ning and pray. She had heard of Christ, and
repeated some text (again a quotation, no doubt, from the _goody_
niggers) about his death; but she did not know, on further examination,
who He is, nor what death He died. She said Miss D. read to them all,
every Sunday; but probably not in a very instructive manner. She said
her name was Almira. I gave her Miss Marsh's "Light for the Line," which
happened to be the only book I had by me which was at all suitable, and
told her to get it read to her, and that I was sorry I had nothing else
to give her; but I shall try this morning to get her an alphabet, in
order to encourage her to make another attempt to learn to read. At
parting last night, I spoke as solemnly as I could to her, and told her
we should probably never meet again in this world, but that we should be
sure to meet hereafter, at the judgment seat of God, and I entreated her
to remember the advice I had given her.

As we do not know Miss D., who is a very deaf old lady, staying here,
like ourselves, for a day or two, our conferences with young Topsy have
been necessarily very short, and constantly interrupted by Miss D.'s
coming past us, and wanting her; but we should like very much to buy
Almira, and bring her home to make a nursery maid of her, and teach her
all she ought to know, and "'spect" after all she is not "too large" to
learn, poor young slave! It was pleasant, in our first colloquy of the
kind, to talk to such an innocent specimen of a slave. I mean innocent,
as respects her ignorance of the horrors of slavery, of which she
evidently had not even the faintest idea. I asked her what she did for
Miss D.? "Dresses her, does her room, and _fixes her up_ altogether."
The real, original Topsy is no doubt a most correctly drawn character,
judging by this specimen. And now adieu; you shall have a further
chapter on Washington next time.

FOOTNOTE:

[6] I have tried, in vain, to alter this word, which is one coined at
home, and used by the family, but cannot find a substitute for it. Lest,
however, it be misunderstood, I must explain that it is applied in
reference to the truly good and pious among our friends; as the word
"saints," ought to be, had not that term been unhappily associated with
the ridiculous, and a false pretension to religion.

LETTER VIII.

WASHINGTON.--BAPTIST CLASS-MEETING.--PUBLIC BUILDINGS.--VENUS BY
DAYLIGHT.--BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILWAY.--WHEELING.--ARRIVAL AT