“I reside in Warren County near Warrenton—­am the owner of Nine Young Negroes in agriculture, who would not exchange their bondage for a free residence in the north.  I am happy to inform you Revd.  Sir that my character is such that will bear the strictest investigation, and my relations respectable.  I am yet young having not yet obtained my 25th year.

“Well sir, I am a stranger to both yourself and interesting family, and as a matter of course you may desire to know something about the humble individual who has thought proper to address you on a subject which depends on the future happiness of your daughter.  For your Reverence’s gratification you are at liberty to refer to either or all of the following gentlemen, by letter or in person,—­viz., Hon. J. E. Sharkey, State Senator, Warren Co., P. O., Warrenton, Miss.;—­Hon. A. G. Brown, Ex-Gov., Miss., now Member of Congress, P. O., Gallatin, Miss.;—­Samuel Edwards, High Sheriff, Warren Co., P. O., Vicksburg, Miss.;—­E.  B. Scarbrough Clerk, Probate Court, Warren Co., P. O., Vicksburg, Miss.;—­M.  Shannon, Editor, Vicksburg, Miss., Whig;—­Geo. D. Prentice, Editor, Louisville, Ky., Journal;—­and Reed, Brothers, and Co., 177, Market Street, Philadelphia.

“Again Rev. Sir, I assure you that in writing you this letter, I only do that which is the result of mature deliberation.

                      “I shall wait anxiously your reply,
                                        “THOS.  K. KNOWLAND.”

“P.  S.—­As Messrs. Reed, Brothers, and Co., are the nearest reference to whom I refer, I enclose you a letter from them.”

* * * * *

The two letters immediately following were received by Miss K. just before she left Pennsylvania for New York.  Many other letters were also received by both of us, which are not given in this book, but we can assure the writers thereof that they have our hearts’ gratitude:—­

“Fulton, March 27th, 1853.

“My dear and brave Sister:—­

“For two weeks past we have been stopping with Mr. B. Yesterday we received four letters—­two from my good brother B., and two from Pennsylvania, yours and Jane’s.  Right glad were we to receive those welcome favors—­those little epistolary angels, telling us of your safety, (for safety has of late become quite a consideration) of your affection, of your anxiety, and a hundred things more than what were written.

“Mary, I judge from your letters and notes—­from the tone of them—­that there are feelings and emotions in your heart utterly beyond the power of words to express.  You are resolved, and you are happy in your resolve, and strong in the providential certainty of its success.  Yet you tremble for probabilities, or rather for possibilities.

“What feelings, dear Mary, you must have in the hour of your departure from this country.  Through the windows of imagination I can catch a glimpse of it all.  Your flight is a flight for freedom, and I can almost call you Eliza.  To you this land will become a land of memory.  And, oh! what memories!  But we will talk of this hereafter.