the platform, before it had fairly
stopped, I hurried out of my carriage to my master, whom I got at once
into a cab, placed the luggage on, jumped in myself, and we drove off
to the boarding-house which was so kindly recommended to me. On
leaving the station, my master--or rather my wife, as I may now
say--who had from the commencement of the journey borne up in a manner
that much surprised us both, grasped me by the hand, and said, "Thank
God, William, we are safe!" and then burst into tears, leant upon me,
and wept like a child. The reaction was fearful. So when we reached
the house, she was in reality so weak and faint that she could scarcely
stand alone. However, I got her into the apartments that were pointed
out, and there we knelt down, on this Sabbath, and Christmas-day,--a
day that will ever be memorable to us,--and poured out our heartfelt
gratitude to God, for his goodness in enabling us to overcome so many
perilous difficulties, in escaping out of the jaws of the wicked.

PART II.

--------------

AFTER my wife had a little recovered herself, she threw off the
disguise and assumed her own apparel. We then stepped into the
sitting-room, and asked to see the landlord. The man came in, but he
seemed thunderstruck on finding a fugitive slave and his wife, instead
of a "young cotton planter and his nigger." As his eyes travelled
round the room, he said to me, "Where is your master?" I pointed him
out. The man gravely replied, "I am not joking, I really wish to see
your master." I pointed him out again, but at first he could not
believe his eyes; he said "he knew that was not the gentleman that came
with me."

But, after some conversation, we satisfied him that we were fugitive
slaves, and had just escaped in the manner I have described. We asked
him if he thought it would be safe for us to stop in Philadelphia. He
said he thought not, but he would call in some persons who knew more
about the laws than himself. He then went out, and kindly brought in
several of the leading abolitionists of the city, who gave us a most
hearty and friendly welcome amongst them. As it was in December, and
also as we had just left a very warm climate, they advised us not to go
to Canada as we had intended, but to settle at Boston in the United
States. It is true that the constitution of the Republic has always
guaranteed the slaveholders the right to come into any of the so-called
free States, and take t