clothing the destitute creatures who were arriving--generally at
unexpected moments--barefoot, and with scarce a rag upon their backs to
protect them from the bitter cold of the Canadian winter, which even
under the best circumstances is so sadly trying to the negro
constitution.

She told me that as the agents in the neighborhood were few and poor,
and as these sudden calls admitted of no delay, they were sometimes
unable to provide the required clothing; and she asked me, in case of
such an emergency, if she might sometimes apply to me for some of the
articles of which they might be in especial need. From that time Canada
became the ultimate destination of all my old clothes. I could imagine
superannuated cloaks and shawls wrapped around dusky and shivering
shoulders, and familiar bonnets walking about Canada in their old age on
the woolly heads of poor fugitive negro women.

It was but a short time after our conversation that the first call came.
One bitter winter's night, word was sent me that a family had
arrived--father, mother, and several young children, all utterly
destitute. The articles which their friends were least able to provide,
and which would therefore be particularly acceptable, were shoes for the
boys, and warm clothing of every kind for the woman. The latter
requirement was soon provided for. An old purple bonnet that had already
seen good service in the world, a quilted skirt, and sundry other
articles were soon looked up and repaired to meet the poor creature's
necessities--but shoes for the boys! The message had been very urgent
upon that point. Shoes! shoes! any sort of shoes! Now our boys had, for
the most part, grown up and departed, and in vain I rummaged through the
garret--that receptacle of ancient treasures--for relics of the past, in
the way of masculine shoes and boots. I was giving it up in despair,
when suddenly an idea occurred to me. It had happened, in days long
past, that a French lady of our acquaintance had broken up housekeeping,
and we had stored a part of her furniture in our spacious garrets. Ere
long it had all been reclaimed except two articles, which had somehow or
other remained behind. The first was a handsomely mounted crayon
drawing, representing a remarkably ugly young man with heavy features
and a most unprepossessing expression of countenance. Below this
drawing, maternal pride and affection had caused to be inscribed in
clear, bold letters, these two words: 'My