ood; for it was
agreed that I should afterwards, serve Mr. Burchell a while, for the cash
he was to advance for me. I was earnest in the request to my owners; but
their hearts were hard--too hard to consent. Mrs. Wood was very angry--she
grew quite outrageous--she called me a black devil, and asked me who had
put freedom into my head. "To be free is very sweet," I said: but she took
good care to keep me a slave. I saw her change colour, and I left the
room.

About this time my master and mistress were going to England to put their
son to school, and bring their daughters home; and they took me with them
to take care of the child. I was willing to come to England: I thought
that by going there I should probably get cured of my rheumatism, and
should return with my master and mistress, quite well, to my husband. My
husband was willing for me to come away, for he had heard that my master
would free me,--and I also hoped this might prove true; but it was all a
false report.

The steward of the ship was very kind to me. He and my husband were in the
same class in the Moravian Church. I was thankful that he was so friendly,
for my mistress was not kind to me on the passage; and she told me, when
she was angry, that she did not intend to treat me any better in England
than in the West Indies--that I need not expect it. And she was as good as
her word.

When we drew near to England, the rheumatism seized all my limbs worse
than ever, and my body was dreadfully swelled. When we landed at the
Tower, I shewed my flesh to my mistress, but she took no great notice of
it. We were obliged to stop at the tavern till my master got a house; and
a day or two after, my mistress sent me down into the wash-house to learn
to wash in the English way. In the West Indies we wash with cold water--in
England with hot. I told my mistress I was afraid that putting my hands
first into the hot water and then into the cold, would increase the pain
in my limbs. The doctor had told my mistress long before I came from the
West Indies, that I was a sickly body and the washing did not agree with
me. But Mrs. Wood would not release me from the tub, so I was forced to do
as I could. I grew worse, and could not stand to wash. I was then forced
to sit down with the tub before me, and often through pain and weakness
was reduced to kneel or to sit down on the floor, to finish my task. When
I complained to my mistress of this, she only got into a passion as usua