Читать книгу Chains and Freedom: or, The Life and Adventures of Peter Wheeler, a Colored Man Yet Living онлайн

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Author. “Well, Peter, I’ve come up to your house this morning, to write another chapter in the book; and you can go on with your boots while I write, and so we’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Peter. “Well, I felt distressedly when mistress died, and I cried, and mourned, and wept, night and day. I was now in my eleventh year. While she lived I worked in the house, but, as soon as she died, I was put into the field; and so, on her death, I entered into what I call the field of trouble; and now my story will show ye what stuff men and women is made of.

“My master didn’t own me, for I was made free by my old master’s will, who died when I was little; and, in his will, he liberated my mother, who had always been a slave and all her posterity; so that as soon as old master died, I was free by law—but pity me if slavery folks regard law that ever I see: ☜ for slavery is a tramplin’ on all laws. Well, arter mother was free, she got a comfortable livin’ till her death. In that will I was set free, but I lived with master till after mistress’ death, and then I was stole, and in this way. Master got uneasy and thought he could do better than to stay in that country, and so he advertised his plantation for sale. It run somethin’ like this, on the notice he writ: