Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in ConnecticutMars, James
History
Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut
Mars, James
Mars, James, 1790-; Slavery -- Connecticut
Things all went on pleasantly. In about four years I went there again
to work, and in a short time Mr. Munger and his two daughters joined
the church of which his wife was a member. I joined the same church,
and was often at his house. Mr. Munger was unfortunate and lost his
property, not as people lose their property now. He was poor and not
very healthy, and his wife and the daughter that was not married, not
being healthy, and he being a man advanced in life, it wore upon him
and his family, and his daughter went into a decline. I went west,
and was gone about three months, and on my return went to see the
family, and found the daughter very much out of health and wasting
away. I called again the next day but one. As I had been accustomed
to take care of the sick, she asked me to stop with her that night. I
did so, and went to my work in the morning. The second day after, I
called again to see her, and she made the same request. I staid and
watched with her that night. She asked what I thought of her; I told
her I feared she would never be any better. She then asked me to stay
with her if she did not get any better, while she lived. I told her
I would. A cousin of hers, a young lady, was there, and we took the
care of her for four weeks. I mention this because it was a time to be
remembered and cherished by me while I live. We were in the daily habit
of speaking of her prospects and how she felt. She would speak of death
with as much apparent composure as of any other subject. She said very
little to her friends about her feelings. The day that she died was the
evening of the Sabbath. About six o’clock in the afternoon, or rather
all that day, she did not appear to be as well; but at the time just
mentioned she sunk away and seemed to be gone for a short time, when
she revived as one out of sleep, suddenly, and seemed surprised, and
said, “There is nothing that I want to stay here for; let me go.” She
then bade her friends farewell, and told them not to weep for her, for
she was going. Her countenance seemed as if lit up with heavenly love,
and for a short time she seemed to be away from the world, and then was
still and said but little. About eleven o’clock she wanted to be moved.
She was moved. She then wanted to drink. I gave her, or put the glass
to her lips. She did not swallow any. I saw there was a change, and
before her friends could get into the room her spirit had fled.
That was a scene that I love to think of. It makes me almost forget
that I ever was a slave to her father; but so it was. I staid until she
was buried, and then I went West again. Her parents were broken-hearted
indeed. I returned from the West, and spent a part of the summer with
Mr. Munger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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