Page:Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1882).djvu/15

 CONTENTS. 7

CHAPTER X.

LEARNING TO READ.

City annoyances — Plantation regrets — My mistress — Her history — Her kindness — My master — His sourness — My comforts — Increased sensi- tiveness — My occupation — Learning to read — Baneful effects of slave- holding on my dear, good mistress — Mr. Hugh forbids Mrs. Sophia to teach me further— Clouds gather on my bright prospects — Master Auld's exposition of the Philosophy of Slavery — City slaves — Country slaves — Contrasts — Exceptions — Mr. Hamilton's two slaves — Mrs. Hamilton's cruel treatment of them — Piteous aspect presented by them — No power to come between the slave and slaveholder 85

CHAPTER XI. GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE.

My mistress — Her slaveholding duties — Their effects on her originally noble nature — The conflict in her mind — She opposes my learning to read — Too late — She had given me the " inch," I was resolved to take the "ell" — How I pursued my study to read — My tutors — What pro- gress I made — Slavery — What I heard said about it — Thirteen years old — Columbian orator — Dialogue — Speeches — Sheridan — Pitt — Lords Chatham and Fox — Knowledge increasing — Liberty — Singing — Sad- ness — Unhappiness of Mrs. Sophia — My hatred of slavery — One Upas tree overshadows us all 92

CHAPTER XII. RELIGIOUS NATURE AWAKENED.

Abolitionists spoken of — Eagerness to know the meaning of the word- Consults the dictionary — Incendiary information — The enigma solved — "Nat Turner" insurrection — Cholera — Religion — Methodist Minis- ter — Religious impressions — Father Lawson — His character and occu- pation — His influence over me — Our mutual attachment — New hopes and aspirations — Heavenly light — Two Irishmen on wharf — Conversa- tion with them— Learning to write — My aims 100

CHAPTER XIII. THE VICISSITUDES OF SLAVE LIFE.

Death of old Master's son Richard, speedily followed by that of old Master^- Valuation and. division of all the property, including the slaves — Sent for to come to Hillsborough to be valued and divided — Sad prospects and grief — Parting — Slaves have no voice in deciding their owa destin iea— General dread of falling into Master Andrew's