dollars. So anxious was she to have her older girl (eleven
years old) at home with her, that she also hired her time by the year,
for which she was compelled to pay twenty-four dollars. As her younger
child was not sufficiently grown to hire out for pay, she was permitted
to have it at home with her on the conditions that she would feed,
clothe and take good care of it, permitting no expense whatever to fall
upon the master.

Judging from the appearance and manners of the children, their mother
had, doubtless, been most faithful to them, for more handsome,
well-behaved, intelligent and pleasing children could not easily be
selected from either race or any station of life. The younger, Mary by
name, nine years of age, attracted very great attention, by the deep
interest she manifested in a poor fugitive (whom she had never seen
before), at the Philadelphia station, confined to the bed and suffering
excruciating pain from wounds he had received whilst escaping. Hours and
hours together, during the two or three days of their sojourn, she spent
of her own accord, by his bed-side, manifesting almost womanly sympathy
in the most devoted and tender manner. She thus, doubtless,
unconsciously imparted to the sufferer a great deal of comfort. Very
many affecting incidents had come under the observation of the acting
Committee, under various circumstances, but never before had they
witnessed a sight more interesting, a scene more touching.

Caroline and her children were owned by Peter March, Esq., late of
Norfolk, but at that time, he was living in New York, and was carrying
on the iron business. He came into possession of them through his wife,
who was the daughter of Caroline's former master, and almost the only
heir left, in consequence of the terrible fever of the previous summer.
Caroline was living under the daily fear of being sold; this, together
with the task of supporting herself and two children, made her burden
very grievous. Not a great while before her escape, her New York master
had been on to Norfolk, expressly with a view of selling her, and asked
two thousand dollars for her. This, however, he failed to get, and was
still awaiting an offer.

These ill omens aroused Caroline to think more seriously over the
condition of herself and children than she had ever done before, and in
this state of mind she came to the conclusion, that she would strive to
save herself and children by flight on the Underground Rail Roa