　white　folks。〃　　Some　of　them　said　they　would　not　stop　there　a　minute　if　there　was　another　house　to　go　to。

The　mistress　came　up　the　next　morning　to　know　how　long　we　wished　to　stop。　　We　said　a　fortnight。　〃Oh！　dear　me；　it　is　impossible　for　us　to　accom…　modate　you；　and　I　think　you　had　better　go：　you　must　understand；　I　have　no　prejudice　myself；　I　think　a　good　deal　of　the　coloured　people；　and　have　always　been　their　friend；　but　if　you　stop　here　we　shall　lose　all　our　customers；　which　we　can't　do　no…　how。〃　　We　said　we　were　glad　to　hear　that　she　had　〃no　prejudice；〃　and　was　such　a　staunch　friend　to　the　coloured　people。　　We　also　informed　her　that　we　would　be　sorry　for　her　〃customers〃　to　leave　on　our　account；　and　as　it　was　not　our　intention　to　interfere　with　anyone；　it　was　foolish　for　them　to　be　frightened　away。　　However；　if　she　would　get　us　a　comfortable　place；　we　would　be　glad　to　leave。　　The　landlady　said　she　would　go　out　and　try。　　After　spending　the　whole　morning　in　canvassing　the　town；　she　came　to　our　room　and　said；　〃I　have　been　from　one　end　of　the　place　to　the　other；　but　every…　body　is　full。〃　　Having　a　little　foretaste　of　the　vulgar　prejudice　of　the　town；　we　did　not　wonder　at　this　result。　　However；　the　landlady　gave　me　the　address　of　some　respectable　coloured　families；　whom　she　thought；　〃under　the　circumstances；〃　might　be　induced　to　take　us。　　And；　as　we　were　not　at　all　comfortablebeing　compelled　to　sit；　eat　and　sleep；　in　the　same　small　roomwe　were　quite　willing　to　change　our　quarters。

I　called　upon　the　Rev。　Mr。　Cannady；　a　truly　good…　hearted　Christian　man；　who　received　us　at　a　word；　and　both　he　and　his　kind　lady　treated　us　hand…　somely；　and　for　a　nominal　charge。

My　wife　and　myself　were　both　unwell　when　we　left　Boston；　and；　having　taken　fresh　cold　on　the　journey　to　Halifax；　we　were　laid　up　there　under　the　doctor's　care；　nearly　the　whole　fortnight。　　I　had　much　worry　about　getting　tickets；　for　they　baffled　us　shamefully　at　the　Cunard　office。　　They　at　first　said　that　they　did　not　book　till　the　steamer　came；　which　was　not　the　fact。　　When　I　called　again；　they　said　they　knew　the　steamer　would　come　full　from　Boston；　and　therefore　we　had　〃bet…　ter　try　to　get　to　Liverpool　by　other　means。〃　Other　mean　Yankee　excuses　were　made；　and　it　was　not　till　an　influential　gentleman；　to　whom　Mr。　Francis　Jackson；　of　Boston；　kindly　gave　us　a　letter；　went　and　rebuked　them；　that　we　were　able　to　secure　our　tickets。　　So　when　we　went　on　board　my　wife　was　very　poorly；　and　was　also　so　ill　on　the　voyage　that　I　did　not　believe　she　could　live　to　see　Liverpool。

However；　I　am　thankful　to　say　she　arrived；　and；　after　laying　up　at　Liverpool　very　ill　for　two　or　three　weeks；　gradually　recovered。

It　was　not　until　we　stepped　upon　the　shore　at　Liverpool　that　we　were　free　from　every　slavish　fear。

We　raised　our　thankful　hearts　to　Heaven；　and　could　have　knelt　down；　like　the　Neapolitan　exiles；　and　kissed　the　soil；　for　we　felt　that　from　slavery


〃Heaven　sure　had　kept　this　spot　of　earth　uncurs'd；　　To　show　how　all　lthings　were　created　first。〃


In　a　few　days　after　we　landed；　the　Rev。　Francis　Bishop　and　his　lady　came　and　invited　us　to　be　their　guests；　to　whose　unlimited　kindness　and　watchful　care　my　wife　owes；　in　a　great　degree；　her　restoration　to　health。

We　enclosed　our　letter　from　the　Rev。　Mr。　May　to　Mr。　Estlin；　who　at　once　wrote　to　invite　us　to　his　house　at　Bristol。　　On　arriving　there；　both　Mr。　and　Miss　Estlin　received　us　as　cordially　as　did　our　first　good　Quaker　friends　in　Pennsylvania。　　It　grieves　me　much　to　have　to　mention　that　he　is　no　more。　Everyone　who　knew　him　can　truthfully　say



〃Peace　to　the　memory　of　a　man　of　worth；　A　man　of　letters；　and　of　manners　too！　Of　manners　sweet　as　Virtue　always　wears　When　gay　Good…nature　dresses　her　in　smiles。〃


It　was　principally　through　the　extreme　kindness　of　Mr。　Estlin；　the　Right　Hon。　Lady　Noel　Byron；　Miss　Harriet　Martineau；　Mrs。　Reid；　Miss　Sturch；　and　a　few　other　good　friends；　that　my　wife　and　myself　were　able　to　spend　a　short　time　at　a　school　in　this　country；　to　acquire　a　little　of　that　education　which　we　were　so　shamefully　deprived　of　while　in　the　house　of　bondage。　　The　school　is　under　the　super…　vision　of　the　Misses　Lushington；　D。C。L。　　During　our　stay　at　the　school　we　received　the　greatest　atten…　tion　from　every　one；　and　I　am　particularly　indebted　to　Thomas　Wilson；　Esq。；　of　Bradmore　House；　Chis…　wick；　（who　was　then　the　master；）　for　the　deep　interest　he　took　in　trying　to　get　me　on　in　my　studies。　　We　shall　ever　fondly　and　gratefully　cherish　the　memory　of　our　endeared　and　departed　friend；　Mr。　Estlin。　　We；　as　well　as　the　Anti…Slavery　cause；　lost　a　good　friend　in　him。　　However；　if　departed　spirits　in　Heaven　are　conscious　of　the　wickedness　of　this　world；　and　are　allowed　to　speak；　he　will　never　fail　to　plead　in　the　presence　of　the　angelic　host；　and　before　the　great　and　just　Judge；　for　down…　trodden　and　outraged　humanity。


〃Therefore　I　cannot　think　thee　wholly　gone；　　　The　better　part　of　thee　is　with　us　still；　　Thy　soul　its　hampering　clay　aside　hath　thrown；　　　And　only　freer　wrestles　with　the　ill。


〃Thou　livest　in　the　life　of　all　good　things；　　　What　words　thou　spak'st　for　Freedom　shall　not　die；　　Thou　sleepest　not；　for　now　thy　Love　hath　wings　　　To　soar　w