“In cose ’tis,” he replied; “who dat gwine ter make de baskits les’n hit’s me? I done make baskits ’fo mistiss wuz born; I usen ter ’long ter her pa; I ain’t no bort nigger myse’f.” “You are certainly very fortunate,” answered Ann, “for the slave that has never been on the block can never know the full bitterness of slavery.” “Wy, yer talkin’ same ez white folks,” said Uncle Bob. “Whar yer git all dem fine talkin’s fum? ain’t you er nigger same ez me?” “Yes, I am a negress, Uncle Bob; or, rather, my mother was a slave, and I was born in slavery; but I have had the misfortune to have been educated.” “_Kin_ yer read in de book?” asked the old man earnestly. “Oh yes, as well as anybody.” “Who showed yer?” asked Uncle Bob. “My mistress had me taught; but, if it won’t bother you, I’ll just tell you all about it, for I want to get your interest, Uncle Bob, and gain your love, if I can—yours, and everybody’s on the place—for I am sick, and must die, and I want to make friends, so they will be kind to my baby. Shall I tell you my story?” The old man nodded his head, and went on with his work, while Ann related to him the sad history of her life. “My mother, who was a favorite slave, died when I was born; and my mistress, who had a young baby only a few days older than myself, took me to nurse. I slept, during my infancy, in the cradle with my little mistress, and afterwards in the room with her, and thus we grew up as playmates and companions until we reached our seventh year, when we both had scarlet fever. My little mistress, who was the only child of a widow, died; and her mother, bending over her death-bed, cried, ‘I will have no little daughter now!’ when the child placed her arms about her and said, ‘Mamma, let Ann be your daughter; she’ll be your little girl; I’ll go to her mamma, and she’ll stay with my mamma.’ “And from that time I was no more a slave, but a child in the house. My mistress brought a governess for me from the North, and I was taught as white girls are. I was fond of my books, and my life was a very happy one, though we lived on a lonely plantation, and had but little company. “I was almost white, as you see, and my mistress had taught me to call her mamma. I was devoted to her, and very fond of my governess, and they both petted me as if I really had been a daughter instead of a slave. Four years ago the brother of my governess came out from Vermont to make his sister a visit at our home. He fell in love with me, and I loved him dearly, and, accompanied by my ‘mamma’ and his sister, we went into Pennsylvania, and were married. You know we could not be married in Maryland, for it is a Slave State, and I was a slave. My mistress had, of course, always intended that I should be free, but neglected from time to time to draw up the proper papers.