Part 5

“You see, miss, we lived just outside dis yere city. One night somehow de cullud people hearn tell that Pres’dent Linkum was gwine to set all de niggahs in de District free, and ole mars was gwine to run us all down South to git clar ob de proclamashun. David, de dining-room boy, was a likely fellar; he had been about with young mars, and could read and write; so he heard de talk, and made up his mind to run away to Washington dat very night. Any one who wanted to could go ’long. Well, most of ’em was ready to go, my mammy among ’em. She said I could go too: but we didn’t know how I was to git away; fur, you see, miss, I was nurse to young mars’ chillen, and slept with dem in a room that you couldn’t git out’en ’thout gwine through his and Mis’ Virginny’s room. De do’ that went out into the hall was right at de head of their bed, and creaked mighty loud. I asked mammy what I should do, and she said, ‘Trus’ de Lord.’

“Well, we niggers went to bed same as ever, and de house was shut up. I didn’t go to sleep, but tried to trus’ de Lord. De chillen was sleeping sound, and so was young mars and Mis’ Virginny, when I heard a little tap on de winder, and knew it was de signal. I got on my knees in de bed, and I prayed hard, and I prayed strong. Then I took my shoes in my hand, and crep’ frou de do’ into young mars’ room, and round to de hall-do’, and put my hand on de knob. ’Deed, miss, but my heart was a-beatin’; for, if de do’ should creak, we were lost. ‘Good Lord, don’t let it creak,’ I whispered, and turned de knob. Bress yo’ heart, honey! that do’ opened jest as soft as a white baby’s bref,--that do’ that had always screeched like a nigger when he’s hurt. I stepped into de hall, shet de do’ behind me, went down stairs, an’ out by de smoke-house, an’ dare they all were; but, if de good Lord hadn’t helped me, I shouldn’t have been among ’em. Bress de Lord! Hallelujah!”

“But what did you do after you got to the smoke-house?” I asked.

“Oh, I was de las’ one; so we started right off. It was snowing, and I couldn’t stop to put on my shoes; but I was a stout girl, gwine on fo’teen, and didn’t mind de cold, for I was gwine to be free.”

“Weren’t you pursued?”

“Oh, yes, miss! By and by we heard horses come pounding along. We were nigh de cross-roads where de woods was thick; so we crep’ under de branches of de fir-trees. Pretty soon young mars and de overseer come ’long, and stopped to wonder which road we had taken. They swore and cussed right smart for a while, and then took de aqueduct road to Georgetown. When they had been gone a little while, we crep’ out, and took de other road that led all ’round ’cross de creek to Washington. ’Bout morning we saw de Yankee tents, and at noon we was free, bress de Lord!”

“Well, Jule, I’m much obliged for your story,” I said, rising to go, for auntie was calling me.

“‘Deed, honey, you’s welcome. Always put yo’ trus’ in de Lord, chile, He’ll keep de do’ from creaking.’”

As I went up stairs, she began to sing in a high key and with great fervor,--

“I’ll lub my Jesus till I die, _Hal_lelujah! He leaned from out de hebbenly sky, _Hal_lelujah!”

--_Well-Spring._

* * * * *

RECEIPTS

FOR OCTOBER, 1880.

MAINE, $227.79.

Bangor. First Cong. Ch. $38.90 Blue Hill. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00 Bridgeton. Mrs. Rebecca Hale 4.00 Brownville. ---- 6.00 Cumberland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. to const. SILAS M. RIDEOUT L. M. 30.00 East Madison. Eliza Bicknell 5.00 Eastport. Central Ch. Sab. Sch. 5.00 Gardiner. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 24.89 Garland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.00 Hallowell. Fannie A. Davis, _Stu. Aid, Fisk U._ 25.00 Houlton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00 Lewiston. C. C. Cobb, for Talladega, Ala. 10.00 Portland. Williston Ch. and Soc., to const REV. FRANK E. CLARK. L. M. 40.00 Thomaston. Cong. Ch. 5.00 Woolwich. John Percy 2.00 ------ 217.79 Legacies, Hallowell--Mrs. Julia Talpey, by L. D. Emerson, Ex. 10.00 ------ 227.79

NEW HAMPSHIRE $316.75.

Amherst. L. and L. K. Melendy, $20; Miss Lucy Blunt, $10, _for Chapel, Wilmington, N. C._ 30.00 Antrim. “A Friend” 5.00 Candia Village. Jona Martin 5.00 Charlestown. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.00 Dover. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 97.36 Greenville. E. G. Heald 6.00 Hancock. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00 Hanover. Dartmouth Religious Soc. 24.45 Hinsdale. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 14.53 Hollis. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.89 Merrimac. Cong. Ch. (ad’l) 5.00 Milford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 18.36 Nashua. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.15 New Boston. Pres. Ch. and Soc. 4.00 New Ipswich. Proceeds of Children’s Fair 13.00 Peterborough. M. R. 1.00 Pittsfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 24.01 Temple. Cong. Sab. Sch. 16.00

VERMONT, $615.17.

Barnet. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 21.30 Barton Landing. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.75 Benson. Bale of C. _for Refugees_, by Rev. G. Lyon. Brattleborough. Cong. Ch. 26.58 Burlington. Mrs. F. S. 1.00 Danville. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 27.00 Holland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.32 Londonderry. Mrs. Hepsibah H. Stowell 400.00 Ludlow. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 14.10 McIndoe’s Falls. Dea. Monteith 5.00 Newport. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 13.35 Norwich. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 12.00 Saxton’s River. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.00 Saint Albans. A. O. Brainerd 20.00 Saint Johnsbury. North Cong. Sab. Sch. 25.00 Townshend. Mrs. N. D. Batchelder 2.00 West Brattleborough. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 18.77

MASSACHUSETTS, $3,815.00.

Agawam. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.17 Amherst. North Cong. Ch. and Soc., $60, to const. MISS MARY D. FIELD and FRANK W. HARRINGTON, L. M’s;--First Ch., $25. 85.00 Barnstable Co. “A Minister’s Widow” _to furnish a room, Atlanta U._ 25.00 Bernardston. Orthodox Cong. Ch. 2.00 Bridgewater. Sarah L. Alden, $10.; Mrs. M. S. Dunham, $2 12.00 Boston. “Teacher of A. M. A.” 2.00 Boxford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.00 Brocton. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 50.00 Brookline. W. H. White 10.00 Chelsea. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 109.57 Chicopee. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 21.34 Concord. Trin. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 39.00 Dorchester. Village Ch. and Soc. 32.87 Dorchester. Sab. Sch. of Second Cong. Ch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 10.00 East Charlemont. Dea. P. Field 9.00 East Hampton. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $84.85; Cong. Sab. Sch., $25. 109.85 Essex Co. “Howard,” _for Brick Jacket for Chapel, Wilmington, N. C._ 500.00 Gardner. J. B. Drury, to const. MRS. SARAH JANE DRURY, L. M. 30.00 Hanson. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.00 Harvard. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 32.78 Haverhill. North Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00 Holyoke. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $15; Second Cong. Ch. and Soc., $8.74. 23.74 Ipswich. First Cong. Ch., Bbl. of C. Jamaica Plain. Central Cong. Ch. 817.00 Lancaster. Evan. Cong. Sab. Sch. 18.00 Lanesborough. “A Friend” 1.00 Littleton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.50 Long Meadow. Gents’ Benev. Soc. 28.75 Lynn. Central Cong. Ch. and Soc., $20.06; North Cong. Ch. and Soc., $2.21 22.27 Middleborough. Miss E. P. K. 0.55 Natick. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 118.18 Newburyport. North Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.18 Newton. Eliot Cong. Ch. and Soc. 125.00 North Brookfield. Miss A. W. Johnson, _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 5.00 North Falmouth. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00 North Leominster. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.50 North Reading. Miss E. F. E. 1.00 Norwood. Mrs. H. M. F., _for Indian M._ 1.00 Oxford. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 34.00 Paxton. Cong. Ch. and Sab. Sch., to const. REV. JOHN E. DODGE, L. M. 30.00 Palmer. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 23.46 Peabody. Joseph Anderson 10.00 Pepperell. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 21.17 Phillipston. Ladies’ Benev. Assn., Bbl of C. Plainfield. Mrs. Albert Dyer, _for Student Aid_ 5.00 Plimpton. Carrie, Alice and Nellie Titcomb 3.00 Pittsfield. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $37.50; Second Cong. Sab. Sch., $5 42.50 Quincy. Evan. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 72.00 Rehoboth. Cong. Ch. 5.00 Somerset. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00 South Hadley. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 31.00 South Middleborough. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. REV. EPHRAIM W. ALLEN, L. M. 30.00 South Weymouth. Ladies’ Miss. Soc. of Second Cong. Ch. 19.00 South Walpole. J. F. W. 1.00 Spencer. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $132.60; Young Ladies’ Miss. Circle, $12.35; Young Ladies’ Soc. Bbl. of C. 144.95 Springfield. South Cong. Ch. and Soc., $43.25; First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $39.10; Mrs. Bowdoin, $10; Ira Merrill, $5; Mrs. Ira Merrill, $5 102.35 Topsfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 22.00 Townsend. “A Friend” 4.00 Wakefield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. ($15 _of which for Indian M_) 66.86 Walpole. E. P. Stetson, $50; Cong. Ch. and Soc., $28.75 78.75 Westborough. Freedmen’s Mission Assn., 2 Bbls. of C., _for Savannah and Atlanta, Ga._ West Boxford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.35 Westfield. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 44.93 West Hampton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 14.57 Weymouth. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.02 Whitinsville. Mrs. J. C. Whitin, _for Student Aid, Talladega, Ala._ 30.00 Worcester. Piedmont Cong. Ch. and Soc., $313.90, to const. THOMAS H. HODGE, JOHN B. GOUGH, ANSON BANGS, C. M. DYER, DEA. E. T. MARBLE, MRS. SARA PARTRIDGE, DEA. LYMAN DRURY, DEA. F. B. KNOWLES, ARTHUR M. STONE and E. C. CRANE L. M’s; Central Cong. Ch. and Soc., $165.75; Salem St. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $84.28; Old South Cong. Ch. and Soc., $58.91 622.84

RHODE ISLAND, $445.60.

Providence. Union Cong. Ch. 445.60

CONNECTICUT, $1,042.75.

Avon. Harry Chidsey, to const. REV. N. J. SEELEY and MISS LAURA SEELEY, L. M’s 100.00 Bozrah. Simeon Abell, 2d. 5.00 Buckingham. Cong. Ch. 4.14 Darien. Cong. Ch., _for Talladega, Ala._ 5.00 Guilford. First Cong. Ch. 19.40 Hartford. Mrs. C. R. Hillyer, $30, to const. MARY BUSHNELL HILLYER, L. M.; A. R. Hillyer, $30, to const. DONALD GREGG, L. M.; Windsor Av. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $17.14; A. C. H., $1 78.14 Hartford. Calvin Day, _for Talladega, Ala._ 50.00 Hartford. Mrs. John Olmsted, _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 15.00 Hebron. First Cong. Ch. 6.62 Hockanum. South Cong. Ch., $7; Mrs. E. M. Roberts, $5 12.00 Mansfield Centre. “Two Friends,” _for Student Aid, Talladega, Ala._ 2.00 New Britain. “First Ch. of Christ,” $5.59; D. M. Rogers, $5.50 11.09 New Haven. “Eleven Friends,” _for Talladega, Ala._ 124.00 New Haven. Mrs. E. R. Marvin 3.00 New London. “A Friend in First Ch. of Christ,” $100; Chas. D. Boss, $20; Chas. D. Boss, Jr., $15; W. C. Crump, $5; Rev. J. P. Taylor, $5, _for Talladega, Ala._ 145.00 New London. Mrs. N. S. P. 1.00 North Manchester. Second Cong. Ch. 14.62 Northfield. Cong Ch. to const. ERNEST WAKEMAN, L. M. 34.75 North Woodstock. “A Friend,” 8.00 Norwich. “A Friend,” to const. CHARLES BARD, L. M. 30.00 Norwich. “A Friend,” _for Student Aid, Talladega, Ala._ 2.00 Orange. “A Friend,” 10.00 Putnam. “M. R. H.” 5.00 Talcottville. C. D. Talcott and Others, _for Talladega, Ala._ 200.00 Watertown. Cong. Ch. 39.20 West Brook. Cong. Ch. An. Coll., $44.60; M. C. Coll., $21.69, to const. REV. JOSEPH A. TOMLINSON, and MRS. NANCY A. PERRY, L. M.’s. 66.29 ---- “Friend” 1.50 ------ 992.75 Legacies. Fairfield--Mrs. Lucretia Tates, by Walter Jennings, Ex. 50.00 ------ 1,042.75

NEW YORK, $669.19.

Arcade. Ralston W. Lyman 2.00 Batavia. Mrs. Anna V. S. Fisher 20.00 Binghamton. First Cong. Ch. 104.43 Brooklyn. Central Cong. Sab. Sch., Geo. A. Bell. Supt., $75 _for a Missionary in Fla._, and by the liberality of Stephen Ballard, $100 _for a Missionary, Ladies’ Island, S. C._ 175.00 Columbus. Box of books and papers by a Lady in Cong. Ch. Deansville. “L.” 5.00 Hamilton. Cong. Ch. 5.00 Lebanon. Thomas Hitchcock, $5.75; M. Day, $5.75; Alfred Seymour, $5.75; J. H. W., $1; J. A. H., $1; Others, 75c. 20.00 Madison. O. S. Campbell, $5; Melissa Tompkins, $5 10.00 Newark Valley. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 38.75 New York. Ladies of Presb. Memorial Ch., _for a Teacher, Talladega C._ 105.00 New York. “A Friend,” $2; National Temperance Soc., by J. N. Stearns, 1500 Temperance Papers 2.00 Oneonta. Mrs. H. M. McC., and Mrs. H. C. S., 50c each 1.00 Ovid. D. W. K. 1.00 Perry Centre. Cong. Ch. $43.20, to const. REV. E. H. MARTIN, L. M.; R. J. Booth, package papers 43.20 Poughkeepsie. First Reformed Ch. 16.54 Rome. John. B. Jervis 25.00 Sherburne. Cong. Ch. 85.27 Westfield. Mrs. A. B. Rice 3.00 Woodhaven. L. I. Miss. Soc. of Cong. Ch. 7.00

NEW JERSEY, $5,285.49.

East Orange. Trinity Cong. Ch. 94.48 Jersey City. First Cong. Ch. 36.01 Montclair. Sab. Sch. First Cong. Ch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 55.00 Perth Amboy. “A Friend,” _for Ind. Dept., Le Moyne Inst_., and to const. PROF. S. G. BARNES, EDWARD W. BARNES, and MRS. E. W. BARNES, L. M’s. 100.00 ------ 285.49 Legacies. Morristown--Mrs. M. J. Graves, by Arthur B. Graves, Ex. 5,000.00 -------- 5,285.49

PENNSYLVANIA, $970.83.

Athens. Mrs. F. E. C. 1.00 Cambridgeborough. Ladies’ Miss. Circle of Cong. Ch., by Mrs. H. R. Ross, Sec. 5.00 Centreville. Cong. Ch. 5.00 Philadelphia. S. A. Johnson. 4.83 Riceville. Cong. Ch. 5.00 ------ 20.83 Legacies, Washington.--Dr. F. Julius Le Moyne, by Executors 950.00 ------ 970.83

OHIO. $902.29.