 | Incidents in the life of a slave girl |  |
XV.
CONTINUED PERSECUTIONS.
My children grew finely; and Dr. Flint would often
say to me, with an exulting smile, “These brats
will bring me a handsome sum of money one of these
days.”
I thought to myself that, God being my helper, they
should never pass into his hands. It seemed to me
I would rather see them killed than have them given
up to his power. The money for the freedom of myself
and my children could be obtained; but I derived
no advantage from that circumstance. Dr. Flint
loved money, but he loved power more. After much
discussion, my friends resolved on making another trial.
There was a slaveholder about to leave for Texas, and
he was commissioned to buy me. He was to begin with
nine hundred dollars, and go up to twelve. My master
refused his offers. “Sir,” said he, “she don't belong
to me. She is my daughter's property, and I have no
right to sell her. I mistrust that you come from her
paramour. If so, you may tell him that he cannot
buy her for any money; neither can he buy her
children.”
The doctor came to see me the next day, and my
heart beat quicker as he entered. I never had seen the
old man tread with so majestic a step. He seated himself
and looked at me with withering scorn. My children
had learned to be afraid of him. The little one
whenever she saw him; and Benny, who was now
nearly five years old, often inquired, “What makes that
bad man come here so many times? Does he want to
hurt us?” I would clasp the dear boy in my arms,
trusting that he would be free before he was old
enough to solve the problem. And now, as the doctor
sat there so grim and silent, the child left his play and
came and nestled up by me. At last my tormentor
spoke. “So you are left in disgust, are you?” said he.
“It is no more than I expected. You remember I told
you years ago that you would be treated so. So he is
tired of you? Ha! ha! ha! The virtuous madam
don't like to hear about it, does she? Ha! ha! ha!”
There was a sting in his calling me virtuous madam.
I no longer had the power of answering him as I had
formerly done. He continued: “So it seems you are
trying to get up another intrigue. Your new paramour
came to me, and offered to buy you; but you may be
assured you will not succeed. You are mine; and you
shall be mine for life. There lives no human being that
can take you out of slavery. I would have done it; but
you rejected my kind offer.”
I told him I did not wish to get up any intrigue;
that I had never seen the man who offered to buy me.
“Do you tell me I lie?” exclaimed he, dragging me
from my chair. “Will you say again that you never
saw that man?”
I answered, “I do say so.”
He clinched my arm with a volley of oaths. Ben
began to scream, and I told him to go to his grandmother.
“Don't you stir a step, you little wretch!” said he.
The child drew nearer to me, and put his arms round
me, as if he wanted to protect me. This was too much
for my enraged master. He caught him up and hurled
him across the room. I thought he was dead, and
rushed towards him to take him up.
“Not yet!” exclaimed the doctor. “Let him lie
there till he comes to.”
“Let me go! Let me go!” I screamed, “or I will
raise the whole house.” I struggled and got away;
but he clinched me again. Somebody opened the door,
and he released me. I picked up my insensible child,
and when I turned my tormentor was gone. Anxiously
I bent over the little form, so pale and still; and when
the brown eyes at last opened, I don't know whether I
was very happy.
All the doctor's former persecutions were renewed.
He came morning, noon, and night. No jealous lover
ever watched a rival more closely than he watched me
and the unknown slaveholder, with whom he accused
me of wishing to get up an intrigue. When my grandmother
was out of the way he searched every room to
find him.
In one of his visits, he happened to find a young girl,
whom he had sold to a trader a few days previous.
His statement was, that he sold her because she had
been too familiar with the overseer. She had had a
bitter life with him, and was glad to be sold. She had
no mother, and no near ties. She had been torn from
all her family years before. A few friends had entered
into bonds for her safety, if the trader would allow her
to spend with them the time that intervened between
Such a favor was rarely granted. It saved the trader
the expense of board and jail fees, and though the
amount was small, it was a weighty consideration in a
slave-trader's mind.
Dr. Flint always had an aversion to meeting slaves
after he had sold them. He ordered Rose out of the
house; but he was no longer her master, and she took
no notice of him. For once the crushed Rose was the
conqueror. His gray eyes flashed angrily upon her;
but that was the extent of his power. “How came
this girl here?” he exclaimed. “What right had you
to allow it, when you knew I had sold her?”
I answered “This is my grandmother's house, and
Rose came to see her. I have no right to turn any
body out of doors, that comes here for honest purposes.”
He gave me the blow that would have fallen upon
Rose if she had still been his slave. My grandmother's
attention had been attracted by loud voices, and
she entered in time to see a second blow dealt. She
was not a woman to let such an outrage, in her own
house, go unrebuked. The doctor undertook to explain
that I had been insolent. Her indignant feelings
rose higher and higher, and finally boiled over in words.
“Get out of my house!” she exclaimed. “Go home,
and take care of your wife and children, and you will
have enough to do, without watching my family.”
He threw the birth of my children in her face, and
accused her of sanctioning the life I was leading. She
told him I was living with her by compulsion of his
wife; that he needn't accuse her, for he was the one
to blame; he was the one who had caused all the
went on. “I tell you what, Dr. Flint,” said she, “you
ain't got many more years to live, and you'd better be
saying your prayers. It will take 'em all, and more
too, to wash the dirt off your soul.”
“Do you know whom you are talking to?” he exclaimed.
She replied, “Yes, I know very well who I am talking
to.”
He left the house in a great rage. I looked at my
grandmother. Our eyes met. Their angry expression
had passed away, but she looked sorrowful and
weary — weary of incessant strife. I wondered that it
did not lessen her love for me; but if it did she never
showed it. She was always kind, always ready to
sympathize with my troubles. There might have been
peace and contentment in that humble home if it had
not been for the demon Slavery.
The winter passed undisturbed by the doctor. The
beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her
loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. My
drooping hopes came to life again with the flowers. I
was dreaming of freedom again; more for my children's
sake than my own. I planned and I planned. Obstacles
hit against plans. There seemed no way of
overcoming them; and yet I hoped.
Back came the wily doctor. I was not at home when
he called. A friend had invited me to a small party,
and to gratify her I went. To my great consternation,
a messenger came in haste to say that Dr. Flint was at
my grandmother's, and insisted on seeing me. They
did not tell him where I was, or he would have come
sent me a dark wrapper; I threw it on and hurried
home. My speed did not save me; the doctor had gone
away in anger. I dreaded the morning, but I could
not delay it; it came, warm and bright. At an early
hour the doctor came and asked me where I had been
last night. I told him. He did not believe me, and
sent to my friend's house to ascertain the facts. He
came in the afternoon to assure me he was satisfied
that I had spoken the truth. He seemed to be in a
facetious mood, and I expected some jeers were coming.
“I suppose you need some recreation,” said he, “but
I am surprised at your being there, among those negroes.
It was not the place for you. Are you allowed to visit
such people?”
I understood this covert fling at the white gentleman
who was my friend; but I merely replied, “I went to
visit my friends, and any company they keep is good
enough for me.”
He went on to say, “I have seen very little of you
of late, but my interest in you is unchanged. When
I said I would have no more mercy on you I was rash.
I recall my words. Linda, you desire freedom for yourself
and your children, and you can obtain it only
through me. If you agree to what I am about to propose,
you and they shall be free. There must be no
communication of any kind between you and their
father. I will procure a cottage, where you and the
children can live together. Your labor shall be light,
such as sewing for my family. Think what is offered
you, Linda — a home and freedom! Let the past be
forgotten. If I have been harsh with you at times,
obedience from my own children, and I consider you
as yet a child.”
He paused for an answer, but I remained silent.
“Why don't you speak?” said he. “What more
do you wait for?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Then you accept my offer?”
“No, sir.”
His anger was ready to break loose; but he succeeded
in curbing it, and replied, “You have answered without
thought. But I must let you know there are two
sides to my proposition; if you reject the bright side,
you will be obliged to take the dark one. You must
either accept my offer, or you and your children shall
be sent to your young master's plantation, there to
remain till your young mistress is married; and your
children shall fare like the rest of the negro children.
I give you a week to consider of it.”
He was shrewd; but I knew he was not to be trusted.
I told him I was ready to give my answer now.
“I will not receive it now,” he replied. “You act
too much from impulse. Remember that you and your
children can be free a week from to-day if you choose.”
On what a monstrous chance hung the destiny of
my children! I knew that my master's offer was a
snare, and that if I entered it escape would be impossible.
As for his promise, I knew him so well that I
was sure if he gave me free papers, they would be so
managed as to have no legal value. The alternative
was inevitable. I resolved to go to the plantation.
But then I thought how completely I should be in his
kneel before him, and implore him to spare me, for the
sake of my children, I knew he would spurn me with
his foot, and my weakness would be his triumph.
Before the week expired, I heard that young Mr.
Flint was about to be married to a lady of his own
stamp. I foresaw the position I should occupy in his
establishment. I had once been sent to the plantation
for punishment, and fear of the son had induced the
father to recall me very soon. My mind was made up;
I was resolved that I would foil my master and save
my children, or I would perish in the attempt. I kept
my plans to myself; I knew that friends would try to
dissuade me from them, and I would not wound their
feelings by rejecting their advice.
On the decisive day the doctor came, and said he
hoped I had made a wise choice.
“I am ready to go to the plantation, sir,” I replied.
“Have you thought how important your decision is
to your children?” said he.
I told him I had.
“Very well. Go to the plantation, and my curse go
with you,” he replied. “Your boy shall be put to
work, and he shall soon be sold; and your girl shall be
raised for the purpose of selling well. Go your own
ways!” He left the room with curses, not to be repeated.
As I stood rooted to the spot, my grandmother came
and said, “Linda, child, what did you tell him?”
I answered that I was going to the plantation.
“Must you go?” said she. “Can't something be
done to stop it?”
I told her it was useless to try; but she begged me not
to give up. She said she would go to the doctor, and
remind him how long and how faithfully she had served
in the family, and how she had taken her own baby
from her breast to nourish his wife. She would tell
him I had been out of the family so long they would
not miss me; that she would pay them for my time,
and the money would procure a woman who had more
strength for the situation than I had. I begged her
not to go; but she persisted in saying, “He will listen
to me, Linda.” She went, and was treated as I expected.
He coolly listened to what she said, but denied
her request. He told her that what he did was for my
good, that my feelings were entirely above my situation,
and that on the plantation I would receive treatment
that was suitable to my behavior.
My grandmother was much cast down. I had my
secret hopes; but I must fight my battle alone. I had
a woman's pride, and a mother's love for my children;
and I resolved that out of the darkness of this hour a
brighter dawn should rise for them. My master had
power and law on his side; I had a determined will.
There is might in each.
| Incidents in the life of a slave girl | |