166 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



to those who were among our domestics, and 

 tyrannical over all who were under my influence. 

 I had established an evening school for the slaves 

 when their work was done ; I did really pay it 

 unremitting attention, and fancied that I found 

 great pleasure in being useful ; but I could not 

 bear to have my benevolent intentions thwarted : 

 those who were negligent in their attendance ex- 

 cited a stronger feeling than displeasure; and I 

 blush in confessing that the task-master found it 

 was his interest to treat those who had displeased 

 me with increased severity. 



One of the females who worked in the plan- 

 tation had a very engaging daughter ; she had a 

 good figure, spoke English tolerably, and had 

 a quickness and intelligence which particularly 

 pleased me. I had a great wish to have this 

 girl about my person, and at last obtained her, 

 though against her mother's will. She lived in 

 the house, and was a most useful and good-na- 

 tured creature; and the rapidity with which she 

 acquired all the knowledge that I could teach, 

 fully justified the high opinion of her that I had 

 formed. 



Sometimes, in the intervals of my economical 

 fever, I amused myself in making little collec- 

 tions in natural history ; and she endeared 

 herself extremely to me by the zeal with which 

 she entered into all my pursuits. Birds, insects, 

 beetles, spiders, reptiles, were all caught by her 



