I had a good fright from some of them yesterday, as I
was returning from school. I'd no sooner crossed the
steps that lead into the lawn than an enormous brindled
fellow, with black, devilish face, sprang furiously towards
me, followed by two others, barking and showing their
horrid jaws. Now, thought I, my time has come! I
hesitated whether I should endeavour to tear their mouths
open, or jump upon them and crush them, should the
worst arrive. I involuntarily thought of A., who has a
horror of dogs, and then called out in my blandest tones,
'Poor fellows; po-or fellows!' The voice had the desired
effect, and instead of having to fight Samson-wise, the
gentlemen contented themselves with jumping upon me
and knocking my dinner-tray out of my hand. I am in
general quite a favourite with the canine race, and have
not the slightest fear of them, which the ladies here can
hardly believe, as their life is almost a torment to them
for fear of dogs and cows; indeed, I would always sooner
meet a dozen dogs than one negro, and the only uneasiness
I have in taking my long, solitary walks proceeds
from this; for of all brutes the human brute is the
worst, and I never meet one in a lonely place without
feeling a sudden perspiration.
I dislike slavery more and more every day; I suppose I see it here in its mildest form, and since my residence here I have heard of no use being made of the whipping-post, nor any instance of downright cruelty. (It was really meant as an act of hospitality when they placed a little negro girl as a screen between me and the fire the other day!) But to live in the midst of beings degraded to the utmost in body and mind, drudging on from earliest morning to latest night, cuffed about by everyone, scolded at all day long, blamed unjustly, and without spirit enough to reply, with no consideration in any way for their feelings, with no hope for the future, smelling
