constitution of a horse. Of
all the dejected, emaciated, mangled and excoriated creatures I ever
saw, those two girls--in the refined, church going and Christian city
of Baltimore were the most deplorable. Of stone must that heart be made,
that could look upon Henrietta and Mary, without being sickened to the
core with sadness. Especially was Mary a heart-sickening object.
Her head, neck and shoulders, were literally cut to pieces. I have
frequently felt her head, and found it nearly covered over with
festering sores, caused by the lash of her cruel mistress. I do not know
that her master ever whipped her, but I have often been an eye witness
of the revolting and brutal inflictions by Mrs. Hamilton; and what lends
a deeper shade to this woman's conduct, is the fact, that, almost in the
very moments of her shocking outrages of humanity and decency, she would
charm you by the sweetness of her voice and her seeming piety. She used
to sit in a large rocking chair, near the middle of the room, with a
heavy cowskin, such as I have elsewhere described; and I speak within
the truth when I say, that these girls seldom passed that chair, during
the day, without a blow from that cowskin, either upon their bare arms,
or upon their shoulders. As they passed her, she would draw her cowskin
and give them a blow, saying, _"move faster, you black jip!"_ and,
again, _"take that, you black jip!"_ continuing, _"if you don't move
faster, I will give you more."_ Then the lady would go on, singing her
sweet hymns, as though her _righteous_ soul were sighing for the holy
realms of paradise.

Added to the cruel lashings to which these poor slave-girls were
subjected--enough in themselves to crush the spirit of men--they were,
really, kept nearly half starved; they seldom knew{117} what it was to
eat a full meal, except when they got it in the kitchens of neighbors,
less mean and stingy than the psalm-singing Mrs. Hamilton. I have seen
poor Mary contending for the offal, with the pigs in the street. So much
was the poor girl pinched, kicked, cut and pecked to pieces, that the
boys in the street knew her only by the name of _"pecked,"_ a name
derived from the scars and blotches on her neck, head and shoulders.

It is some relief to this picture of slavery in Baltimore, to say--what
is but the simple truth--that Mrs. Hamilton's treatment of her slaves
was generally condemned, as disgraceful and shocking; but while I say
this, it must also be reme