But they found the pretty cottage empty, and they could only show their disapprobation of the fact by despoilin’ and ruinin’ the cozy nest from which the bird had flown. Hester had recovered from her faintin’ fit jest as they wuz takin’ Felix to the river; she discovered by their shouts which way they had gone, followed them at a safe distance, and when they had disappeared she by almost a miracle swam out to the boat which had drifted into a bayou, brought it to shore, and nursed him back to life agin. And for weeks they remained in hidin’, not darin’ to return to their dear old home that they had earned so hardly, and Felix not dreamin’ of claimin’ his honest rights as a duly elected Justice of the Peace. No, he felt that he had had enough of political honors and preferments—if he could only escape with his life and keep his wife and boy wuz all he asked. At last he got a note to Victor, who aided him in his flight to another State, where he patiently commenced life agin with what courage and ambition he might bring to bear on it, with his mind forever dwellin’ on his bitter wrongs and humiliation, and on memories of the old home left forever behind him—that pretty home with the few acres of orchard and garden about it. And remembered how he and Hester delighted in every dollar they paid towards it, and how they had a little feast, and invited in their friends that sunny June day when the last dollar wuz paid, and it wuz their own. And remembered how proudly they had labored to finish and furnish the little home. How Hester had worked at washin’ and ironin’ and bought the paper and paint, and pretty curtains and carpet, and how infinitely happy they had been in it. How after his hard day’s work he would work in the little sunshiny garden and orchard settin’ out fruit trees, plantin’ berry bushes and grape-vines, and how they had together gloried over all their small successes, and thought that they had the very coziest and happiest home in the world. Wall, they had lost it all. The honor of bein’ an American citizen bore down pretty heavy on him, and he had to give it up. Wall, twice did Felix try to get a home for himself and his wife in the Southern States. But both times, on one pretext or another, did the dominant power deprive him of his earnings, and take his home from him. Felix had a good heart; and once, the last time he tried to make a home under Southern skies, this good heart wuz the cause of his overthrow. He barely escaped with his life for darin’ to harbor a white teacher who had left his home and gone down South, followin’ the Bible precepts “to seek and save them that was lost, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” He taught a small colored school week days and preached in an old empty barn on Sundays. Little Ned went to his school and wuz greatly attached to him.