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| LEWIS TAPPAN. . 687 after being absent a while, returned, and was introduced as Miss Ann Maria* Weems. The whole company were on their feet, shook hands, laughed, and rejoiced , declaring that this beat all they had ever seen before. Chatham contains, I was told, more than three thousand fugitives. The weather there, is not colder than in New York. The next morning was the Sabbath, but this I must pass and hasten to D., the residence of Mr. Bradley. We started early Monday morning. As a part of the road was very bad, we did not reach there till a late hour. As we were passing along, and getting near to the place, we met two colored men who were talking together—cue on horseback, and the other on foot. I inquired of them, if they could tell me how far it was to Mr. Bradley'a. The man on horseback said it was about a mile further, and then proceeded to give directions. After he had done this, he said: 'I reckon I am the one that you want to find, my name is Bradley.' Well, I replied, probably you are the man. Just then Ann Maria turned her head around. As soon as he saw her face, he exclaimed: 'My Lord ! Maria, is that you ? Is that you? My child, is it you ? We never expected to see yon again! We had given you up; O, what will your aunt say ? It will kill her! She will die! It will kill her.' I told him, that as I was obliged to leave again soon, I must proceed. 'Well,' said he, 'you go on; I am just going over to M., and will be back in a few minutes.' We started for his house, and he towards M., but we had only gone a short distance, when he overtook us, exclaiming: 'I can't go to M.,' and began talking to Ann Maria, asking her all about her friends and relatives, whom they had left behind, and about his old master, and his wife's master, from whom they had run away four years before. As we approached the house, he said : ' I will go and open the gate, and have a good fire to warm you.' When he came up to the gate, he met his wife, who was returning from a store or neighbor's house, and he said to her, "That's Ann Maria coming yonder.' She stopped until we came to the gate; the tears were rolling from her eyes, and she exclaimed: 'Ann Maria, is it you ?' The girl leaped from the wagon, and they fell on each other's necks, weeping and rejoicing. Such a scene I never before witnessed. She, who had been given up as lost, was now found! She, who but a short time before, had been, as they supposed, a slave for life, was now free. We soon entered the house, and after the first guah of feeling had somewhat subsided, they both began a general inquiry about the friends they had left behind. Every now and then, the aunt would break out: ' My child, you are here! Thank God, you are free! We were talking about you today, and saying, we shall never see you again; and DOW here you are .with us.' I remained about an hotfr and a half •with them, took dinner, and then started for home, rejoicing that I had been to a land where colored men are free. |