leap　up　at　the　thought　of　old　Massachusetts。
  God　speed　the　day！
  ~Till　then；　and　ever；~
  ~Yours　truly；~
  ~WENDELL　PHILLIPS~
  FREDERICK　DOUGLASS。
  Frederick　Douglass　was　born　in　slavery　as　Fred…
  erick　Augustus　Washington　Bailey　near　Easton　in
  Talbot　County；　Maryland。　　He　was　not　sure　of　the
  exact　year　of　his　birth；　but　he　knew　that　it　was　1817
  or　1818。　　As　a　young　boy　he　was　sent　to　Baltimore；
  to　be　a　house　servant；　where　he　learned　to　read　and
  write；　with　the　assistance　of　his　master's　wife。　　In
  1838　he　escaped　from　slavery　and　went　to　New　York
  City；　where　he　married　Anna　Murray；　a　free　colored
  woman　whom　he　had　met　in　Baltimore。　　Soon　there…
  after　he　changed　his　name　to　Frederick　Douglass。
  In　1841　he　addressed　a　convention　of　the　Massa…
  chusetts　Anti…Slavery　Society　in　Nantucket　and　so
  greatly　impressed　the　group　that　they　immediately
  employed　him　as　an　agent。　　He　was　such　an　impres…
  sive　orator　that　numerous　persons　doubted　if　he　had
  ever　been　a　slave；　so　he　wrote　NARRATIVE　OF　THE　LIFE
  OF　FREDERICK　DOUGLASS。　　During　the　Civil　War　he　as…
  sisted　in　the　recruiting　of　colored　men　for　the　54th
  and　55th　Massachusetts　Regiments　and　consistently
  argued　for　the　emancipation　of　slaves。　　After　the　war
  he　was　active　in　securing　and　protecting　the　rights
  of　the　freemen。　　In　his　later　years；　at　different　times；
  he　was　secretary　of　the　Santo　Domingo　Commission；
  marshall　and　recorder　of　deeds　of　the　District　of
  Columbia；　and　United　States　Minister　to　Haiti。　　His
  other　autobiographical　works　are　MY　BONDAGE　AND
  MY　FREEDOM　and　LIFE　AND　TIMES　OF　FREDERICK
  DOUGLASS；　published　in　1855　and　1881　respectively。
  He　died　in　1895。
  CHAPTER　I
  I　was　born　in　Tuckahoe；　near　Hillsborough；　and
  about　twelve　miles　from　Easton；　in　Talbot　county；
  Maryland。　　I　have　no　accurate　knowledge　of　my　age；
  never　having　seen　any　authentic　record　containing　it。
  By　far　the　larger　part　of　the　slaves　know　as　little　of
  their　ages　as　horses　know　of　theirs；　and　it　is　the　wish
  of　most　masters　within　my　knowledge　to　keep　their
  slaves　thus　ignorant。　　I　do　not　remember　to　have　ever
  met　a　slave　who　could　tell　of　his　birthday。　　They
  seldom　come　nearer　to　it　than　planting…time；　harvest…
  time；　cherry…time；　spring…time；　or　fall…time。　　A　want
  of　information　concerning　my　own　was　a　source　of
  unhappiness　to　me　even　during　childhood。　　The　white
  children　could　tell　their　ages。　　I　could　not　tell　why　I
  ought　to　be　deprived　of　the　same　privilege。　　I　was
  not　allowed　to　make　any　inquiries　of　my　master　con…
  cerning　it。　　He　deemed　all　such　inquiries　on　the　part
  of　a　slave　improper　and　impertinent；　and　evidence
  of　a　restless　spirit。　　The　nearest　estimate　I　can　give
  makes　me　now　between　twenty…seven　and　twenty…
  eight　years　of　age。　　I　come　to　this；　from　hearing　my
  master　say；　some　time　during　1835；　I　was　about
  seventeen　years　old。
  My　mother　was　named　Harriet　Bailey。　　She　was
  the　daughter　of　Isaac　and　Betsey　Bailey；　both　col…
  ored；　and　quite　dark。　　My　mother　was　of　a　darker
  complexion　than　either　my　grandmother　or　grand…
  father。
  My　father　was　a　white　man。　　He　was　admitted　to
  be　such　by　all　I　ever　heard　speak　of　my　parentage。
  The　opinion　was　also　whispered　that　my　master　was
  my　father；　but　of　the　correctness　of　this　opinion；　I
  know　nothing；　the　means　of　knowing　was　withheld
  from　me。　　My　mother　and　I　were　separated　when　I
  was　but　an　infantbefore　I　knew　her　as　my　mother。
  It　is　a　common　custom；　in　the　part　of　Maryland
  from　which　I　ran　away；　to　part　children　from　their
  mothers　at　a　very　early　age。　　Frequently；　before　the
  child　has　reached　its　twelfth　month；　its　mother　is
  taken　from　it；　and　hired　out　on　some　farm　a　con…
  siderable　distance　off；　and　the　child　is　placed　under
  the　care　of　an　old　woman；　too　old　for　field　labor。
  For　what　this　separation　is　done；　I　do　not　know；
  unless　it　be　to　hinder　the　development　of　the　child's
  affection　toward　its　mother；　and　to　blunt　and　destroy
  the　natural　affection　of　the　mother　for　the　child。
  This　is　the　inevitable　result。
  I　never　saw　my　mother；　to　know　her　as　such；　more
  than　four　or　five　times　in　my　life；　and　each　of　these
  times　was　very　short　in　duration；　and　at　night。　　She
  was　hired　by　a　Mr。　Stewart；　who　lived　about　twelve
  miles　from　my　home。　　She　made　her　journeys　to　see
  me　in　the　night；　travelling　the　whole　distance　on
  foot；　after　the　performance　of　her　day's　work。　　She
  was　a　field　hand；　and　a　whipping　is　the　penalty　of
  not　being　in　the　field　at　sunrise；　unless　a　slave　has
  special　permission　from　his　or　her　master　to　the　con…
  trarya　permission　which　they　seldom　get；　and　one
  that　gives　to　him　that　gives　it　the　proud　name　of
  being　a　kind　master。　　I　do　not　recollect　of　ever　seeing
  my　mother　by　the　light　of　day。　　She　was　with　me　in
  the　night。　　She　would　lie　down　with　me；　and　get　me
  to　sleep；　but　long　before　I　waked　she　was　gone。　　Very
  little　communication　ever　took　place　between　us。
  Death　soon　ended　what　little　we　could　have　while
  she　lived；　and　with　it　her　hardships　and　suffering。
  She　died　when　I　was　about　seven　years　old；　on　one
  of　my　master's　farms；　near　Lee's　Mill。　　I　was　not　al…
  lowed　to　be　present　during　her　illness；　at　her　death；
  or　burial。　　She　was　gone　long　before　I　knew　any　thing
  about　it。　　Never　having　enjoyed；　to　any　considerable
  extent；　her　soothing　presence；　her　tender　and　watch…
  ful　care；　I　received　the　tidings　of　her　death　with
  much　the　same　emotions　I　should　have　probably
  felt　at　the　death　of　a　stranger。
  Called　thus　suddenly　away；　she　left　me　without
  the　slightest　intimation　of　who　my　father　was。　　The
  whisper　that　my　master　was　my　father；　may　or　may
  not　be　true；　and；　true　or　false；　it　is　of　but　little　con…
  sequence　to　my　purpose　whilst　the　fact　remains；
  in　all　its　glaring　odiousness；　that　slaveholders　have
  ordained；　and　by　law　established；　that　the　children
  of　slave　women　shall　in　all　cases　follow　the　condi…
  tion　of　their　mothers；　and　this　is　done　too　obviously
  to　administer　to　their　own　lusts；　and　make　a　grati…
  fication　of　their　wicked　desires　profitable　as　well　as
  pleasurable；　for　by　this　cunning　arrangement；　the
  slaveholder；　in　cases　not　a　few；　sustains　to　his　slaves
  the　double　relation　of　master　and　father。
  I　know　of　such　cases；　and　it　is　worthy　of　remark
  that　such　slaves　invariably　suffer　greater　hardships；
  and　have　more　to　contend　with；　than　others。　　They
  are；　in　the　first　place；　a　constant　offence　to　their
  mistress。　　She　is　ever　disposed　to　find　fault　with　them；
  they　can　seldom　do　any　thing　to　please　her；　she　is
  never　better　pleased　than　when　she　sees　them　under
  the　lash；　especially　when　she　suspects　her　husband
  of　showing　to　his　mulatto　children　favors　which　he
  withholds　from　his　black　slaves。　　The　master　is　fre…
  quently　compelled　to　sell　this　class　of　his　slaves；　out
  of　deference　to　the　feelings　of　his　white　wife；　and；
  cruel　as　the　deed　may　strike　any　one　to　be；　for　a
  man　to　sell　his　own　children　to　human　flesh…mongers；
  it　is　often　the　dictate　of　humanity　for　him　to　do　so；
  for；　unless　he　does　this；　he　must　not　only　whip　them
  himself；　but　must　stand　by　and　see　one　white　son
  tie　up　his　brother；　of　but　few　shades　darker　com…
  plexion　than　himself；　and　ply　the　gory　lash　to　his
  naked　back；　and　if　he　lisp　one　word　of　disapproval；
  it　is　set　down　to　his　parental　partiality；　and　only
  makes　a　bad　matter　worse；　both　for　himself　and　the
  slave　whom　he　would　protect　and　defend。
  Every　year　brings　with　it　multitudes　of　this　class
  of　slaves。　　It　was　doubtless　in　consequence　of　a　knowl…
  edge　of　this　fact；　that　one　great　statesman　of　the
  south　predicted　the　downfall　of　slavery　by　the　in…
  evitable　laws　of　population。　　Whether　this　prophecy
  is　ever　fulfilled　or　not；　it　is　nevertheless　plain　that　a
  very　different…looking　class　of　people　are　springing　up
  at　the　south；　and　are　now　held　in　slavery；　from　those
  originally　brought　to　this　country　from　Africa；　and
  if　their　increase　do　no　other　good；　it　will　do
  away　the　force　of　the　argument；　that　God　cursed
  Ham；　and　therefore　American　slavery　is　right。　　If　the
  lineal　descendants　of　Ham　are　alone　to　be　scriptur…
  ally　enslaved；　it　is　certain　that　slavery　at　the　south
  must　soon　become　unscriptural；　for　thousands　are
  ushered　into　the　world；　annually；　who；　like　myself；
  owe　their　existence　to　white　fathers；　and　those　fa…
  thers　most　frequently　their　own　masters。
  I　have　had　two　masters。　　My　first　master's　name
  was　Anthony。　　I　do　not　remember　his　first　name。
  He　was　generally　called　Captain　Anthonya　title
  which；　I　presume；　he　acquired　by　sailing　a　craft　on
  the　Chesapeake　Bay。　　He　was　not　considered　a　rich
  slaveholder。　　He　owned　two　or　three　farms；　and　about
  thirty　slaves。　　His　farms　and　slaves　were　under　the
  care　of　an　oversee