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

132 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.
was made within my hearing, and it would have been
quite as manly to have made it to my face. Ile had
said things to my face which migl-ht, or might not,
have surprised his neighbor if hlie had known of them.
He was "a chip of the old block."
I resolved to give him no cause to accuse me of
being too much of a lady, so far as work was concerned. I worked day and night, with wretchedness
before me. When I lay down beside my child, I felt
how much easier it would be to see her die than
to see her master beat her about, as I daily saw him
beat other little ones. The spirit of the mothers
was so crushed by the lashl, that they stood by,
without courage to remonstrate. Htow much more
must I suffer, before I should be "broke in" to
that degree?
I wished to appear as contented as possible. Sometimes I had an opportunity to send a few lines home;
and this brought up recollections that made it difficult,
for a time, to seem calm and indifferent to myv lot. Notwithstanding my efforts, I saw that Mr. Flint regarded
me with a suspicious eye. Ellen broke down under
the trials of her nlew life. Separated from me, with no
one to look after her, she wandered about, and in a
few days cried herself sick. One day, she sat under
the window where I was at work, crying that weary
cry which makes a mother's heart bleed. I was obliged
to steel myself to bear it. After a while it ceased. I
looked out, and she was gone. As it was near noon,
I ventured to go down in search of her. The great
house was raised two feet above the ground. I looked
under it, and saw her about midway, fast asleep. I
t