Where　the　fever…demon　strews
  Poison　with　the　falling　dews；
  Where　the　sickly　sunbeams　glare
  Through　the　hot　and　misty　air：
  Gone；　gone；　sold　and　gone
  To　the　rice　swamp　dank　and　lone；
  From　Virginia　hills　and　waters
  Woe　is　me；　my　stolen　daughters！〃
  The　hearth　is　desolate。　　The　children；　the　uncon…
  scious　children；　who　once　sang　and　danced　in　her
  presence；　are　gone。　　She　gropes　her　way；　in　the　dark…
  ness　of　age；　for　a　drink　of　water。　　Instead　of　the　voices
  of　her　children；　she　hears　by　day　the　moans　of　the
  dove；　and　by　night　the　screams　of　the　hideous　owl。
  All　is　gloom。　　The　grave　is　at　the　door。　　And　now；
  when　weighed　down　by　the　pains　and　aches　of　old
  age；　when　the　head　inclines　to　the　feet；　when　the
  beginning　and　ending　of　human　existence　meet；　and
  helpless　infancy　and　painful　old　age　combine　to…
  getherat　this　time；　this　most　needful　time；　the　time
  for　the　exercise　of　that　tenderness　and　affection
  which　children　only　can　exercise　towards　a　declining
  parentmy　poor　old　grandmother；　the　devoted
  mother　of　twelve　children；　is　left　all　alone；　in　yonder
  little　hut；　before　a　few　dim　embers。　　She　stands
  she　sitsshe　staggersshe　fallsshe　groansshe　dies
  and　there　are　none　of　her　children　or　grandchildren
  present；　to　wipe　from　her　wrinkled　brow　the　cold
  sweat　of　death；　or　to　place　beneath　the　sod　her
  fallen　remains。　　Will　not　a　righteous　God　visit　for
  these　things？
  In　about　two　years　after　the　death　of　Mrs。　Lu…
  cretia；　Master　Thomas　married　his　second　wife。　　Her
  name　was　Rowena　Hamilton。　　She　was　the　eldest
  daughter　of　Mr。　William　Hamilton。　　Master　now
  lived　in　St。　Michael's。　　Not　long　after　his　marriage；
  a　misunderstanding　took　place　between　himself　and
  Master　Hugh；　and　as　a　means　of　punishing　his
  brother；　he　took　me　from　him　to　live　with　himself
  at　St。　Michael's。　　Here　I　underwent　another　most
  painful　separation。　　It；　however；　was　not　so　severe
  as　the　one　I　dreaded　at　the　division　of　property；　for；
  during　this　interval；　a　great　change　had　taken　place
  in　Master　Hugh　and　his　once　kind　and　affectionate
  wife。　　The　influence　of　brandy　upon　him；　and　of
  slavery　upon　her；　had　effected　a　disastrous　change
  in　the　characters　of　both；　so　that；　as　far　as　they
  were　concerned；　I　thought　I　had　little　to　lose　by　the
  change。　　But　it　was　not　to　them　that　I　was　attached。
  It　was　to　those　little　Baltimore　boys　that　I　felt　the
  strongest　attachment。　　I　had　received　many　good
  lessons　from　them；　and　was　still　receiving　them；　and
  the　thought　of　leaving　them　was　painful　indeed。　　I
  was　leaving；　too；　without　the　hope　of　ever　being
  allowed　to　return。　　Master　Thomas　had　said　he　would
  never　let　me　return　again。　　The　barrier　betwixt　him…
  self　and　brother　he　considered　impassable。
  I　then　had　to　regret　that　I　did　not　at　least　make
  the　attempt　to　carry　out　my　resolution　to　run　away；
  for　the　chances　of　success　are　tenfold　greater　from
  the　city　than　from　the　country。
  I　sailed　from　Baltimore　for　St。　Michael's　in　the
  sloop　Amanda；　Captain　Edward　Dodson。　　On　my
  passage；　I　paid　particular　attention　to　the　direction
  which　the　steamboats　took　to　go　to　Philadelphia。　　I
  found；　instead　of　going　down；　on　reaching　North
  Point　they　went　up　the　bay；　in　a　north…easterly　direc…
  tion。　　I　deemed　this　knowledge　of　the　utmost　im…
  portance。　　My　determination　to　run　away　was　again
  revived。　　I　resolved　to　wait　only　so　long　as　the　offering
  of　a　favorable　opportunity。　　When　that　came；　I　was
  determined　to　be　off。
  CHAPTER　IX
  I　have　now　reached　a　period　of　my　life　when　I
  can　give　dates。　　I　left　Baltimore；　and　went　to　live
  with　Master　Thomas　Auld；　at　St。　Michael's；　in
  March；　1832。　　It　was　now　more　than　seven　years
  since　I　lived　with　him　in　the　family　of　my　old　mas…
  ter；　on　Colonel　Lloyd's　plantation。　　We　of　course
  were　now　almost　entire　strangers　to　each　other。　　He
  was　to　me　a　new　master；　and　I　to　him　a　new　slave。
  I　was　ignorant　of　his　temper　and　disposition；　he
  was　equally　so　of　mine。　　A　very　short　time；　however；
  brought　us　into　full　acquaintance　with　each　other。
  I　was　made　acquainted　with　his　wife　not　less　than
  with　himself。　　They　were　well　matched；　being　equally
  mean　and　cruel。　　I　was　now；　for　the　first　time　during
  a　space　of　more　than　seven　years；　made　to　feel　the
  painful　gnawings　of　hungera　something　which　I
  had　not　experienced　before　since　I　left　Colonel
  Lloyd's　plantation。　　It　went　hard　enough　with　me
  then；　when　I　could　look　back　to　no　period　at　which
  I　had　enjoyed　a　sufficiency。　　It　was　tenfold　harder
  after　living　in　Master　Hugh's　family；　where　I　had
  always　had　enough　to　eat；　and　of　that　which　was
  good。　　I　have　said　Master　Thomas　was　a　mean　man。
  He　was　so。　　Not　to　give　a　slave　enough　to　eat；　is
  regarded　as　the　most　aggravated　development　of
  meanness　even　among　slaveholders。　　The　rule　is；　no
  matter　how　coarse　the　food；　only　let　there　be　enough
  of　it。　　This　is　the　theory；　and　in　the　part　of　Maryland
  from　which　I　came；　it　is　the　general　practice；though
  there　are　many　exceptions。　　Master　Thomas　gave　us
  enough　of　neither　coarse　nor　fine　food。　　There　were
  four　slaves　of　us　in　the　kitchenmy　sister　Eliza；　my
  aunt　Priscilla；　Henny；　and　myself；　and　we　were　al…
  lowed　less　than　a　half　of　a　bushel　of　corn…meal　per
  week；　and　very　little　else；　either　in　the　shape　of
  meat　or　vegetables。　　It　was　not　enough　for　us　to
  subsist　upon。　　We　were　therefore　reduced　to　the
  wretched　necessity　of　living　at　the　expense　of　our
  neighbors。　　This　we　did　by　begging　and　stealing；
  whichever　came　handy　in　the　time　of　need；　the　one
  being　considered　as　legitimate　as　the　other。　　A　great
  many　times　have　we　poor　creatures　been　nearly
  perishing　with　hunger；　when　food　in　abundance　lay
  mouldering　in　the　safe　and　smoke…house；　and　our
  pious　mistress　was　aware　of　the　fact；　and　yet　that
  mistress　and　her　husband　would　kneel　every　morn…
  ing；　and　pray　that　God　would　bless　them　in　basket
  and　store！
  Bad　as　all　slaveholders　are；　we　seldom　meet　one
  destitute　of　every　element　of　character　commanding
  respect。　　My　master　was　one　of　this　rare　sort。　　I　do
  not　know　of　one　single　noble　act　ever　performed　by
  him。　　The　leading　trait　in　his　character　was　mean…
  ness；　and　if　there　were　any　other　element　in　his
  nature；　it　was　made　subject　to　this。　　He　was　mean；
  and；　like　most　other　mean　men；　he　lacked　the　ability
  to　conceal　his　meanness。　　Captain　Auld　was　not　born
  a　slaveholder。　　He　had　been　a　poor　man；　master　only
  of　a　Bay　craft。　　He　came　into　possession　of　all　his
  slaves　by　marriage；　and　of　all　men；　adopted　slave…
  holders　are　the　worst。　　He　was　cruel；　but　cowardly。
  He　commanded　without　firmness。　　In　the　enforce…
  ment　of　his　rules；　he　was　at　times　rigid；　and　at　times
  lax。　　At　times；　he　spoke　to　his　slaves　with　the　firmness
  of　Napoleon　and　the　fury　of　a　demon；　at　other　times；
  he　might　well　be　mistaken　for　an　inquirer　who　had
  lost　his　way。　　He　did　nothing　of　himself。　　He　might
  have　passed　for　a　lion；　but　for　his　ears。　　In　all　things
  noble　which　he　attempted；　his　own　meanness　shone
  most　conspicuous。　　His　airs；　words；　and　actions；
  were　the　airs；　words；　and　actions　of　born　slave…
  holders；　and；　being　assumed；　were　awkward　enough。
  He　was　not　even　a　good　imitator。　　He　possessed　all
  the　disposition　to　deceive；　but　wanted　the　power。
  Having　no　resources　within　himself；　he　was　com…
  pelled　to　be　the　copyist　of　many；　and　being　such；　he
  was　forever　the　victim　of　inconsistency；　and　of　con…
  sequence　he　was　an　object　of　contempt；　and　was　held
  as　such　even　by　his　slaves。　　The　luxury　of　having
  slaves　of　his　own　to　wait　upon　him　was　something
  new　and　unprepared　for。　　He　was　a　slaveholder　with…
  out　the　ability　to　hold　slaves。　　He　found　himself　in…
  capable　of　managing　his　slaves　either　by　force；　fear；
  or　fraud。　　We　seldom　called　him　〃master；〃　we　gen…
  erally　called　him　〃Captain　Auld；〃　and　were　hardly
  disposed　to　title　him　at　all。　　I　doubt　not　that　our
  conduct　had　much　to　do　with　making　him　appear
  awkward；　and　of　consequence　fretful。　　Our　want　of
  reverence　for　him　must　have　perplexed　him　greatly。
  He　wished　to　have　us　call　him　master；　but　lacked
  the　firmness　necessary　to　command　us　to　do　so。　　His
  wife　used　to　insist　upon　our　calling　him　so；　but　to
  no　purpose。　　In　August；　1832；　my　master　attended　a
  Methodist　camp…meeting　held　in　the　Bay…side；　Tal…
  bot　county；　and　there　experienced　religion。　　I　in…
  dulged　a　faint　hope　that　his　conversion　would　lead
  him　to　emancipate　his　slaves；　and　that；　if　he　did　not
  do　this；　it　would；　at　any　rate；　make　him　more　kind
  and　humane。　　I　was　disappointed　in　both　these　re…
  spects。　　It　neither　made　him　to　be　humane　to　his
  slaves；　nor　to　emancipate　them。　　If　it　had　any　effect
  on　his　character；　it　made　him　more　cruel　and　hateful
  in　all　his　ways；　for　I　believe　him　to　have　been　a　much
  worse　man　after　his　conversio