Incidents in the life of a slave girl.: Written by herself. Edited by L. Maria Child.

Preparations for Efcape.
whenever his uncle Phillip could go with him; and
I was anxious to be there also, to watch over my
children, and protect them so far as I was able. Moreover, I was likely to be drowned out of my dell, if I
remained much longer; for the slight roof was getting
badly out of repair, and uncle Phillip was afraid to remove the shingles, lest some one should get a glimpse
of me. When storms occurred in the night, they
spread mats and bits of carpet, which in the morning
appeared to have been laid out to dry; but to cover
the roof in the daytime might have attracted attention. Consequently, my clothes and bedding were
often drenched; a process by which the pains and
aches in my cramped and stiffened limbs were greatly
increased. I revolved various plans of escape in my
mind, which I sometimes imparted to my grandmother,
when she came to whisper with me at the trap-door.
The kind-hearted old woman had an intense sympathy
for runaways. She had known too much of the
cruelties inflicted on those who were captured. Hler
memory always flew back at once to the sufferings of her
bright and handsome son, Benjamin, the youngest and
dearest of her flock. So, whenever I alluded to the
subject, she would groan out, " 0, don't think of it,
child. You'll break my heart." I had no good old
aunt Nancy now to encourage me; but my brother
William and my children were continually beckoning
me to the north.
And now I must go back a few months in my story.
I have stated that the first of Jalnuary was the time
for selling slaves, or leasing them out to new masters.
If time were counted by heart-throbs, the poor slaves
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