In about half an hour I stood trembling at the door of W.W.  After knocking, the door opened upon a comfortably spread table; the sight of which seemed at once to increase my hunger sevenfold.  Not daring to enter, I said I had been sent to him in search of employ.  “Well,” said he, “Come in and take thy breakfast, and get warm, and we will talk about it; thee must be cold without any coat.” “Come in and take thy breakfast, and get warm!” These words spoken by a stranger, but with such an air of simple sincerity and fatherly kindness, made an overwhelming impression upon my mind.  They made me feel, spite of all my fear and timidity, that I had, in the providence of God, found a friend and a home.  He at once gained my confidence; and I felt that I might confide to him a fact which I had, as yet, confided to no one.

From that day to this, whenever I discover the least disposition in my heart to disregard the wretched condition of any poor or distressed persons with whom I meet, I call to mind these words—­“Come in and take thy breakfast, and get warm.”  They invariably remind me of what I was at that time; my condition was as wretched as that of any human being can possibly be, with the exception of the loss of health or reason.  I had but four pieces of clothing about my person, having left all the rest in the hands of my captors.  I was a starving fugitive, without home or friends—­a reward offered for my person in the public papers—­pursued by cruel manhunters, and no claim upon him to whose door I went.  Had he turned me away, I must have perished.  Nay, he took me in, and gave me of his food, and shared with me his own garments.  Such treatment I had never before received at the hands of any white man.

A few such men in slaveholding America, have stood, and even now stand, like Abrahams and Lots, to stay its forthcoming and well-earned and just judgment.

The limits of this work compel me to pass over many interesting incidents which occurred during my six months’ concealment in that family.  I must confine myself only to those which will show the striking providence of God, in directing my steps to the door of W.W., and how great an influence the incidents of that six months has had upon all my subsequent history.  My friend kindly gave me employ to saw and split a number of cords of wood, then lying in his yard, for which he agreed with me for liberal pay and board.  This inspired me with great encouragement.  The idea of beginning to earn something was very pleasant.  Next; we confidentially agreed upon the way and means of avoiding surprise, in case any one should come to the house as a spy, or with intention to arrest me.  This afforded still further relief, as it convinced me that the whole family would now be on the look out for such persons.

The next theme of conversation was with reference to my education.

“Can thee read or write any, James?” was the question put to me the morning after my arrival, by W.W.