Afterwards, however, I conceived the idea of purchasing at once the entire
family. I went to Mr. Smith to learn his price, which he put at _three
thousand dollars_ for my wife and six children, the number we then had.
This seemed a large sum, both because it was a great deal for me to raise;
and also because Mr. Smith, when he bought my wife and _two_ children, had
actually paid but five hundred and sixty dollars for them, and had
received, ever since, their labor, while I had almost entirely supported
them, both as to food and clothing. Altogether, therefore, the case seemed
a hard one, but as I was entirely in his power I must do the best I could.
At length he concluded, perhaps partly of his own motion, and partly
through the persuasion of a friend, to sell the family for $2,500, as I
wished to free them, though he contended still that they were worth three
thousand dollars. Perhaps they would at that time have brought this larger
sum, if sold for the Southern market. The arrangement with Mr. Smith was
made in December, 1838. I gave him five notes of five hundred dollars
each, the first due in January, 1840, and one in January each succeeding
year; for which he transferred my family into my own possession, with a
_bond_ to give me a bill of sale when I should pay the notes. With this
arrangement, we found ourselves living in our own house--a house which I
had previously purchased--in January, 1839.

After moving my family, my wife was for a short time sick, in consequence
of her labor and the excitement in moving, and her excessive joy. I told
her that it reminded me of a poor shoemaker in the neighborhood who
purchased a ticket in a lottery; but not expecting to draw, the fact of
his purchasing it had passed out of his mind. But one day as he was at
work on his last, he was informed that his ticket had drawn the liberal
prize of ten thousand dollars; and the poor man was so overjoyed, that he
fell back on his seat, and immediately expired.