e to do some good, he would be inclined, whatever
might have been our former relations and misunderstandings, to meet my
reasonable desire to see my parents, and to part this world in
reconciliation with each other, as well as with God. I should have
rejoiced had his temper permitted him to accede to any offer. But I
thought it too bad, a free man of Jesus Christ, living on "free soil," to
give a man five hundred dollars for the privilege of being let alone, and
to be branded as a thief into the bargain, and that too after I had served
him twenty prime years, without the benefit of being taught so much as the
alphabet.

I wrote him with my own hand, sometime after this, stating that no
proposition would be acceded to by me, which did not include my parents;
and likewise fix the sum for myself more reasonable, and also retract the
offensive charge; to this he maintained a dignified silence. The means I
had acquired by the contributions of kind friends to redeem myself, I laid
by, in case the worst should come; and that designed for the purchase of
my parents, I used in another kind of operation, as the result of which,
my father and two brothers are now in Canada. My mother was sold a second
time, south, but she was eventually found. Several of my sisters married
free men, who purchased their liberty; and three brothers are owned, by
what may be called conscience slaveholders, who hold slaves only for a
term of years. My old master has since died; my mother and he are now in
the other world together, she is at rest from him. Sometime after his
death, I received information from a gentleman, intimate with his heirs,
(who are principally females) that the reduced state of the family,
afforded not only a good opportunity to obtain a release upon reasonable
terms, but also to render the children of my oppressor some pecuniary aid;
and much as I had suffered, I must confess this latter was the stronger
motive with me, for acceding to their offer made by him.

I have many other deeply interesting particulars touching our family
history, but I have detailed as many as prudence will permit, on account
of those members who are yet south of Mason and Dixon's line.

I have faith in the hand that has dealt with us so strangely, that all our
remaining members will in time be brought together; and then the case may
merit a reviewed and enlarged edition of this tract, when other important
matter will be inserted.

CHAPTER VII.