Page:Narrative of Henry Box Brown.pdf/51

 guest, as he was seated at a table loaded with all the luxuries of an epicure's devising? This sword, unlike the one alluded to, did often pierce my breast, and when I had recovered from the wound, it was again hung up, to torture me. This is slavery, a natural and concomitant part of the accursed system!

The saddler who owned my wife, whose name I suppress for particular reasons, was at one time taken sick, but when "his minister", the Rev. (so called) Dr. Plummer came to pray with him, he would not allow him to perform that rite, which strengthened me in the opinion I entertained of Dr. Plummer, that he was "as wicked a man" as this saddler, and you will presently see, how bad a man he was. The saddler sent for "his slaves" to pray for him, and afterwards for me, and when [ repaired to his bed-side, he beseeched me to pray for him, saying that he would live a much better life than he had done, if the Lord would only spare him. I and the other slaves prayed "three nights" for him, after our work was over, and we needed rest in sleep; but the earnest desire of this man, induced us to forego our necessary rest; and yet one of the first things he did after his recovery, was to "sell my wife." When he was reminded of my praying for his restoration to health, he angrily exclaimed, that it was "all dd lies" about the Lord restoring him to health in consequence of the negroes praying for him, — and that if any of them mentioned that they had prayed for him, he "would "whip them for it."

The last purchaser of "my wife, was Mr. Samuel S. Cartrell, also a member of Dr. Plummer's church. 5