Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Mr. Sands assured Harriet that he would care for Harriet and her child. Five days later, Dr. Flint demanded to know if the free Black man whom she had wanted to marry was the father of her child. Harriet confidently answered that, while she had sinned against God and herself, she had committed no sin against Dr. Flint. Furious, Dr. Flint told her Mrs. Flint had forbidden her from the house. When Dr. Flint asked if the father of her child was White or Black, Harriet refused to answer. In exchange for her having no more communication with the father of her child, Dr. Flint offered to care for Harriet and her child. However, he would show her no more acts of mercy if she refused this offer. Harriet refused.

Around this time, Harriet’s uncle Phillip returned from a trip. At first ashamed of him seeing her pregnant, she finally agreed to a visit. Phillip received her happily, as he always had.

Pregnancy made Harriet increasingly ill as she got closer to her due date. The baby was born premature. The attending doctor worried that Harriet would not live until morning. She quietly hoped that this was true, but wished that her child would die with her.