work, and as it is not the custom for free people to give work to slaves, she told her she had no work; one day she went again to this free colored woman, and finding no person at home, she sat in a corner and cried; when the woman came in she asked her what was the matter; she told her if she did not bring home the money she would be whipped. The woman questioned her closely about who she belonged to, who she knew in Virginia, and how many children she had, and then asked her what marks her children had, and all about herself. She found this poor old woman was her own mother, whom she had not seen for thirty-five years. She flew to embrace her when the poor mother cried and screamed for joy until she gathered the people round her for squares. It was just the hour when business men went to their business, but not many of them went to business that day, for I never saw men in my life show such sympathy and feeling as they did on that occasion; every gentleman was eager to purchase and liberate her if the daughter had not been able to have done so; notwithstanding the woman was well off and able to purchase her mother, fives, tens, and twenties were given to the poor old woman to the amount, almost, of the sum required.
The gentleman, seeing the sympathies of the people, asked a moderate price for her, but the lady, whose anger was aroused, would not give her up on any reasonable terms; but at length she was compelled to take for her a moderate price, or nothing, as there was so much excitement going on. Just at that time a few children were coming by from market, and they ran up to her, with five and ten cent pieces, saying,
