From Petersburg, a Virginia gentleman with two handsome daughters were
in the same car with Mr. Johnson. Supposing him to be a rich,
fashionable young Southerner, they were very attentive and sympathizing.
The old gentleman told him he knew how to pity him, for he had had
inflammatory rheumatism himself. He advised him to lie down to rest;
which he was very willing to do, as a good means of avoiding
conversation. The ladies took their extra shawls and made a comfortable
pillow for his head, and their father gave him a piece of paper which he
said contained directions for curing the rheumatism. The invalid thanked
him politely; but not knowing how to read, and fearing he might hold the
paper upside down, prudently put it in his pocket. When they supposed
him to be asleep, one of the ladies said, "Papa, he seems to be a very
nice young gentleman"; and the other responded, "I never felt so much
for any gentleman in my life."
At parting the Virginian gave him his card and said: "I hope you will
call upon me when you return. I should be much pleased to see you, and
so would my daughters." He gave ten cents to William, and charged him to
be attentive to his master. This he promised to do, and he very
faithfully kept his word.
They arrived at Baltimore with the joyful feeling that they were close
upon the borders of a Free State. William saw that his master was
comfortably placed in one of the best cars, and was getting into the
servants' car when a man tapped him on the shoulder and asked where he
was going. William replied humbly, "I am going to Philadelphia, sir,
with my master, who is in the next car." "Then you had better get him
out, and be mighty quick about it," said the man; "for the train is
going to start, and no man is allowed to take a slave past here till he
has satisfied the folks in the office that he has a right to take him
along."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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