MR. STILL, SIR:—­I ar rivd on Friday evenen bot I had rite smart troble for my mony gave out at the bridge and I had to fot et to St. Catherin tho I went rite to worke at the willard house for 8 dolor month bargend for to stae all the wentor bot I havent eny clouse nor money please send my tronke if et has come.  Derate et to St. Catharines to the willard house to John Dade and if et ant come plice rite for et soon as posable deract your letter to Rosenen Dade Washington send your deraction please tend to this rite a way for I haf made a good start I think that I can gate a longe en this plase.  If my brother as well send him on for I haf a plase for him ef he ant well please don’t send him for this as no plase for a sik possan.  The way I got this plase I went to see a fran of myen from Washington.  Dan al well and he gave me werke.  Pleas ancer this as soon as you gat et you must excues this bad riting for my chance wars bot small to line this mouch,

    JOHN H. DADE.

    If yon haf to send for my tronke to Washington send the name of
    John Trowharte.  Sir please rite as soon as you gat this for et
    as enporten.

    JOHN H. DADE.

* * * * *

ARRIVAL FROM DELAWARE, 1858.

GEORGE LAWS AND COMRADE—­TIED AND HOISTED WITH BLOCK AND TACKLE, TO BE COWHIDED.

George represented the ordinary young slave men of Delaware.  He was of unmixed blood, medium size and of humble appearance.  He was destitute of the knowledge of spelling, to say nothing of reading.  Slavery had stamped him unmistakably for life.  To be scantily fed and clothed, and compelled to work without hire, George did not admire, but had to submit without murmuring; indeed, he knew that his so-called master, whose name was Denny, would not be likely to hear complaints from a slave; he therefore dragged his chain and yielded to his daily task.

One day, while hauling dirt with a fractious horse, the animal manifested an unwillingness to perform his duty satisfactorily.  At this procedure the master charged George with provoking the beast to do wickedly, and in a rage he collared George and bade him accompany him “up stairs” (of the soap house).  Not daring to resist, George went along with him.  Ropes being tied around both his wrists, the block and tackle were fastened thereto, and George soon found himself hoisted on tip-toe with his feet almost clear of the floor.

[Illustration:  ]

The “kind-hearted master” then tore all the poor fellow’s old shirt off his back, and addressed him thus:  “You son of a b——­h, I will give you pouting around me; stay there till I go up town for my cowhide.”

George begged piteously, but in vain.  The fracas caused some excitement, and it so happened that a show was to be exhibited that day in the town, which, as is usual in the country, brought a great many people from a distance; so, to his surprise, when the master returned with his cowhide, he found that a large number of curiosity-seekers had been attracted to the soap house to see Mr. Denny perform with his cowhide on George’s back, as he was stretched up by his hands.  Many had evidently made up their minds that it would be more amusing to see the cowhiding than the circus.