were not very careful, any d----d
abolitionist might take off a lot of valuable niggers."
My master said, "I suppose so," and thanked him again for helping him
over the difficulty.
We reached Wilmington the next morning, and took the train for
Richmond, Virginia. I have stated that the American railway carriages
(or cars, as they are called), are constructed differently to those in
England. At one end of some of them, in the South, there is a little
apartment with a couch on both sides for the convenience of families
and invalids; and as they thought my master was very poorly, he was
allowed to enter one of these apartments at Petersburg, Virginia, where
an old gentleman and two handsome young ladies, his daughters, also got
in, and took seats in the same carriage. But before the train started,
the gentleman stepped into my car, and questioned me respecting my
master. He wished to know what was the matter with him, where he was
from, and where he was going. I told him where he came from, and said
that he was suffering from a complication of complaints, and was going
to Philadelphia, where he thought he could get more suitable advice
than in Georgia.
The gentleman said my master could obtain the very best advice in
Philadelphia. Which turned out to be quite correct, though he did not
receive it from physicians, but from kind abolitionists who understood
his case much better. The gentleman also said, "I reckon your master's
father hasn't any more such faithful and smart boys as you." "O, yes,
sir, he has," I replied, "lots on 'em." Which was literally true.
This seemed all he wished to know. He thanked me, gave me a ten-cent
piece, and requested me to be attentive to my good master. I promised
that I would do so, and have ever since endeavoured to keep my pledge.
During the gentleman's absence, the ladies and my master had a little
cosy chat. But on his return, he said, "You seem to be very much
afflicted, sir." "Yes, sir," replied the gentleman in the poultices.
"What seems to be the matter with you, sir; may I be allowed to ask?"
"Inflammatory rheumatism, sir." "Oh! that is very bad, sir," said the
kind gentleman: "I can sympathise with you; for I know from bitter
experience what the rheumatism is." If he did, he knew a good deal more
than Mr. Johnson.
The gentleman thought my master would feel better if he would lie down
and rest himself; and as he was anxious to avoid conversation, he at
once a
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