“This was but the beginning of troubles. A sense of insecurity made the sale of slaves more vigorous than ever. Charlotte’s children were sold, one by one—no two together—the boys for the sugar country,—the girls for ‘the New Orleans market,’ whence they were dispersed, she never knew where. “‘All gone!’ she said; ‘where I could never see ’em nor hear from ’em. I don’t even know where one of ’em is!’ “‘And Violet?’ “‘O yes,—I mean all but Violet. She’s all I’ve got in the world, and I want to keep her. I begged Missus to let me keep jist one! and she said if I could get any body to buy her for me, I might have her,—for you know I couldn’t own her myself, ’cause I’m a slave.’ “‘But you are no longer a slave, Momma Charlotte; your mistress by bringing you here voluntarily has freed you,—’ “‘Yes,—I know,—but I promised, you see! And I don’t care to be free. I’m old, and my children’s gone, and my heart’s broke. I ha’n’t no more courage. If I can keep Violet, it’s all I expect. My mistress is good enough to me,—I live pretty easy.’ “Such was Momma Charlotte’s philosophy, but her face told through what sufferings such philosophy had been acquired. A fixed grief sat on her brow; since the judicial murder of her husband she had never been known to laugh,—hardly to smile. Her eyes were habitually cast on the ground, and her voice seemed always on the brink of tears. She was what you call ‘_dissatisfied_,’ I think, Mr. S——.” “O, you have selected an extreme case! those things very seldom happen.” (Seldom!) “After all, you see the poor old thing knew what was right; she showed the right spirit,—” “Yes,—she,—but her _owners_?” Here Mr. S—— was sure he saw a friend at a distance to whom it was necessary he should speak immediately; so he darted off, and I lost the benefit of his defence of the peculiarities of the peculiar institution. [Signature: Mrs. C. M. Kirkland] A NAME, ON BEING ASKED FOR HIS AUTOGRAPH. Why ask a Name? Small is the good it brings; Names are but breath; _deeds_, DEEDS alone are Things. [Signature: Horace Mann.] WEST NEWTON, OCT. 23, 1852. TO THE SECRETARY OF THE SOCIETY.