In Chapter 13, Elijah goes into Chatham to get the mail and finds out that the postman has had an “accident." He is given a letter and a package, and is worried because the letter, which is for Mrs. Holton, will probably contain bad news. Elijah and his mom (and many other people in the town) dress in their best clothes and deliver the letter to Mrs. Holton. When the letter is delivered, the reader learns that John Holton was caught escaping and killed. Mrs. Holton remains dignified despite the horrible news. She tells the people that she already suspected her husband was dead. Mrs. Holton thanks them and then invites everyone to share in the food brought by the townspeople. At this point, both Mrs. Holton and Ma learn that they are from plantations very close to each other in Virginia. There is great comfort for the two women in learning that they come from the same area of the country. After the visit with Mrs. Holton, Ma walks home with Elijah and praises him for being strong and not “fra-gile.” Elijah feels tears welling up in his eyes, but he feels such pride about his mother’s compliment that he doesn’t cry.
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