But, alas10! this kind heart had but a short time to remain such. The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid11 discord12; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon13.
Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld14, she very kindly15 commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, "If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now," said he, "if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy." These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering16, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable17 instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed18 purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read. The very decided19 manner with which he spoke20, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded21, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned22, was to me a great good, to be diligently23 sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn. In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition24 of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both.
I had resided but a short time in Baltimore before I observed a marked difference, in the treatment of slaves, from that which I had witnessed in the country. A city slave is almost a freeman, compared with a slave on the plantation25. He is much better fed and clothed, and enjoys privileges altogether unknown to the slave on the plantation. There is a vestige26 of decency27, a sense of shame, that does much to curb28 and check those outbreaks of atrocious cruelty so commonly enacted29 upon the plantation. He is a desperate slaveholder, who will shock the humanity of his non-slaveholding neighbors with the cries of his lacerated slave. Few are willing to incur30 the odium attaching to the reputation of being a cruel master; and above all things, they would not be known as not giving a slave enough to eat. Every city slaveholder is anxious to have it known of him, that he feeds his slaves well; and it is due to them to say, that most of them do give their slaves enough to eat. There are, however, some painful exceptions to this rule. Directly opposite to us, on Philpot Street, lived Mr. Thomas Hamilton. He owned two slaves. Their names were Henrietta and Mary. Henrietta was about twenty-two years of age, Mary was about fourteen; and of all the mangled31 and emaciated32 creatures I ever looked upon, these two were the most so. His heart must be harder than stone, that could look upon these unmoved. The head, neck, and shoulders of Mary were literally33 cut to pieces. I have frequently felt her head, and found it nearly covered with festering sores, caused by the lash34 of her cruel mistress. I do not know that her master ever whipped her, but I have been an eye-witness to the cruelty of Mrs. Hamilton. I used to be in Mr. Hamilton's house nearly every day. Mrs. Hamilton used to sit in a large chair in the middle of the room, with a heavy cowskin always by her side, and scarce an hour passed during the day but was marked by the blood of one of these slaves. The girls seldom passed her without her saying, "Move faster, you black gip!" at the same time giving them a blow with the cowskin over the head or shoulders, often drawing the blood. She would then say, "Take that, you black gip!" continuing, "If you don't move faster, I'll move you!" Added to the cruel lashings to which these slaves were subjected, they were kept nearly half-starved. They seldom knew what it was to eat a full meal. I have seen Mary contending with the pigs for the offal thrown into the street. So much was Mary kicked and cut to pieces, that she was oftener called "pecked" than by her name.
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1
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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2
weaver
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| n.织布工；编织者 | |
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3
blighting
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| 使凋萎( blight的现在分词 )； 使颓丧； 损害； 妨害 | |
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4
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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6
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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7
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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8
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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9
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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10
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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11
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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12
discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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13
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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14
auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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15
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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16
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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17
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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18
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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19
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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22
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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27
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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28
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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29
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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31
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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33
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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34
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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