A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
But little did James understand the deep-hidden reason that kept his
friend George behind. He worked faithfully nearly a year, kept the suit
I gave him for his Sunday suit, and used his old Kentucky suit for his
work, patching them himself, until patch upon patch nearly covered the
old brown jeans of his plantation wear. When warm weather again
returned, without revealing his design of going back to his master in
Kentucky, for he knew his abolition friends would discourage his
project, he took the eighty dollars he had earned since he left his
master, and wore the suit of clothes he brought away, and in the
darkness of night went to his wife's cabin. Here he gave a full history
of the kind friends who had paid good wages for his work, and said he
was going to take all to his master, and tell him he was sick of
freedom; "and you mus' be mighty mad," he went on, "'case I come back;
and say, 'If he's a mind to make sich a fool of his self, as to be so
jubus, 'case I talked leetle while wid Jake, long time ago, as to run
off an' leave me, he may go. He needn't think I'll take 'im back; I
won't have nothin' to say to 'im, never!' Ad' I'll quarrel 'bout you
too; an' when all ov 'em is done fussin' 'bout me comin' back, I'll
steal to you in a dark night, an' lay a plan to meet on Lickin' River;
an' we'll take a skiff an' muffle oars till we get to the Ohio; an' I
knows jus' whar to go in any dark night, an' we 'll be free together. I
didn't tell Jim I's gwine to make massa b'leve all my lies to get you;
for I tell you, Liz, I ain't got whole freedom without you."
Before eight o'clock A. M. George stood before his master, with his old
name and old plantation suit, presenting him with the eighty dollars he
had earned for his master since he had left his home, that he never
wanted to leave again. For he had found "abolitioners the greates'
rascals I ever seen. I wants no more ov' em. They tried hard to git me
to Canada; but I got all I wants of Canada, An' I tell you, Massa
Carpenter, all I wants is one good stiddy home. I don't want this
money; it's yourn."
His master was well pleased, and told all his neighbors how happy his
Tom was to get back again, and gave all the money he had earned since
he had been gone. It was a long time before neighboring planters had
the confidence in Tom that his master had, and they told him that Tom
should never step his foot on their plantations; but he told them all
that he had perfect confidence in Tom's honesty. "He came back
perfectly disgusted with abolitionists; he said they will work a fellow
half to death for low wages. And he even patched his old suit, himself,
that he wore off. And I have found the reason why he left. He and Liz
had a quarrel, and now he don't care a fig about her; and I heard
yesterday that her master says he'll shoot him if he dares to come on
his plantation. But he needn't worry; for you couldn't hire Tom to go
near Liz."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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