admitted in court
against a free white person.

Therefore, with little difficulty I went to different parts of the
town, at odd times, and purchased things piece by piece, (except the
trowsers which she found necessary to make,) and took them home to the
house where my wife resided. She being a ladies' maid, and a favourite
slave in the family, was allowed a little room to herself; and amongst
other pieces of furniture which I had made in my overtime, was a chest
of drawers; so when I took the articles home, she locked them up
carefully in these drawers. No one about the premises knew that she
had anything of the kind. So when we fancied we had everything ready
the time was fixed for the flight. But we knew it would not do to
start off without first getting our master's consent to be away for a
few days. Had we left without this, they would soon have had us back
into slavery, and probably we should never have got another fair
opportunity of even attempting to escape.

Some of the best slaveholders will sometimes give their favourite
slaves a few days' holiday at Christmas time; so, after no little
amount of perseverance on my wife's part, she obtained a pass from her
mistress, allowing her to be away for a few days. The cabinet-maker
with whom I worked gave me a similar paper, but said that he needed my
services very much, and wished me to return as soon as the time granted
was up. I thanked him kindly; but somehow I have not been able to make
it convenient to return yet; and, as the free air of good old England
agrees so well with my wife and our dear little ones, as well as with
myself, it is not at all likely we shall return at present to the
"peculiar institution" of chains and stripes.

On reaching my wife's cottage she handed me her pass, and I showed
mine, but at that time neither of us were able to read them. It is not
only unlawful for slaves to be taught to read, but in some of the
States there are heavy penalties attached, such as fines and
imprisonment, which will be vigorously enforced upon any one who is
humane enough to violate the so-called law.

The following case will serve to show how persons are treated in the
most enlightened slaveholding community.

"INDICTMENT.

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, } In the Circuit
NORFOLK COUNTY, ss. } Court. The
Grand Jurors empannelled in the body of the said County on their oath
present, that Margaret Douglass, being an evil disposed pers