been　taken。　　Mistress；　in　teaching　me　the　alphabet；
  had　given　me　the　~inch；~　and　no　precaution　could　pre…
  vent　me　from　taking　the　~ell。~
  The　plan　which　I　adopted；　and　the　one　by　which
  I　was　most　successful；　was　that　of　making　friends　of
  all　the　little　white　boys　whom　I　met　in　the　street。
  As　many　of　these　as　I　could；　I　converted　into　teach…
  ers。　　With　their　kindly　aid；　obtained　at　different　times
  and　in　different　places；　I　finally　succeeded　in　learn…
  ing　to　read。　　When　I　was　sent　of　errands；　I　always
  took　my　book　with　me；　and　by　going　one　part　of
  my　errand　quickly；　I　found　time　to　get　a　lesson　be…
  fore　my　return。　　I　used　also　to　carry　bread　with　me；
  enough　of　which　was　always　in　the　house；　and　to
  which　I　was　always　welcome；　for　I　was　much　better
  off　in　this　regard　than　many　of　the　poor　white　chil…
  dren　in　our　neighborhood。　　This　bread　I　used　to　be…
  stow　upon　the　hungry　little　urchins；　who；　in　return；
  would　give　me　that　more　valuable　bread　of　knowl…
  edge。　　I　am　strongly　tempted　to　give　the　names　of
  two　or　three　of　those　little　boys；　as　a　testimonial　of
  the　gratitude　and　affection　I　bear　them；　but　pru…
  dence　forbids；not　that　it　would　injure　me；　but　it
  might　embarrass　them；　for　it　is　almost　an　unpar…
  donable　offence　to　teach　slaves　to　read　in　this　Chris…
  tian　country。　　It　is　enough　to　say　of　the　dear　little
  fellows；　that　they　lived　on　Philpot　Street；　very　near
  Durgin　and　Bailey's　ship…yard。　　I　used　to　talk　this
  matter　of　slavery　over　with　them。　　I　would　sometimes
  say　to　them；　I　wished　I　could　be　as　free　as　they
  would　be　when　they　got　to　be　men。　　〃You　will　be
  free　as　soon　as　you　are　twenty…one；　~but　I　am　a　slave
  for　life！~　　Have　not　I　as　good　a　right　to　be　free　as
  you　have？〃　　These　words　used　to　trouble　them；　they
  would　express　for　me　the　liveliest　sympathy；　and　con…
  sole　me　with　the　hope　that　something　would　occur
  by　which　I　might　be　free。
  I　was　now　about　twelve　years　old；　and　the　thought
  of　being　~a　slave　for　life~　began　to　bear　heavily　upon
  my　heart。　　Just　about　this　time；　I　got　hold　of　a　book
  entitled　〃The　Columbian　Orator。〃　　Every　opportu…
  nity　I　got；　I　used　to　read　this　book。　　Among　much　of
  other　interesting　matter；　I　found　in　it　a　dialogue　be…
  tween　a　master　and　his　slave。　　The　slave　was　repre…
  sented　as　having　run　away　from　his　master　three
  times。　　The　dialogue　represented　the　conversation
  which　took　place　between　them；　when　the　slave　was
  retaken　the　third　time。　　In　this　dialogue；　the　whole
  argument　in　behalf　of　slavery　was　brought　forward
  by　the　master；　all　of　which　was　disposed　of　by　the
  slave。　　The　slave　was　made　to　say　some　very　smart　as
  well　as　impressive　things　in　reply　to　his　master
  things　which　had　the　desired　though　unexpected　ef…
  fect；　for　the　conversation　resulted　in　the　voluntary
  emancipation　of　the　slave　on　the　part　of　the　master。
  In　the　same　book；　I　met　with　one　of　Sheridan's
  mighty　speeches　on　and　in　behalf　of　Catholic　eman…
  cipation。　　These　were　choice　documents　to　me。　　I　read
  them　over　and　over　again　with　unabated　interest。
  They　gave　tongue　to　interesting　thoughts　of　my　own
  soul；　which　had　frequently　flashed　through　my　mind；
  and　died　away　for　want　of　utterance。　　The　moral
  which　I　gained　from　the　dialogue　was　the　power　of
  truth　over　the　conscience　of　even　a　slaveholder。　　What
  I　got　from　Sheridan　was　a　bold　denunciation　of　slav…
  ery；　and　a　powerful　vindication　of　human　rights。
  The　reading　of　these　documents　enabled　me　to
  utter　my　thoughts；　and　to　meet　the　arguments
  brought　forward　to　sustain　slavery；　but　while　they
  relieved　me　of　one　difficulty；　they　brought　on　an…
  other　even　more　painful　than　the　one　of　which　I　was
  relieved。　　The　more　I　read；　the　more　I　was　led　to
  abhor　and　detest　my　enslavers。　　I　could　regard　them
  in　no　other　light　than　a　band　of　successful　robbers；
  who　had　left　their　homes；　and　gone　to　Africa；　and
  stolen　us　from　our　homes；　and　in　a　strange　land
  reduced　us　to　slavery。　　I　loathed　them　as　being　the
  meanest　as　well　as　the　most　wicked　of　men。　　As　I
  read　and　contemplated　the　subject；　behold！　that　very
  discontentment　which　Master　Hugh　had　predicted
  would　follow　my　learning　to　read　had　already　come；
  to　torment　and　sting　my　soul　to　unutterable　anguish。
  As　I　writhed　under　it；　I　would　at　times　feel　that
  learning　to　read　had　been　a　curse　rather　than　a　bless…
  ing。　　It　had　given　me　a　view　of　my　wretched　condi…
  tion；　without　the　remedy。　　It　opened　my　eyes　to　the
  horrible　pit；　but　to　no　ladder　upon　which　to　get　out。
  In　moments　of　agony；　I　envied　my　fellow…slaves　for
  their　stupidity。　　I　have　often　wished　myself　a　beast。
  I　preferred　the　condition　of　the　meanest　reptile　to
  my　own。　　Any　thing；　no　matter　what；　to　get　rid　of
  thinking！　　It　was　this　everlasting　thinking　of　my　con…
  dition　that　tormented　me。　　There　was　no　getting　rid
  of　it。　　It　was　pressed　upon　me　by　every　object　within
  sight　or　hearing；　animate　or　inanimate。　　The　silver
  trump　of　freedom　had　roused　my　soul　to　eternal
  wakefulness。　　Freedom　now　appeared；　to　disappear
  no　more　forever。　　It　was　heard　in　every　sound；　and
  seen　in　every　thing。　　It　was　ever　present　to　torment
  me　with　a　sense　of　my　wretched　condition。　　I　saw
  nothing　without　seeing　it；　I　heard　nothing　without
  hearing　it；　and　felt　nothing　without　feeling　it。　　It
  looked　from　every　star；　it　smiled　in　every　calm；
  breathed　in　every　wind；　and　moved　in　every　storm。
  I　often　found　myself　regretting　my　own　existence；
  and　wishing　myself　dead；　and　but　for　the　hope　of
  being　free；　I　have　no　doubt　but　that　I　should　have
  killed　myself；　or　done　something　for　which　I　should
  have　been　killed。　　While　in　this　state　of　mind；　I　was
  eager　to　hear　any　one　speak　of　slavery。　　I　was　a　ready
  listener。　　Every　little　while；　I　could　hear　something
  about　the　abolitionists。　　It　was　some　time　before　I
  found　what　the　word　meant。　　It　was　always　used　in
  such　connections　as　to　make　it　an　interesting　word
  to　me。　　If　a　slave　ran　away　and　succeeded　in　getting
  clear；　or　if　a　slave　killed　his　master；　set　fire　to　a
  barn；　or　did　any　thing　very　wrong　in　the　mind　of　a
  slaveholder；　it　was　spoken　of　as　the　fruit　of　~abolition。~
  Hearing　the　word　in　this　connection　very　often；　I　set
  about　learning　what　it　meant。　　The　dictionary　af…
  forded　me　little　or　no　help。　　I　found　it　was　〃the　act
  of　abolishing；〃　but　then　I　did　not　know　what　was
  to　be　abolished。　　Here　I　was　perplexed。　　I　did　not
  dare　to　ask　any　one　about　its　meaning；　for　I　was
  satisfied　that　it　was　something　they　wanted　me　to
  know　very　little　about。　　After　a　patient　waiting；　I　got
  one　of　our　city　papers；　containing　an　account　of　the
  number　of　petitions　from　the　north；　praying　for　the
  abolition　of　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　and
  of　the　slave　trade　between　the　States。　　From　this
  time　I　understood　the　words　~abolition~　and　~abolition…
  ist；~　and　always　drew　near　when　that　word　was　spoken；
  expecting　to　hear　something　of　importance　to　my…
  self　and　fellow…slaves。　　The　light　broke　in　upon　me
  by　degrees。　　I　went　one　day　down　on　the　wharf　of
  Mr。　Waters；　and　seeing　two　Irishmen　unloading　a
  scow　of　stone；　I　went；　unasked；　and　helped　them。
  When　we　had　finished；　one　of　them　came　to　me
  and　asked　me　if　I　were　a　slave。　　I　told　him　I　was。　　He
  asked；　〃Are　ye　a　slave　for　life？〃　　I　told　him　that　I
  was。　　The　good　Irishman　seemed　to　be　deeply　af…
  fected　by　the　statement。　　He　said　to　the　other　that
  it　was　a　pity　so　fine　a　little　fellow　as　myself　should
  be　a　slave　for　life。　　He　said　it　was　a　shame　to　hold
  me。　　They　both　advised　me　to　run　away　to　the　north；
  that　I　should　find　friends　there；　and　that　I　should
  be　free。　　I　pretended　not　to　be　interested　in　what
  they　said；　and　treated　them　as　if　I　did　not　under…
  stand　them；　for　I　feared　they　might　be　treacherous。
  White　men　have　been　known　to　encourage　slaves　to
  escape；　and　then；　to　get　the　reward；　catch　them　and
  return　them　to　their　masters。　　I　was　afraid　that　these
  seemingly　good　men　might　use　me　so；　but　I　never…
  theless　remembered　their　advice；　and　from　that　time
  I　resolved　to　run　away。　　I　looked　forward　to　a　time
  at　which　it　would　be　safe　for　me　to　escape。　　I　was
  too　young　to　think　of　doing　so　immediately；　besides；
  I　wished　to　learn　how　to　write；　as　I　might　have　oc…
  casion　to　write　my　own　pass。　　I　consoled　myself　with
  the　hope　that　I　should　one　day　find　a　good　chance。
  Meanwhile；　I　would　learn　to　write。
  The　idea　as　to　how　I　might　learn　to　write　was
  suggested　to　me　by　being　in　Durgin　and　Bailey's
  ship…yard；　and　frequently　seeing　the　ship　carpenters；
  after　hewing；　and　getting　a　piece　of　timber　ready
  for　use；　write　on　the　timber　the　name　of　that　part
  of　the　ship　for　which　it　was　intended。　　When　a　piece
  of　timber　was　intended　for　the　larboard　side；　it
  would　be　marked　thus〃L。〃　　When　a　piece　was　for
  the　starboard　side；　it　would　be　marked　thus〃S。〃　　A
  piece　for　the　larboard　side　forward；　would　be　marked
  thus〃L。　F。〃　　When　a　piece　was　for　s