PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 3I 



" dogs. I have fled from my mafter, who is a 

 " wealthy planter on the black river : he has 

 *' treated me in the manner you fee." 



Tn faying thefe words, fhe fliewed her body, 

 deeply furrowed by the ftrokes of the whip which 

 fhe had received ; fhe added, *' I had thoughts of 

 " drowning myfelf, but knowing that you lived 

 *' here, I thus reflected ; perhaps there are ftill 

 ** fome good white people in this country, I muft 

 " not die yet." Firginia^ much afFefted, replied, 

 ** Take comfort, unfortunate creature ! eat, eat.'* 

 Upon which, fhe gave her the breakfafh which fhe 

 had prepared for the family. The flave, in a few- 

 moments, devoured the whole of it. Virginia, 

 feeing her refreflied, faid to her : " Poor wretch! 

 " I have a great defire to go to your mafler, and 

 *' implore your pardon : at the fight of you, he 

 *' mufl be touched with compaflion: will you con- 

 *' duâ; me to him ?" — " Angel of God !" replied 

 the negrefs, " I will follow you wherever you lead 

 " me." Virginia called her brother, and begged 

 him to accompany her : the fugitive flave con- 

 ducted them, by narrow paths, to the middle of 

 the woods, acrofs high mountains, over which 

 they fcrambled with difficulty, and great rivers, 

 which they forded. At length, toward the middle 

 of the day, they arrived at the bottom of a moun- 

 tain on the banks of the Black River. They there 



perceived 



