Historical Romance of the American Negro

loose from slavery, are as vivid as the lightning's flash. "A still tongue makes a wise head," and so I held my tongue and bided my time until I made at last that successful spring. And never do

That mansion, with all its splendid surroundings, belonged to my father and owner, a white man named Lemuel Jackson; but my own mother, a woman of uncommon beauty, belonged to the colored race. My mother, for some

e me the cash I asked for, which I now began to carefully put away in a secret place only known to the Lord and myself. Two eventful years had passed away. I had by this time discovered the whereabouts of my mother, Harriet, in N

the way to freedom. There was to be a big church gathering at Louisville, and the first session of that g

ay before. They were to spend the night with us, and all things breathed religio

sheep's eyes" at me for several years past, but who could think of marriage whilst in a state of slavery? Therefore I gave him no encouragement, but as he was thoroughly reliable, I said to him one day in strict confidence, and in the most s

use, as it was called, would be left in his charge while the family and the upper servants attended the gathering at Louisville. Soon after th

apital, indeed! Strike when the iron is hot, and kill chick

hen we are free from t

right as the stars on a frosty night, and mine

ten o'clock to-morrow morning, as all things will be in readiness by that time. Beulah,

Minds are never to be sold! Sti

r two down the Indiana side, where he ran the boat up a creek, near which stood a little cabin in which some acquaintances of his lived. He confided his secret to his friends, and as the man of the house kept a horse and wagon, the latter consented to convey our trunks to the house of a mutual friend in New Albany next morning. Then leaving this

reedom that took place shortly before this near our place. A girl of fifteen and her brother, twelve years of age, were left alone one day to take care of

e, Muriel called her b

bureau, and I will burst it open and take what will carry you and me on the train to a place of safety and freedom. Let us take clothes a

ked to the nearest railway station, took a train for the North,

. Jackson, the woman who caused my precious mother to be sent down to New Orleans. There was a grand breakfast at the big house, and, as usual, I figured like a flower girl at a wedding. I did my best

ue time the coast was clear for Tom and me to strike for freedom. We packed two large lea

owerful man, soon carried the trunks down to the boat, without exciting any undue suspicion among the few old f

give the whole the appearance of a trading skiff, and as the wi

for a little ways down the Kentucky shore. Then my adventurous pilot crossed to the Indiana side, and concealed our little craft behind a string of barges floating down the Ohio. Several steamboats came puffing and blowing up the stream, and so, amid the general turmoil

ES

w Albany. After I had made many promises to write, and given a thousand thanks, I started for the place of meeting, and my galla

tation. Tom marched up to the ticket office, two tickets were quickly secured, and at last the supreme moment of happiness arrived when we took our seats for the far-famed city of Cincinnati. I have seen many horses in my time, and mules like the s

oung woman of seventeen, whereas Tom was an experienced man ten years my senior, and, in appearance, at least, he managed to bear things with more composure than did I. As our train rushed along through the beautiful land, all adorned with the thousand beauties of the pleasant month of May, all things looked to me like consecutive scenes in a

hen we two fugitives from the land of slavery stepped on the platform here, all safe and sound, we were reminded of a ship entering, after many risks in the voyages of life, the port of Heaven, with all sails spread, and never an injured plank. I looked across

down to the Ohio river, while Tom nearby entered into some serious

let us go

polite manner possible we were asked in, and invited into the parlor. Mr. Robinson, a jolly, fat-faced, pleasant-looking Reverend, was on

med in private or public, I insisted on it being done as publicly a

ing should take place an hour after the meeting commenced. Mrs. Robinson and the entire family were now called into the parlor, when w

rospective marriage spread like wildfire throughout the good city of Cincinnati. The ladies, both white and colored, were tremen

e church, and here I will give the account of our wedd

T THE A. M

hich reminded us of that of Jacob and Rachel. The contracti

kson, Esq., of Riverside Hall, below Louisville, Ky. The beautiful seventeen-year-old bride is the daughter of Mr. Jackson himself

and the regulation wedding costume. 'The Flower Girl of Riverside Hall,' as she has been often called, it seems,

e call was readily responded to, and a good sum was contributed. The young couple passed the night at the home of the Rev. Mr. Robinson, who performed the ceremony. They leave this morning f

n to think that the South should call such men and women 'goods and chattels.' It was the outspoken opinion that a day of

n the little cabin by the creek. Next morning at breakfast the fun was delightful, and I was obliged to laugh when Mrs. Robinson called me "The flower girl of Riverside Hall." Brea

he banks of the Little Miami. I was immensely pleased with the beautiful State of Ohio, its fine churches along the way, its fair and fertile farms, and all

s we put up at a friend's house, for we were both very much fatigued, indeed, with our long journey and its incidental bustle and confusion. I was only seventeen years old at this time, the most romantic age of a woman's life-or rather she is standing on the borderland with girlhood just behind her, an

t worthy colored families who belonged to the A. M. E. Church on Vine street, as good

t. She was ten times more amiable and lady-like than Mrs. Jackson, a woman whom he married for fashion's sake; but he never did or could love her as he did my mother, or even myself. It was the identical case of Rachel and Joseph over again. If all the rest had died, and Harriet and Beulah had re

ided that I should write home in a week or two, when we were settled down to practical house-keeping.

the passage of that infamous bill there were several fugitive slaves caught close to the border, and carried back to slavery, but the true spirit of the North arose against such Southern barbarism, and after a few slave-hunters had been shot, the South ceased to send her couriers

d giving him our street address. Mrs. Jackson would have no doubt been capable of setting the man-hunters on our track, but fath

et, furnished it cheaply, but comfortably, and at the appointed time we invited the pastor of the church an

out a month, I wrote the following lett

n, Esq., River

ear F

ter should take a delight in writing to you, and we have lived too long under the same roof for me not

ent and kind to your own dear Beulah. If I had searched the whole United States I don't believe that I could ever have fo

E. Church on Vine street. We desired to have the approbation of the Almighty upon ourselves and on our works and ways. Theref

e train here and set our wandering feet within the Queen City of the Lakes. The sweet ladies of Buffalo have been here to see me in numbers, and I also have been to their

ware, lies at the foot of Lake Erie just where it enters the Niagara River. There is a settlement of colored people

of the mountain. I can assure you, when Tom and I saw the marks of their horrible treatmen

flowers. All around Lake Erie and the Niagara River, both in Canada and the State of New York, the fair face of Nature is just blooming; all the woods are dressed in their mantle of g

m the ends of the earth to see. It is well for Buffalo and all the towns and villages that lie around about this river, that they are so located, that is, so near the falls, because there is always

dences in Buffalo, we took a special day and went to see Niagara Falls. As we had read and heard so much of these celebrated falls, I might almost say since the time we w

ields, and on the opposite, or Canadian side, the tall pines were beautiful to behold. As we drew near to the station at the falls, the roaring of the mighty waters struck with great force upon our astonished ears, and when we got out, what astonished us more and more was the gran

ped like the waves of a troubled ocean. It was just one continuous and eternal yell. I was completely dumfounded. I could do nothing but quote

ch assumes the shape of a gigantic horseshoe, is the grandest one. The waters are deeply gre

t required all the nerve we had to allow us to even look down upon the flying, yelling, and most tremendous waters! This is one of the places to which

ve at another time. Here comes Tom home for his tea, and our min

ost affectio

AH LI

my letter, and in ten days received

, NEAR LOUISVI

eulah L

ar Dau

e-I mean in the way of vexation-but Mrs. Jackson was so much disturbed that she has not recovered from the effects of it yet, as she did not think you and Tom would leave us. However, now that you have gone, I wish you well, and

t affecti

EL JA

en, it seemed that we were safe. From