Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-23


Stealing used copy-books, he would
copy the matter in the unused space
AT night in the kitchen loft, with a
flour barrel as a desk he would copy
from the Bible and the hymn book
all at the risk of being soundly whip
ped Lincoln's efforts to get an edu-
cation, great as they were, were almost
nothing compared with the struggles
of Douglass.
Another important event In his life
occurred when he secretly bought a
Columbian Orator." with money
earned at backing shoes. Now he
resd the mighty orations of Chatham,
Pitt, Fox and Burke until his own
ambition was famed to white heat.
A Brutal Master
At this time happened what seemed
to him a disaster, but it was only
Life's way of training him for a great
task. His master, Colonel Lloyd, died,
and he was sent for to be valued with
the big estate and divided up with
the rest of e property. 1t is tie
that he was returned to the Aulds but
the fact that he had been treated as
a common animal, he, in whom such
manly thoughts seethed, wounded
him to the core.
Moreover, life at the Auld5 vas not
to be the same. Owing to a family
row, he found himself under Capt.
Thomas Auld, an intens ly selfish,
h.rd, s.-N'. brutal individual, ole
piety did not prevent his descending
on the slaves at prayer-meeting and
beating them numerically
AS to Mrs. Rowena Aud, Sh> was
not only unkind but stingy as well.
She gave Douglass barely enough food
to keep him alive, and 70 make sure
that he would steal none, she kept
the key of the meat house in her
pocket. Bread and meat were mould
ering in there" says Douglass, while
I was famishing"
Driven by hunger he would steal
away at times to nearby estate
where the slaves were better fed for
a few morsels. For this he would be
severely beaten when caught.
Instead of showing repentance,
Douglass took no pains to conceal his
resentment after each shrashing.
Aud, enraged, decided that he need
ed breaking in. Living not far away
was a poor renter, named Convey, who
had earned a reputation at this sort
of thing. Masters had been known
to send their stubborn slaves to Covey,
free of charge for year. When they
were returned they would be thor
oughly tanned.
The Slave-Trainer
To Covey, Douglass was sent, and
Douglass gladly went. In this new
place he at least hoped to get enough
to eat.
Coyey was G round-shouldered,
bull-necked man, above middle
height, with thin wolfish face; fe-
rociols and strong. He at once SET
Douglass to doing field-work, his first
time at it.
Three days later, on slight pre-
text, Covey beat him so severely tnat
the blood flowed.
A few days later he beat him again.
He had given him a team OF unbroken
oxen in a cart to fetch wood. On the
way the oxen crashed into a gate'
Covey, cutting down a sapling, lash
ed him till the sapling flew into bits:
From now on, overwork and the
lash we're his regular companions. AS
to study, that was out Of the question.
The dark night of slavery closed IN
on him, dragging him almost to the
level of the brutes.
Longing, he would watch the shlps
sailing to free lands and wish ne
were on one. Long ago he had mace
,,n his mind to escape at the FIRST
But his spirit was far from being
broken. and one day when CoVey sez-
ed him by the leg, trying to tie him
with a rope, he showed fight. CeVeys
cousin. Hughes, came rushing to ms
aid. but Douglass rising to MS 1eet
hurled his six feet OF lusty young
manhood at Hughes anc bearing MN
to the earth, pummelled him, then
turning to Covey he pounded nm
with his fists until he was dragged OH
L.. ~ claya ruOpoan