Двенадцать лет рабства

           TheeldestwasacoloredmannamedClemensRay. HehadlivedinWashington;haddrivenahack,andworkedinaliverystablethereforalongtime. Hewasveryintelligent,andfullycomprehendedhissituation. Thethoughtofgoingsouthoverwhelmedhimwithgrief. Burchhadpurchasedhimafewdaysbefore,andhadplacedhimthereuntilsuchtimeashewasreadytosendhimtotheNew-Orleansmarket. FromhimIlearnedforthefirsttimethatIwasinWilliam’sSlavePen,aplaceIhadneverheardofpreviously. Hedescribedtometheusesforwhichitwasdesigned. Irepeatedtohimtheparticularsofmyunhappystory,buthecouldonlygivemetheconsolationofhissympathy. Healsoadvisedmetobesilenthenceforthonthesubjectofmyfreedom;for,knowingthecharacterofBurch,heassuredmethatitwouldonlybeattendedwithrenewedwhipping. ThenexteldestwasnamedJohnWilliams. HewasraisedinVirginia,notfarfromWashington. Burchhadtakenhiminpaymentofadebt,andheconstantlyentertainedthehopethathismasterwouldredeemhim—ahopethatwassubsequentlyrealized. Theladwasasprightlychild,thatansweredtothenameofRandall. Mostofthetimehewasplayingabouttheyard,butoccasionallywouldcry,callingforhismother,andwonderingwhenshewouldcome. Hismother’sabsenceseemedtobethegreatandonlygriefinhislittleheart. Hewastooyoungtorealizehiscondition,andwhenthememoryofhismotherwasnotinhismind,heamuseduswithhispleasantpranks. 

           Atnight,Ray,Williams,andtheboy,sleptintheloftoftheshed,whileIwaslockedinthecell. Finallywewereeachprovidedwithblankets,suchasareuseduponhorses—theonlybeddingIwasallowedtohavefortwelveyearsafterwards. RayandWilliamsaskedmemanyquestionsaboutNew-York—howcoloredpeopleweretreatedthere;howtheycouldhavehomesandfamiliesoftheirown,withnonetodisturbandoppressthem;andRay,especially,sighedcontinuallyforfreedom.