Read Online Second Daughter by Mildred Pitts; Walter - Free Book Online Page A

other men, all of whom I had seen in the house. I recognized Lawyer Sedgwick, a broad-shouldered man with a big body and large head, who was reading aloud from a paper. A white scarf around his neck accented the pink face that stood out even more because his hair was thinning. His voice was deep and loud enough to be heard throughout the hall.
    On seeing me, the master frowned. When I held up the bundle, he smiled and waved me forward. “The mistress sent this,” I said. He opened the bundle right away and drank from the jar of rum, which was still warm. I sat in back of the platform listening while I waited for the master to finish. When Lawyer Sedgwick completed the page, someone in the back shouted, “Lawyer Sedgwick, I didn’t understand all that you read. Please read it again.”
    â€œYes! Yes!” came shouts from around the room.
    One of the men on the platform stood. “We must get on with this business.”
    Lawyer Sedgwick said, “I will read it only once more. There must be order if you are to hear.”
    The hall became quieter as he read. “Resolved that Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free and independent of each other and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property.”
    I am in this meeting, the only woman. I am here! I thought. I became so excited but also afraid that they would notice and ask me to leave. I pulled the shawl around me and tried to pretend that I was not at all interested in what was being said.
    â€œResolved that the great end of political society is to secure in a more effectual manner those rights and privileges wherewith God and nature have made us free.” He read on, a lot of things I did not understand nor have any interest in. The master placed the plate and the jar on the floor and covered them over, but he gave no sign that I should leave.
    When the reading was finished, Lawyer Sedgwick asked that a vote be taken and that the town clerk record the proceedings. Then, to my great amazement, Josiah and Agrippa forced their way to the front of the room. Josiah was dressed in his usual attire, leather breeches and leather shirt with fringes at the yoke and at the hem, but Agrippa wore a coat flared at the bottom. A red scarf at his neck partially covered a white shirt with ruffles down the front. His black velvet trousers had buckles at the knees. The two, though differently dressed, were imposing figures. There was a rustle in the crowd and then quiet, as if everyone was waiting for a great happening.
    My heart beat wildly while Josiah stood beside Agrippa, both of them calm and composed. Agrippa’s voice rang deep, clear as a bell. “Gentlemen. You say that ‘mankind in a state of nature are equal, free and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property.’ What does that mean to the five thousand slaves in this colony? We petition you.”
    Then he read from the paper they had drafted: “For, in as much as you claim to be acting on the principles of equity and justice, we cannot but expect you to take our deplorable case into serious consideration and give us ample relief which as men we have a natural right to. We are desirous that you have instructions relative to our cause in your petition and pray that you communicate our desires to the representative of this colony. In behalf of our enslaved brothers and sisters, in this province and by order of their committee. Signed: Agrippa Hull and Josiah Freeman.”
    There was stirring and angry grumbling in the room, and then scattered applause, but Lawyer Sedgwick quickly silenced the hall. “Your petition should have been presented at the time of the writing of this declaration,” he shouted.
    â€œBut honorable sir,” Agrippa called out, “we had no knowledge that such a petition was being prepared.”
    There were more rumbles through