afternoon, we reached Annapolis, the capital of the state,
stopping there not long enough to admit of my going ashore. It was the
first large town I had ever seen; and though it was inferior to many a
factory village in New England, my feelings, on seeing it, were excited
to a pitch very little below that reached by travelers at the first
view of Rome. The dome of the state house was especially imposing, and
surpassed in grandeur the appearance of the great house. The great world
was opening upon me very rapidly, and I was eagerly acquainting myself
with its multifarious lessons.

We arrived in Baltimore on Sunday morning, and landed at Smith's wharf,
not far from Bowly's wharf. We had on board the sloop a large flock of
sheep, for the Baltimore market; and, after assisting in driving them
to the slaughter house of Mr. Curtis, on Loudon Slater's Hill, I was
speedily conducted by Rich--one of the hands belonging to the sloop--to
my new home in Alliciana street, near Gardiner's ship-yard, on Fell's
Point. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Auld, my new mistress and master, were both at
home, and met me at the door with their rosy cheeked little son, Thomas,
{108} to take care of whom was to constitute my future occupation. In
fact, it was to "little Tommy," rather than to his parents, that old
master made a present of me; and though there was no _legal_ form or
arrangement entered into, I have no doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Auld felt
that, in due time, I should be the legal property of their bright-eyed
and beloved boy, Tommy. I was struck with the appearance, especially, of
my new mistress. Her face was lighted with the kindliest emotions; and
the reflex influence of her countenance, as well as the tenderness with
which she seemed to regard me, while asking me sundry little questions,
greatly delighted me, and lit up, to my fancy, the pathway of my future.
Miss Lucretia was kind; but my new mistress, "Miss Sophy," surpassed
her in kindness of manner. Little Thomas was affectionately told by his
mother, that _"there was his Freddy,"_ and that "Freddy would take care
of him;" and I was told to "be kind to little Tommy"--an injunction I
scarcely needed, for I had already fallen in love with the dear boy;
and with these little ceremonies I was initiated into my new home, and
entered upon my peculiar duties, with not a cloud above the horizon.

I may say here, that I regard my removal from Col. Lloyd's plantation as
one of the most interesting an