Shortly the mistress of the house came in and ordered the supper.
Fortunately for me the supper was to be carried into the "big house,"
and the cook, taking her hands full of things, left the kitchen and went
into the house. I immediately sprung through the window, promiscuously
emptied the meat and bread into my sack, and left the kitchen the same
way before the return of the cook, just in time to escape detection.

I crouched in the shade of the cabin fearing to move, when I heard the
cook exclaim:

"Good gracious! some one hab tuk and turned in an' tuk all de bread an'
meat."

Her cries brought the household to the kitchen, and during the racket I
made my escape to the road and a more peaceful neighborhood. I walked
briskly for a couple of miles, when I stopped and satisfied my ravenous
hunger.

This was my first theft of something to eat. Before this I had been
fortunate enough to obtain supplies of food from friendly slaves, but
for the twenty-four hours previous to my raid on the kitchen I had eaten
nothing. I make no excuse for this immoral act, and ask no one to say I
did right. I only did what perhaps any one else, under the same
circumstances, would have done. I was too weak from hunger and other
causes to withstand the temptation of obtaining the food as I did. As
soon as my appetite was satisfied, however, my sin rose up before me in
all its enormity; I felt distressed; and it came vividly in my mind, "In
that Christ hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that
are tempted." Oh, what had I done! I had lost God's help in this my hour
of trial. I prayed for forgiveness, and asked God to direct and protect