"My mother, who was a favorite slave, died when I was born; and my
mistress, who had a young baby only a few days older than myself, took
me to nurse. I slept, during my infancy, in the cradle with my little
mistress, and afterwards in the room with her, and thus we grew up as
playmates and companions until we reached our seventh year, when we
both had scarlet fever. My little mistress, who was the only child of
a widow, died; and her mother, bending over her death-bed, cried, 'I
will have no little daughter now!' when the child placed her arms
about her and said, 'Mamma, let Ann be your daughter; she'll be your
little girl; I'll go to her mamma, and she'll stay with my mamma.'
"And from that time I was no more a slave, but a child in the house.
My mistress brought a governess for me from the North, and I was
taught as white girls are. I was fond of my books, and my life was a
very happy one, though we lived on a lonely plantation, and had but
little company.
"I was almost white, as you see, and my mistress had taught me to call
her mamma. I was devoted to her, and very fond of my governess, and
they both petted me as if I really had been a daughter instead of a
slave. Four years ago the brother of my governess came out from
Vermont to make his sister a visit at our home.
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