heir fugitives back to southern Egypt. But
through the untiring, uncompromising, and manly efforts of Mr.
Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Theodore Parker, and a host of other noble
abolitionists of Boston and the neighbourhood, public opinion in
Massachusetts had become so much opposed to slavery and to kidnapping,
that it was almost impossible for any one to take a fugitive slave out
of that State.
So we took the advice of our good Philadelphia friends, and settled at
Boston. I shall have something to say about our sojourn there
presently.
Among other friends we met with at Philadelphia, was Robert Purves,
Esq., a well educated and wealthy coloured gentleman, who introduced us
to Mr. Barkley Ivens, a member of the Society of Friends, and a noble
and generous-hearted farmer, who lived at some distance in the country.
This good Samaritan at once invited us to go and stop quietly with his
family, till my wife could somewhat recover from the fearful reaction
of the past journey. We most gratefully accepted the invitation, and
at the time appointed we took a steamer to a place up the Delaware
river, where our new and dear friend met us with his snug little cart,
and took us to his happy home. This was the first act of great and
disinterested kindness we had ever received from a white person.
The gentleman was not of the fairest complexion, and therefore, as my
wife was not in the room when I received the information respecting him
and his anti-slavery character, she thought of course he was a quadroon
like herself. But on arriving at the house, and finding out her
mistake, she became more nervous and timid than ever.
As the cart came into the yard, the dear good old lady, and her three
charming and affectionate daughters, all came to the door to meet us.
We got out, and the gentleman said, "Go in, and make yourselves at
home; I will see after the baggage." But my wife was afraid to approach
them. She stopped in the yard, and said to me, "William, I thought we
were coming among coloured people?" I replied, "It is all right; these
are the same." "No," she said, "it is not all right, and I am not
going to stop here; I have no confidence whatever in white people, they
are only trying to get us back to slavery." She turned round and said,
"I am going right off." The old lady then came out, with her sweet,
soft, and winning smile, shook her heartily by the hand, and kindly
said, "How art thou, my dear? We are all
|