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such was the manner in which he performed his 

 promise. 



February 1. (Sunday.) 

 During my former visit to Jamaica I had inter- 

 ceded in behalf of a negro belonging to Greenwich 

 estate, named Aberdeen, who had run away re- 

 peatedly, but who attributed his misconduct to the 

 decay of his health, which rendered him unable 

 to work as well as formerly, and to the fear of 

 consequent punishment for not having performed 

 the tasks assigned to him. The fellow while he 

 spoke to me had tears running down his cheeks, 

 looked feeble and ill, and indeed seemed to be 

 quite heart-broken. On my speaking to the attor- 

 ney, he readily promised to enquire into the truth 

 of the man's statement, and to take care that he 

 should be only allotted such labour as his strength 

 might be fully equal to. This morning he came 

 over to see me, and so altered, that I could scarcely 

 believe him to be the same man. He was cleanly 

 dressed, walked with his head erect, and his eyes 

 sparkled, and his mouth grinned from ear to ear, 

 while he told me, that during my absence every 

 thing had gone well with him, nobody had " put 

 upon him ; " he had been tasked no more than 

 suited his strength ; as much as he was able to do, 

 he had done willingly, and had never run away. 

 Even his asthma was better in consequence of 

 the depression being removed from his spirits. So, 

 he said, as soon as he heard of my return, he thought 



