▁died ▁when ▁Allen ▁was ▁young , ▁his ▁mother ▁chose ▁to ▁be ▁sold ▁as ▁a ▁cook ▁to ▁a ▁neighbor , ▁the ▁att orney ▁Nat ▁Wol fe . ▁When ▁the ▁Star bird s ▁found ▁Allen ▁was ▁learning ▁to ▁read , ▁they ▁separated ▁him ▁from ▁their ▁son ▁and ▁placed ▁him ▁with ▁another ▁family , ▁the ▁Tal b ots . ▁ ▁Mrs . ▁Tal bot , ▁a ▁Qu aker , ▁was ▁kind ▁to ▁Allen ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁teach ▁him ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write ; ▁she ▁also ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁Sunday ▁school ▁for ▁slave ▁children . ▁When ▁B ett ▁Star bird ▁discovered ▁this , ▁she ▁took ▁Allen ▁back . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁she ▁made ▁arrang ements ▁with ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁partner ▁John ▁Smith ▁to ▁send ▁the ▁boy ▁to ▁his ▁brother ▁Pat ' s ▁plant ation ▁down ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁in ▁Hend erson , ▁Kentucky , ▁to ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁his ▁learning . ▁On ▁the ▁steam bo at , ▁the ▁boy ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁a ▁slave ▁ste ward ▁rather ▁than ▁being ▁ch ained ▁with ▁other ▁slaves ▁below ▁deck . ▁They ▁were ▁being ▁transport ed ▁for ▁sale ▁to ▁down river ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁Heb e ▁Smith , ▁Allen ' s ▁new ▁mist ress , ▁assigned ▁him ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁house boy ; ▁she ▁prohib ited ▁him ▁from ▁continu ing ▁his ▁studies , ▁and ▁wh ipped ▁him ▁for ▁trying ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁Also ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁household ▁was ▁a ▁white ▁or phan ▁boy ▁Edd ie ; ▁the ▁two ▁boys ▁became