despised the Irish, and often declared he would board at the hotel before he would employ Irish help, but he now has a dissipated Irish cook.  When I was his slave I was obliged to keep away every fly from the table, and not allow one to light on a person.  They are now compelled to brush their own flies and dress themselves and children.  Mr. Lewis’ brother Benjamin was a more severe slave master than the one who owned me.  He was a tobacconist and very wealthy.  As soon as the war commenced he turned Unionist to save his property.  He was very severe in his punishments.  He used to extend his victim, fastened to a beam, with hands and feet tied, and inflict from fifty to three hundred lashes, laying their flesh entirely open, then bathe their quivering wounds with brine, and, through his nose, in a slow rebel tone he would tell them “You’d better walk a fair chalk line or else I’ll give yer twice as much.”  His former friends, the guerrillas, were aware he only turned Union to save his cash, and they gave those persons he had abused a large share of his luxury.  They then, in the presence of his wife and another distinguished lady, tortured him in a most inhuman manner.  For pretending Unionism they placed him on a table and threatened to dissect him alive if he did not tell them where he kept his gold.  He immediately informed them.  They then stood him against the house and fired over his head.  From that, they changed his position by turning him upside down, and raising him two feet from the floor, letting him dash his head against the floor until his skull was fractured, after which he lingered awhile and finally died.  There was a long piece published in the paper respecting his repentance, benevolence, & c.  All the slaves who ever lived in his family admit the Lord is able to save to the uttermost.  He saved the thief on the cross, and perhaps he saved him.

When I made my escape from slavery I was in a query how I was to raise funds to bear my expenses.  I finally came to the conclusion that as the laborer was worthy of his hire, I thought my wages should come from my master’s pocket.  Accordingly I took twenty-five dollars.  After I was safe and had learned to write, I sent him a nice letter, thanking him for the kindness his pocket bestowed to me in time of need.  I have never received any answer to it.

When I complete my education, if my life is spared, I shall endeavor to publish further details of our history in another volume from my own pen.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is a system claiming God for its author, and the welfare of man for its object.  It is a system so uniform, exalted and pure, that the loftiest intellects have acknowledged its influence, and acquiesced in the justness of its claims.  Genius has bent from his erratic course to gather fire from her altars, and pathos from the agony of Gethsemane and the sufferings of Calvary.  Philosophy and science have paused