〃Lady　of　the　Lake；〃　and　at　once　suggested　that　my
  name　be　〃Douglass。〃　　From　that　time　until　now　I
  have　been　called　〃Frederick　Douglass；〃　and　as　I　am
  more　widely　known　by　that　name　than　by　either　of
  the　others；　I　shall　continue　to　use　it　as　my　own。
  I　was　quite　disappointed　at　the　general　appear…
  ance　of　things　in　New　Bedford。　　The　impression
  which　I　had　received　respecting　the　character　and
  condition　of　the　people　of　the　north；　I　found　to　be
  singularly　erroneous。　　I　had　very　strangely　supposed；
  while　in　slavery；　that　few　of　the　comforts；　and
  scarcely　any　of　the　luxuries；　of　life　were　enjoyed　at
  the　north；　compared　with　what　were　enjoyed　by　the
  slaveholders　of　the　south。　　I　probably　came　to　this
  conclusion　from　the　fact　that　northern　people　owned
  no　slaves。　　I　supposed　that　they　were　about　upon　a
  level　with　the　non…slaveholding　population　of　the
  south。　　I　knew　~they~　were　exceedingly　poor；　and　I　had
  been　accustomed　to　regard　their　poverty　as　the　nec…
  essary　consequence　of　their　being　non…slaveholders。
  I　had　somehow　imbibed　the　opinion　that；　in　the
  absence　of　slaves；　there　could　be　no　wealth；　and　very
  little　refinement。　　And　upon　coming　to　the　north；　I
  expected　to　meet　with　a　rough；　hard…handed；　and
  uncultivated　population；　living　in　the　most　Spartan…
  like　simplicity；　knowing　nothing　of　the　ease；　luxury；
  pomp；　and　grandeur　of　southern　slaveholders。　　Such
  being　my　conjectures；　any　one　acquainted　with　the
  appearance　of　New　Bedford　may　very　readily　infer
  how　palpably　I　must　have　seen　my　mistake。
  In　the　afternoon　of　the　day　when　I　reached　New
  Bedford；　I　visited　the　wharves；　to　take　a　view　of　the
  shipping。　　Here　I　found　myself　surrounded　with　the
  strongest　proofs　of　wealth。　　Lying　at　the　wharves；　and
  riding　in　the　stream；　I　saw　many　ships　of　the　finest
  model；　in　the　best　order；　and　of　the　largest　size。
  Upon　the　right　and　left；　I　was　walled　in　by　granite
  warehouses　of　the　widest　dimensions；　stowed　to　their
  utmost　capacity　with　the　necessaries　and　comforts
  of　life。　　Added　to　this；　almost　every　body　seemed　to
  be　at　work；　but　noiselessly　so；　compared　with　what
  I　had　been　accustomed　to　in　Baltimore。　　There　were
  no　loud　songs　heard　from　those　engaged　in　loading
  and　unloading　ships。　　I　heard　no　deep　oaths　or　horrid
  curses　on　the　laborer。　　I　saw　no　whipping　of　men；
  but　all　seemed　to　go　smoothly　on。　　Every　man　ap…
  peared　to　understand　his　work；　and　went　at　it　with
  a　sober；　yet　cheerful　earnestness；　which　betokened
  the　deep　interest　which　he　felt　in　what　he　was　doing；
  as　well　as　a　sense　of　his　own　dignity　as　a　man。　　To　me
  this　looked　exceedingly　strange。　　From　the　wharves　I
  strolled　around　and　over　the　town；　gazing　with　won…
  der　and　admiration　at　the　splendid　churches；　beauti…
  ful　dwellings；　and　finely…cultivated　gardens；　evincing
  an　amount　of　wealth；　comfort；　taste；　and　refinement；
  such　as　I　had　never　seen　in　any　part　of　slaveholding
  Maryland。
  Every　thing　looked　clean；　new；　and　beautiful。　　I
  saw　few　or　no　dilapidated　houses；　with　poverty…
  stricken　inmates；　no　half…naked　children　and　bare…
  footed　women；　such　as　I　had　been　accustomed　to　see
  in　Hillsborough；　Easton；　St。　Michael's；　and　Balti…
  more。　　The　people　looked　more　able；　stronger；　health…
  ier；　and　happier；　than　those　of　Maryland。　　I　was　for
  once　made　glad　by　a　view　of　extreme　wealth；　without
  being　saddened　by　seeing　extreme　poverty。　　But　the
  most　astonishing　as　well　as　the　most　interesting　thing
  to　me　was　the　condition　of　the　colored　people；　a
  great　many　of　whom；　like　myself；　had　escaped
  thither　as　a　refuge　from　the　hunters　of　men。　　I　found
  many；　who　had　not　been　seven　years　out　of　their
  chains；　living　in　finer　houses；　and　evidently　enjoying
  more　of　the　comforts　of　life；　than　the　average　of
  slaveholders　in　Maryland。　　I　will　venture　to　assert；
  that　my　friend　Mr。　Nathan　Johnson　（of　whom　I
  can　say　with　a　grateful　heart；　〃I　was　hungry；　and　he
  gave　me　meat；　I　was　thirsty；　and　he　gave　me　drink；
  I　was　a　stranger；　and　he　took　me　in〃）　lived　in　a
  neater　house；　dined　at　a　better　table；　took；　paid
  for；　and　read；　more　newspapers；　better　understood
  the　moral；　religious；　and　political　character　of　the
  nation；than　nine　tenths　of　the　slaveholders　in　Tal…
  bot　county　Maryland。　　Yet　Mr。　Johnson　was　a　work…
  ing　man。　　His　hands　were　hardened　by　toil；　and　not
  his　alone；　but　those　also　of　Mrs。　Johnson。　　I　found　the
  colored　people　much　more　spirited　than　I　had　sup…
  posed　they　would　be。　　I　found　among　them　a　deter…
  mination　to　protect　each　other　from　the　blood…thirsty
  kidnapper；　at　all　hazards。　　Soon　after　my　arrival；　I
  was　told　of　a　circumstance　which　illustrated　their
  spirit。　　A　colored　man　and　a　fugitive　slave　were　on
  unfriendly　terms。　　The　former　was　heard　to　threaten
  the　latter　with　informing　his　master　of　his　where…
  abouts。　　Straightway　a　meeting　was　called　among　the
  colored　people；　under　the　stereotyped　notice；　〃Busi…
  ness　of　importance！〃　　The　betrayer　was　invited　to　at…
  tend。　　The　people　came　at　the　appointed　hour；　and
  organized　the　meeting　by　appointing　a　very　religious
  old　gentleman　as　president；　who；　I　believe；　made　a
  prayer；　after　which　he　addressed　the　meeting　as　fol…
  lows：　〃~Friends；　we　have　got　him　here；　and　I　would
  recommend　that　you　young　men　just　take　him　out…
  side　the　door；　and　kill　him！~〃　　With　this；　a　number
  of　them　bolted　at　him；　but　they　were　intercepted
  by　some　more　timid　than　themselves；　and　the　be…
  trayer　escaped　their　vengeance；　and　has　not　been
  seen　in　New　Bedford　since。　　I　believe　there　have
  been　no　more　such　threats；　and　should　there　be　here…
  after；　I　doubt　not　that　death　would　be　the　conse…
  quence。
  I　found　employment；　the　third　day　after　my　ar…
  rival；　in　stowing　a　sloop　with　a　load　of　oil。　　It　was
  new；　dirty；　and　hard　work　for　me；　but　I　went　at　it
  with　a　glad　heart　and　a　willing　hand。　　I　was　now　my
  own　master。　　It　was　a　happy　moment；　the　rapture　of
  which　can　be　understood　only　by　those　who　have
  been　slaves。　　It　was　the　first　work；　the　reward　of
  which　was　to　be　entirely　my　own。　　There　was　no　Mas…
  ter　Hugh　standing　ready；　the　moment　I　earned　the
  money；　to　rob　me　of　it。　　I　worked　that　day　with　a
  pleasure　I　had　never　before　experienced。　　I　was　at
  work　for　myself　and　newly…married　wife。　　It　was　to　me
  the　starting…point　of　a　new　existence。　　When　I　got
  through　with　that　job；　I　went　in　pursuit　of　a　job　of
  calking；　but　such　was　the　strength　of　prejudice
  against　color；　among　the　white　calkers；　that　they　re…
  fused　to　work　with　me；　and　of　course　I　could　get　no
  employment。*　　Finding　my　trade　of　no　immediate
  benefit；　I　threw　off　my　calking　habiliments；　and　pre…
  pared　myself　to　do　any　kind　of　work　I　could　get　to
  do。　　Mr。　Johnson　kindly　let　me　have　his　wood…horse
  and　saw；　and　I　very　soon　found　myself　a　plenty　of
  work。　　There　was　no　work　too　hardnone　too　dirty。
  I　was　ready　to　saw　wood；　shovel　coal；　carry　wood；
  sweep　the　chimney；　or　roll　oil　casks；all　of　which　I
  *　I　am　told　that　colored　persons　can　now　get　employment
  at　calking　in　New　Bedforda　result　of　anti…slavery　effort。
  did　for　nearly　three　years　in　New　Bedford；　before　I
  became　known　to　the　anti…slavery　world。
  In　about　four　months　after　I　went　to　New　Bed…
  ford；　there　came　a　young　man　to　me；　and　inquired
  if　I　did　not　wish　to　take　the　〃Liberator。〃　　I　told　him
  I　did；　but；　just　having　made　my　escape　from　slavery；
  I　remarked　that　I　was　unable　to　pay　for　it　then。　　I；
  however；　finally　became　a　subscriber　to　it。　　The　paper
  came；　and　I　read　it　from　week　to　week　with　such
  feelings　as　it　would　be　quite　idle　for　me　to　attempt
  to　describe。　　The　paper　became　my　meat　and　my
  drink。　　My　soul　was　set　all　on　fire。　　Its　sympathy　for
  my　brethren　in　bondsits　scathing　denunciations　of
  slaveholdersits　faithful　exposures　of　slaveryand　its
  powerful　attacks　upon　the　upholders　of　the　institu…
  tionsent　a　thrill　of　joy　through　my　soul；　such　as
  I　had　never　felt　before！
  I　had　not　long　been　a　reader　of　the　〃Liberator；〃
  before　I　got　a　pretty　correct　idea　of　the　principles；
  measures　and　spirit　of　the　anti…slavery　reform。　　I　took
  right　hold　of　the　cause。　　I　could　do　but　little；　but
  what　I　could；　I　did　with　a　joyful　heart；　and　never　felt
  happier　than　when　in　an　anti…slavery　meeting。　　I　sel…
  dom　had　much　to　say　at　the　meetings；　because　what
  I　wanted　to　say　was　said　so　much　better　by　others。
  But；　while　attending　an　anti…slavery　convention　at
  Nantucket；　on　the　11th　of　August；　1841；　I　felt
  strongly　moved　to　speak；　and　was　at　the　same　time
  much　urged　to　do　so　by　Mr。　William　C。　Coffin；　a
  gentleman　who　had　heard　me　speak　in　the　colored
  people's　meeting　at　New　Bedford。　　It　was　a　severe
  cross；　and　I　took　it　up　reluctantly。　　The　truth　was；
  I　felt　myself　a　slave；　and　the　idea　of　speaking　to
  white　people　weighed　me　down。　　I　spoke　but　a　few
  moments；　when　I　felt　a　degree　of　freedom；　and　said
  what　I　desired　with　considerable　ease。　　From　that
  time　u