The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-14 00:00:00

EVENING-,

(Prom Three Years in Europe," by W. Welle Bsown,
a Fcgitive Slave.)
in the year 1851. there resided in the state of Virginia,
a fthsve who was so white, that no one would suppeso for
rs moment that a drop of Atr:can blood eoursed through
hie veins. Hie skin was fair, hair soft, straight, flea
and white; his eyes blue, nose promitient, lips thin; hie
head well formed, foreheud high and prominent; and he
was often taken for a white free person, by those who
did not know him. This made hi 3 condition as a s:ave
still more intolerable; for one so white, seldom ever
receives fair treatment at the hands of his fellow slaves;
and the whites usually regard such slaves as persons,
who, if not often flogged and otherwise ill treated, to
remind them of their condition, would soon " forget"
that they were slaves, and " think themselves as good as
white folks." During that year, au insurrection broke
out amongst the slave population, known as the South-
ampton Rebellion, or the " Nat Turner Insurrection."
Five or six hundred slaves, believing in the doctrine
that "all men are created equal," armed with such
weapons as they could get, commenced a war for
freedom. Amongst these was George, the white slave
of whom we have spoken. Ho had been employed as a
house servant, and had heard his master and visiters
speak of the down-trodden and oppressed Poles; he
heard them talk of going to Greece to fight for Grecian
liberty, and against the oppressors of that ill-fated
people. George, fired with the love of freedom, and
zeal for the cause of his enslaved countrymen, joined the
insurrection. The result of that struggle for liberty is
well known. The slaves were defeated, and those who
were not taken prisoners, took refuge in the dismal
swamps. These were ordered to surrender; but instead
of doing so, they challenged their proud oppressors to
take them, and immediately renewed the war. A fere-
cieus struggle now commenced between the parties; but
not until the Ileitrd States troops were called in, did they
succeed in crushing a handful of men and women who
were fighting for freedom. The negroes were hunted
with dogs, and many who were caught were burnt alive;
while some were hung, and others flogged and banished
from the State.
Among those who were sentenced to be barged, was
George. lie was placed in prison to await the day of
execution, which would give him ten days to prepare
for his doom. George was the son of a member of the
American Congress, his mother being a servant in the
principal hotel in Washington, where members of Con-
gress usually put up. After the birth of George, his
mother was sold to a negro trader, and he to a Virginian,
who sent agents through the country to buy up young
slaves to raise for the market. Georg© was only about
nineteen years of age, when ho unfortunately became
connected with the insurrection. Mr. Green, who owned
George, was a comparatively good master, and prided
himself on treating his slaves better than most men.
This gentleman was also the owner of a girl who was
perfectly white, with straight hair and prominent fea-
ture s. The girl was said to be the daughter of her own
master. A feeling of attachment sprang up between
Mary and George, which proved to be more than mere
friendship, and upon which we base the burden of this
narrative.
After poor George had been sentenced to death and
cast into prison, Mary begged and obtained leave to visit
George, and administer to him the comforts of religion,
as she was a member of a religious body, while George
was not. As George had been a considerable favourite
with Mrs. Green, Mary had no difficulty in obtaining
permission to pay a daily visit to him, to whom she had
pledged her heart end hand. At one of these meetings,
and only four days from the time fixed for the execu-
tion, while Mary was seated in George's cell, it occurred
to her that she might yet save him from a felon's doom.
See revealed to him the secret that was then occupying
her thoughts, viz , that George should exchange clothes
with her, and thus attempt his escape in disguise. But
he would not fur a single moment listen to the proposi-
tion. Not that he feared detection; but he would not
consent to place an innocent and affectionate girl in a
position where she might have to suffer for him. Mary
Pleaded, but in vain—George was inflexible. The poor
girl left her lover with a heavy heart, regretting that
her scheme had proved unsuccessful.
Towards the close of the next day, Mary again ap-
peared at the prison door for admission, and was soon by
the side of him whom she so ardently loved. While
there, the clouds which had overhung the city for some
hours, broke, and the rein fell in torrents amid the most
terrific thunder and lightning. In the most persuasive
manner possible. Mary again importuned George to
avail himself of her assistance to escape from an igno-
minious death. After assuring him that she, not being
the person condemned, would not receive any injury, he
at lest consented, and they began to exchange apparel.
As George was of small stature, and both were white,
there was no difficulty in his passing out without detec-
tion: and as she usually left the cell weeping, with
handkerchief in hand, and sometimes at her face, he had
only to adopt this mode and his escape was safe. They
had kissed each other, and Mary had tuld George where
ho would find a small parcel of provisions which she
had placed in a secluded spot, when the prison-keeper
opened the door and said, " Come, girl, it is time for you
to go." George again embraced Mary, and passed out
of the gaol. It was already dark and the street lamps
were lighted, so that our hero in his new dress had no
dread of detection. Tho provisions were sought out and
found, and poor George was soon on the road towards
Canada. But neither of them had once thought of a
change of dress for George when he should have
escaped, and ho had walked but a short distance before
he felt that a change of his apparel would facilitate his
progress. But ho dared not go amongst even his
coloured associates for fear of being betrayed. How-
ever, he made the best of his way on towards Canada,
hiding in the woods during the day, and travelling by
the guidance of the North Star at night.
One morning George arrived on the banks of the
Ohio river, and found his journey had terminated, un-
less he could get some one to take him across the river
in a secret manner, for he would not be permitted to
cross in any of the ferry boats; it being a penalty for
crossing a slave, besides the value of too slave. He
concealed himself in the tall grass and weeds near the
river, to ace if he could embrace an opportunity to cross.
He had been in his hiding-place but a short time, when
ho observed a man in a small boat, floating near the
shore, evidently fishing. His first impulse was to call
out to the man and ask him to take him over to the
Ohio side, but the fear that the man was a slavebolder,
or one who might possibly arrest him, deterred him from
it. The man after rowing and floating about for some
timo fastened the boat to the root of a tree, and started
to a neighbouring farm-house. This was George's mo-
ment, and he seized it. Running down the bank, he un-
fastened the boat, jumped in, and with all the expertness
of one accustomed to a boat, rowed across the river and
landed on the Ohio aide.
Being now in a free state, he thought he might with
perfect safety travel on towards Canada. He had, however,
gone but a few miles, when he discovered two men on
horseback coming behind him. He felt sure that they
could not be in pursuit of him, yet he did not wish to be
seen by them, so h© turned into another road, leading
to a house near by. The men followed, and were but a
short distance from George, when he ran up to a farm-
house, before which was standing a farmer-looking man,
in a broad-brimmed hat and straight-collared coat,
whom ho implored to save him from the " slave-
catchers." The farmer told him to go into the barn near
by; ho entered by the front door, the farmer following,
and closing the door behind George, but remaining out-
side', and gave directions to his hired man as to what
should be done with George. The slaveholders by this
time had dismounted, and were in the front of the barn
demanding admittance, and charging the farmer with
secreting their slave woman, for George was still in the
dress of a woman. The Friend, for the farmer proved
to be a member of the Society of Friends, told the
slave-owners that if they wished to search his barn,
they must first get an officer and a search warrant.
While the parties were disputing, the farmer began nail-
ing up the front door, arid the hired man served the
back door in the same way. The slaveholders, finding
that they could not prevail on the Friend to allow them
to get the slave, determined to go in search of an officer.
One was left to see that the slave did not escape from
the barn, while the other went off at full speed to Mount
Pleasant, the nearest town. George was not the slave
of either of these men, nor were they in pursuit of him,
but they had lost a woman who had been seen in that
vicinity, and when they saw poor George in the disguise
of a female, and attempting to elude pursuit, they telt
sure they were close upon their victim. However, if they
had caught him, although he was not their slave, they
would have taken him back and placed him in gaol, and
there he would have remained until his owner arrived.
After an absence of nearly two hours, the slave
owner returned with an officer and found the Friend
still driving large nails into the door. In a triumphant
tone, and with a corresponding gesture, he banded the
search-warrant to the Friend, and said, " There Sir, now
I twill see if I can't get my Nigger." " Well," said the
Friend, " thou hest gone to work according to law, and
thou can now go into my barn." "Lend me your ham-
mer that I may get the door open," said the slave-holder.
" Let me see the warrant again." And after reading it
over once more, ho said, "I see nothing in this pap
which says I must supply thee with tools to open myer
door; if thou wishes to go in, thou must get a hammer
elsewhere." The sheriff said,
"I
will go to a neigh-
bouringeig
bouring farm and borrow something which
search of tools. In a short time the officer
upon
the
intro-
duce us to Miss Dinah;" and he immediatelw
yrewtnenrnteidn,
and they commenced an assault and batteenry
t the slave-
barn door, which soon yielded; and in w
using all other means to find the lost property;
holder and officer, and began turning
t there. After all
their astonishment, the slave was ntho
e slave-owner in a
hope of getting Dinah was gone.
oner is not here." "
up the
h bayut,antdo
Yes, but I
did not tell thee there wa
rage said to the Friend, " Myeghere.„ „
doorhat d id
ybnenh i
nnadi her,t
h e a dd ifn
she was not in the
whatbarn,
ny
please with my own barn
saw her go in, and you shsuwat
for?" " Can't Ido
lthee;-thou need trouble thyself
door?
e back door, and is a long way
l
door and went ou
persontel thou art after entered the front
Thou and thy friend must be
time, wont thou go in and
somewhat fatigued by t
with me?" Wo need not say that
take a little dinner
nfroommohreerN'efo'obwry hewi sil tome
h.
by the slaveholderr. George, in the meantime, had
Friends dwelling some miles away,
this cool invitation of the good Quaker was not accepted
been taken to a
where,
dressed up in a straight-collared coat, and panta-
loons to
match,
was egain put on the right road towards
Canada. this
Two weeks after found him in the town
e afterlaying aside his female attire, and being
snuglyr
of St. Catharines, working on the farm of Colonel Strut,
and attending a night school.
George, however, did not forget his promise to use all
means in his power to get Mary out of slavery. He,
therefore, laboured with all his might to obtain money
with which to employ some one to go back to Virginia
for Mary. After nearly six months' labour at St. Ca-
tharines, he employed an English missionary to go and
see if the girl could be purchased, and at what price.
The missionary weut accordingly, but returned with the

Whilst seated by the window, and looking out upon
the crowded street, with every now and then the strange
scene in the grave-yard vividly becore him, Mr. Green
thought of the book ho had boon reading, and, remem-
bering that he had left it on the tomb, where he had
suddenly dropped it when called to the assistance of
the lady, he immediately determined to return in search
of it. After a walk of some twenty minutes, he was
again over the spot where he had been an hour before,
and from which he had been so unceremoniously ex •
polled by the old man. Ho looked in vain for the book;
it was nowhere to be found: nothing save a bouquet
which the lady had dropped, and which lay half-
buried in the glass from having been trodden upon, in-
dicated that any one had been there that evening. Mr.
Green took up the bunch of flowers, and again returned
to the hotel.

After passing a sleepless night, and hearing the clock
strike six, he dropped into a sweet sleep, from which he
did not awake until roused by the rap of a servant,
who, entering his room, handed him a note which ran as
follows:—" Sir,—l owe you en apology for the incon-
veniences to which you were subjected last evening, and
if you will honour us with your presence to•day at four
o'clock, I shall be most happy to give you due satisfac-
tion. My servant will be in waiting fer you at half-pait
three. I am, sir, your obedt. servant, J. Devenant.
October 23, to George Green, Esq."
The servant who handed this note to Mr. Green in
formed him that the bearer was waiting for a reply. He
immediately resolved to accept the invitation, and re-
plied accordingly. Who this person was, and how his
name and the hotel where he was stopping had been
found out, was indeed a mystery. However, he waited
impatiently for the hour when he was to see this new
acquaintance, and get the mysterious meeting iii the
grave-yard solved.
The clock on a neighbouring church had scarcely
ceased striking three when the servant announced that
a carriage had called for Mr. Green. In less than half
an hour. ho was seated in a most sumptuous barouch,
drawn by two beautiful iron greys, and rolling along
over a splendid gravel road, completely shaded by large
trees, which appeared to have been the accumulated
growth of many centuries. The carriage soon stopped
in front of a low villa, and this too was imbedded in
magnificent trees covered with moss. Mr. Green
alighted and was shown into a superb drawing room, the
walls of which were hung with fine speimens from the
hands of the great Italian painters, and one by a Ger-
man artist representing a beautiful monkish legend cora-
nected with "The Holy Catherine," and illustrious lady
of Alexandria. The furniture had an antique and dig-
nified appearance. High-backed chairs stood around
the room; a venerable mirror stood on the mantel shelf;
rich curtains of crimson damask hung iu folds at either
side of the largo windows; and a rich Turkey carpet
covered the floor. In the centre stood a table covered
with books, in the midst of which was an old-fashioned
vase filled with fresh flowers, whose fragrance was ex-
ceedingly pleasant. A faint light, together with the
quietness of the hour, gave beauty beyond description to
the whole scene.

Mr. Green had scarcely seated himself upon the sofa,
when the elderly gentleman whom he had met the pre-
vious evening made his appearance, followed by the
little boy, and introduced himself as Mr. Devenant. A
moment more, and a lady—a beautiful brunette—dressed
in black, with long curls of a chesnut colour hanging
down her cheeks, entered the room. Her eyes were of a
dark hazel, and her whole appearance indicated that she
was a native of a southern clime. The door at which
she entered was opposite to where the two gentlemen
were seated. They immediately rose; and Mr. Deve-
nant was in the act of introducing her to Mr. Green,
when he observed that the latter bad sunk back upon the
sofa, and the last word that he remembered to have
heard was, "It is her." After this, all was dark and
dreamy: how long he remained in this condition it was
for another to tell. When ho awoke he found himself
stretched upon the sofa, with his boots off, his necker-
chief removed, shirt collar unbuttoned, and his head
resting upon a pillow. By his side sat the old man, with
the smelling bottle in the one hand and a glass of water
in the other, and the little boy standing at the foot of
the sofa. As soon as Mr. Green had so far recovered
as to be able to speak, " Where am I, and what does
this mean?" " Wait a while," replied the old man,
" and I will tell you all." After the lapse of some ten
minutes he rose from the sofa, adjusted his apparel, and
said, "I am now ready to hear anything you have to
say." "You were born in America," said the old man.
"Yes," he replied. "And you were acquainted with a
girl named Mary," continued the old man. "Yes, and
I loved her as I can love none other." " The lady
whom you met so mysteriously last evening is Mary,"
replied Mr. Devenant. George Green was silent, but
the fountains of mingled grief and joy stole out from
beneath his eye-lashes, and glistened like pearls upon
his pale and marble-like cheeks. At this juncture the
lady again entered the room. Mr. Green sprang from
the sofa, and they fell into each other's arms, to the
surprise of the old man and little George, and to the
amusement of the servants who had crept up ono by one,
and were hid behind the doors or loitering in the hall.n
When they had given vent to their feeling, they re-
sumed their seats and each in turn related the adven-
tures through which they had passed. How dGid yeti
find out my name and address?" aske Mr. re. ere
After you had left us in the grave-yard, our little
George said, 0, mamma, if there went book!'. and
d
picked it up and brought it to us..ttePe plea opened
dhit, and
an ere is
said the gentleman's name is
a card of the Hotel do Leone,
thehwerrieb olosku,papneds esaid i sits wella-
ping.' Papa wished to lea;
had ever seen you before,
all a fancy of mine that
but I was perfectly convinced
.that ~you were my own
George Green. Are you married? " No, lam not."
" Then thank God l" exclaimed Mrs. Devenant. The
old man who had been silent all this time said, " Now,
Sir, I must apologise for the trouble you were put to
last evening." " And you are single now." "Yes,
she replied. "This is indeed the Lord's doings," said
Mr. Green, at the same time bursting into a flood of
tears. Although Mr. Devenant was past the ago when
men shauld think upon matrimonial subjects, yet this
scene brought vividly before his eyes the days when he
was a young man, and bad a wife living, and thought it
time to call their attention to dinner, which was then
waiting. We need scarcely add that Mr. Green and
Mrs. Devenant did very little towards diminishing the
dinner that day.
After dinner the lovers (for such wo have to call them)
gave their experience from the time that George Green
Up to that
left the gaol, dressed in Mary's clothes.
time, Mr. Green's was substantially as we have related
it. Mrs. Devenant's was as follows:—" The night after
you left the prison," said she, "I did not shut my eyes
in sleep. The next morning, about 8 o'clock, Peter, the
gardener, came to the gaol to see if I had been there
the night before, and was informed that I had, and that
I left a little after dark. About an hour after, Mr.
Green came himself, and I need not say that h
much surprised on finding me there, dressed in your
was
clothes. This was the first tidings they had of your
escape." " What did Mr. Green say when he found
that I had fled?" " 0!" continued Mrs. Devenant, "he
ssid to me when no one was near, I hope George will get
off, but I foar you will have to suffer in his stead. I told
him that if it must be so I was willing to die it you
could live." At this moment Georgs Greendim
burstl into
tears, threw his arms around her neck, an
e I am glad I have waited so long, withtheexchoapeeodi
meeting you again."
Mrs. Devenant again resumed her story:—" I was
kept in gaol three days, during which time Ivisited
by the Magistrates and two of the Judges. was
On the
third day I was taken out, and master told me that I was
liberated, upon condition that I be immediately sent
out of the §tate. There happened to be just at that