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PUBLISHED BY THE PHILLIS WHEATLEY CLUB

[[[stamp]] Waycross, Ga [[/stamp]]
Mrs. Anna Sirmons, President
Mrs. Henrhetta Tarver, Vice-President
Mrs. Beatrice Brock, Secretary
Mrs. Evelena McCoy, Treasurer

PHILLIS WHEATLEY
Phillis Wheatley was brought to America on one of the large ships which was used for the purpose of the "slave trade," it landing in Boston in 1763. Phillis was on of the many brought from Africa at this particular time and was immediately put on the market for sale. She was naked except a piece of dirty carpet around her loins. She did not even possess a name. She was thin and sick from a rough sea voyage, for her constitution was delicate at best.
Impressed by her intelligent countenance and modest demeanor, she was selected from a large number of slaves by Mrs. John Wheatley whose intention was to teach her the duties of a house servant; but clean clothes, good food wrought such change for the better, her mistress decided to instruct her in letters. She was only eight years old and proved a very apt pupil, in less than a year and a half she had mastered the English language sufficiently well to read the most difficult portions of the Bible. She also mastered writing with equal ease. In four years from the time she was taken out of the slave market could carry on an interesting correspondence upon many topics. Her amiable disposition and budding intellect attracted the attention of the refined and cultured of Boston, they gave her encouragement by lending her books and conversing with her on literary subjects. Having acquired a fairly good English education, she began the study of Latin and soon became so proficient that she made an admirable translation of one of Ovid's tales, which was published in Boston, and re-published in England, where it was heartily commended by many of the reviews.
When asked what she remembered about her home in Africa, she replied "nothing except the fact that every morning my mother poured out water before the rising sun." She could not help but contrast this with the worship of the true and livingGod, adn this child of Africa became deeply pious in 1770 and at the age of sixteen was happily converted and united with the congregation at

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-26 04:09:20