MANNERS ANt) CUSTOMS. 



4S1 



exorable to all his reasonings ; and 

 the poor black man and his family 

 remain in bondage, living wit- 

 nesses to what a pitch of obduracy, 

 avarice, and self-interest can harden 

 the heart of man. 



I supped and spent the evening 

 at U. B.'s, atMerion, and observed 

 in his yard a negro of an interest- 

 ing countenance. On inquiring 

 ^vho lie was, H. B. informed me, 

 that a few days ago the poor man 

 came up from Delaware State, 

 and, at the recommendation of his 

 brother, H. B. had taken him into 

 his family for protection. At the 

 same time he related to me the 

 following narrative : — Some time 

 since the master of this black 

 slave died, leaving behind him a 

 widow, and one son, a profligate 

 young man. As the master lay 

 on his death-bed, he called this 

 faithful slave to him, and taking 

 him by the liand, told him that he 

 felt his end was fast approaching, 

 and that his mistress would have 

 little to depend upon for her sup- 

 port, except what she might be 

 able to make of his labour ; and 

 therefore he begged that he would 

 continue to be faithful to her, 

 after the master should be laid in 

 the silent grave, [n a very short 

 time the master died, and the 

 slare continued his services to his 

 mistrej^s, and much to her satis- 

 fuction ; enabling her, for several 

 years, to live comfortably, and 

 also to administer to the wants of 

 her profligate son ; so that, under 

 H grateful sense of his worth, she 

 determined to make this black 

 man free, and also his family, con- 

 sisting of a wife and three children. 

 A writing was accordingly drawn 

 up, and duly executed, whereby 

 thev were all liberated; and the 



Vol.. I.IV. 



happiness of this family, under 

 these circunisJ.ances, may be more 

 easily conceived than described. 



Their industry and sobriety* 

 manifested whilst i» bondage, now 

 had its full effect ; and all went on 

 happily and comfortably, until the 

 profligate son, before mentioned, 

 who had by idleness and drunken- 

 ness reduced himself to extreme 

 necessity, conceived the cruel plan 

 of invalidating the indenture which 

 his mother had executed, to give 

 this worthy negro family their 

 liberty ; and actually sold the 

 father, mother, and the three 

 children, to a company of Georgia 

 slave dealers, who were then in 

 the neisjhbourliood. Thev beina: 

 conscious that the young man had 

 no right thus to sell the family, had 

 determined to take them away in 

 tlie dead of the night, to preclude 

 the possibility of api)lying to any 

 magistrate for protection. How- 

 ever, the negro had got some inti- 

 mation of what was going forward, 

 and, in conseqaence, kept loaded 

 fire arms in his house, being de- 

 termined to shoot any person who 

 should attempt to break into his 

 habitation. These precautions be- 

 ing known to the slave dealers, 

 the}', for some time, did not vei>- 

 ture to molest him ; but he and his 

 wife being soon wearied with living 

 in this state of anxious suspense, 

 consulted a fellow negro, in whom 

 they placed confidence, as to their 

 best method of proceeding; and it 

 was concluded that the whole 

 family should leave that (art of 

 the country, and settle in Pennsyl- 

 vania, as soon as possible, where 

 they would be out of the reach of 

 the slave dealers. 



No sooner was this determina- 

 tion come to, than their perfidious 

 2 I friend, 



