A lady, who was a Quaker, travelled several years ago through some of
the Southern States on a gospel mission. When near the borders of North
Carolina, while the horses were being fed, she walked towards a poor
hut, and on entering it saw an aged man engaged in making shoes. He
was very black, but his hair was white and his countenance thoughtful;
he looked up surprised, and when she asked if she might come in and sit
down, he replied, "Will mistress sit with me?" She inquired if he was
a slave, and if he had a wife and children. He said, "If mistress will
hear me I will tell her. I have a wife and four children, but massa
sold them into Georgia." Wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt,
he continued, "I am a slave, but, mistress, ever since I got religion
God has sweetened my bitter cup, and made smooth my rough path; my
bitter cup was parting with my wife and children--my rough path is
slavery."
She asked him how he got religion. He replied, "My massa let me go to
hear preaching, and I remember what the minister said."
"Can thou read?"
"No, mistress, but God helps me remember; fourteen years ago I got
religion; I was bad before; massa bad too. When I got religion, I was
good; massa was kind too; hard things were made easy; bitter cups were
sweetened. Mistress knows what that means (looking at her earnestly). I
know you do. Massa gives me work, and I must do it; nobody comes here,
but overseer walks by once a day to see if I at work; then the rest of
the time is my own; I have one and sometimes two hours."
"How does my Christian brother employ his own time?" asked the lady.
"I will tell you, mistress: I shut the door, then sit down on that
bench and wait upon God; and what good times I have! Sometimes I go to
prayer, and God puts words into my mouth; then other times something
here (laying his hand upon his breast) tells me not to pray, but to be
still--wait upon God in silence; and did my massa and the white people
know how good I felt, they would be glad to come and sit with me. In
heaven, mistress, God makes no difference--massa and slave all one."
The lady's companions now called for her, and put an end to this very
interesting conversation. His parting address was: "Farewell, mistress,
till we meet again in heaven. God bless you." With tears they parted.