had advised her, or that she was going North. Mr. Ketcham introduced
her to Levi Coffin and lawyer John Jolliffe, who gave her letters of
introduction to friends at Oberlin, and other places, and by the time
she was sent to me she had over two hundred dollars toward the release
of the mortgage on the daughter. As her health was poor from constant
overwork and troubles incident to slave life, to give her rest I took
her papers, and while calling on the friends of humanity, did not
slight some of my Democratic friends, some of whom had some years
previously told me if I would go to work and purchase the slaves they
would aid me.

Consequently I called on one who was living in splendor within his
massive pile of brick, and reminded him of the promise he made me on a
certain occasion. Now was his opportunity, as I was assisting a mother
to purchase her daughter. I gave him the line through which I had
received the best of endorsements as to her industrious and honest
Christian character, and what the friends had done for her upon whom I
had called, and but for her poor health would have brought her with
me. After listening attentively to all my statements, he arose from
his chair, walked nervously to and fro across his room, as if striving
to his utmost to brace against sympathy, and said, "Mrs. Haviland,
I'll not give a penny to any one who will steal slaves; for you might
just as well come to my barn and steal my horse or wheat as to help
slaves to Canada, out of the reach of their owners."

"Did I do right," I asked, "in rescuing that Hamilton family from the
grasp of those Tennessee slave-holders?"

"If I had taken a family under my wing, of course, I should calculate
to protect them."