nt in de city. After dat
tings get worse. One day missy come back from town and she gib my wife
her papers of freedom. You see, my wife was giben by de ole man to missy
when her war a little girl, and fortunate it was dat he had made out de
papers all right and presented dem to her. When missy gib her de papers
ob freedom, she cry bery much. 'Me 'fraid bad time coming, Sally,' she
said. 'Me tink dat it better for a time dat you clar out ob dis. Now you
got de paper you free woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be difficulty
about it. Me fear dat broder Dick ruined--de plantation and slabes to be
sole;' and wid dat she bu'st out crying wus dan eber. Ob course my wife
she cry too.

"'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you letter
to friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if Sam get good
master you can come back to him again. If not, as you tell me dat when
he slabe before he run away, it jus' possible he do de same again.'

"'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa gib freedom
to Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe him life when he
tumbled into water.'

"'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my broder
not able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de plantation and de
slabes, and dat prevent him from making any ob dem free. De sale soon
come now. You go tell Sam; tell him not to say word to nobody. Den you
pack up and come right away wid me to de city. It bery much better you
clar out ob dis before dey come down and seize eberybody.'

"Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He often
grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he tank de Lord
wid all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey would hab been sold,
one one way and one another, and we should neber hab seen dem again.
Hows'ever, I make great effort, and tell Sally she do jus' what missy
say. I tell her to go norf while she can, and promise dat some day or
oder Sam join her dar. 'Better for to be parted for ten year, Sally, dan
to hab de risk ob you being seize and sold to one master, me to anoder.
You trus' Sam to break out some day. He do bery well here for a time.
He bery good strong nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good
carpenter. Sam sure to get good place, but, howeber good, when he see a
chance he run away. If no chance, he sabe up his money, and you sabe up
your money, Sally, and buy him freedom.'

"Well, sar, we bofe cry bery m