第5章 Chapter II.(1)

　　One morning， towards the latter part of the month ofMarch， 1841， having at that time no particular businessto engage my attention， I was walking about the villageof Saratoga Springs， thinking to myself where I mightobtain some present employment， until the busy seasonshould arrive. Anne， as was her usual custom， had goneover to Sandy Hill， a distance of some twenty miles， totake charge of the culinary department at Sherrill’s CoffeeHouse， during the session of the court. Elizabeth， I think，had accompanied her. Margaret and Alonzo were withtheir aunt at Saratoga.

　　On the corner of Congress street and Broadway， nearthe tavern， then， and for aught I know to the contrary，still kept by Mr. Moon， I was met by two gentlemen ofrespectable appearance， both of whom were entirelyunknown to me. I have the impression that they wereintroduced to me by some one of my acquaintances， butwho， I have in vain endeavored to recall， with the remarkthat I was an expert player on the violin.

　　At any rate， they immediately entered into conversationon that subject， making numerous inquiries touchingmy proficiency in that respect. My responses being to allappearances satisfactory， they proposed to engage my services for a short period， stating， at the same time， Iwas just such a person as their business required. Theirnames， as they afterwards gave them to me， were MerrillBrown and Abram Hamilton， though whether thesewere their true appellations， I have strong reasons todoubt. The former was a man apparently forty years ofage， somewhat short and thick-set， with a countenanceindicating shrewdness and intelligence. He wore a blackfrock coat and black hat， and said he resided either atRochester or at Syracuse. The latter was a young manof fair complexion and light eyes， and， I should judge，had not passed the age of twenty-five. He was tall andslender， dressed in a snuff-colored coat， with glossy hat，and vest of elegant pattern. His whole apparel was inthe extreme of fashion. His appearance was somewhateffeminate， but prepossessing and there was about himan easy air， that showed he had mingled with the world.

　　They were connected， as they informed me， with a circuscompany， then in the city of Washington； that they wereon their way thither to rejoin it， having left it for a shorttime to make an excursion northward， for the purposeof seeing the country， and were paying their expenses byan occasional exhibition. They also remarked that theyhad found much difficulty in procuring music for theirentertainments， and that if I would accompany them asfar as New-York， they would give me one dollar for eachday’s services， and three dollars in addition for everynight I played at their performances， besides sufficient to pay the expenses of my return from New-York to Saratoga.

　　I at once accepted the tempting offer， both for thereward it promised， and from a desire to visit themetropolis. They were anxious to leave immediately.

　　Thinking my absence would be brief， I did not deem itnecessary to write to Anne whither I had gone； in factsupposing that my return， perhaps， would be as soon ashers. So taking a change of linen and my violin， I was readyto depart. The carriage was brought round—a coveredone， drawn by a pair of noble bays， altogether forming anelegant establishment. Their baggage， consisting of threelarge trunks， was fastened on the rack， and mounting tothe driver’s seat， while they took their places in the rear，I drove away from Saratoga on the road to Albany， elatedwith my new position， and happy as I had ever been， onany day in all my life.

　　We passed through Ballston， and striking the ridgeroad， as it is called， if my memory correctly serves me，followed it direct to Albany. We reached that city beforedark， and stopped at a hotel southward from the Museum.

　　This night I had an opportunity of witnessing oneof their performances—the only one， during the wholeperiod I was with them. Hamilton was stationed at thedoor； I formed the orchestra， while Brown provided theentertainment. It consisted in throwing balls， dancingon the rope， frying pancakes in a hat， causing invisiblepigs to squeal， and other like feats of ventriloquism andlegerdemain. The audience was extraordinarily sparse，and not of the selectest character at that， and Hamilton’sreport of the proceeds but a “beggarly account of emptyboxes.”

　　Early next morning we renewed our journey. Theburden of their conversation now was the expression ofan anxiety to reach the circus without delay. They hurriedforward， without again stopping to exhibit， and in duecourse of time， we reached New-York， taking lodgings ata house on the west side of the city， in a street runningfrom Broadway to the river. I supposed my journey was atan end， and expected in a day or two at least， to return tomy friends and family at Saratoga. Brown and Hamilton，however， began to importune me to continue with themto Washington. They alleged that immediately on theirarrival， now that the summer season was approaching，the circus would set out for the north. They promised mea situation and high wages if I would accompany them.

　　Largely did they expatiate on the advantages that wouldresult to me， and such were the flattering representationsthey made， that I finally concluded to accept the offer.

　　The next morning they suggested that， inasmuch as wewere about entering a slave State， it would be well， beforeleaving New-York， to procure free papers. The idea struckme as a prudent one， though I think it would scarcelyhave occurred to me， had they not proposed it. Weproceeded at once to what I understood to be the CustomHouse. They made oath to certain facts showing I was afree man. A paper was drawn up and handed us， with the direction to take it to the clerk’s office. We did so， and theclerk having added something to it， for which he was paidsix shillings， we returned again to the Custom House.