Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-08-05
SKETCH OF MARYLAND LIFE,
BY CAROLINE W. HEALEY DALI,

BY CAROLINE W, HEALEY DALI.
Ten years agO,a colored man, with an honest,
straightforward countenance and long, dark
hair, thlnly striped with grey, walked irresolutey
back and forth before the window of a booksel-
ler's shop il the city Of Philadelphia Now he
paused tor moment to gaze Wistfully at some
richly bound Bibles, just within the glass; now he
waited without the haIfopen door, and finally as
If any certainty were better than suspense, he
entered. For several years this faithful Christian
had laid aside all he could spare from his scanty
earnings, on what is called the eastern Shore
OF Maryland, in the hope of procuring for HIM
self and his children copy of the Word of God
| know not by what strange Providence it hap
pcncd, but this colored man knew now to read,
and as he stood on that clear, sunny morning, by
the booksellers side, and turned over the leaves
Of that long desired volume, feeling that it cost
more than he could spare, his heart ached and
the tear sprangto his always pensiye eve. Come
said the bookseller, coaxingly, "you shall have il
five cents lower, and | will throw in this hymn-
book" Sherry took the hymn book, and turned
over its leaves. lie caught the first lines of we'll
remembered hymns, and glympse of some short
stories that his curly-hcaded boys would climb
I Illo hilCC w ICuI VIC VI TWO pictures QGCOrdt-
ed the book, and the innocent man looking on a
coarse cut of a slave holding out his hand for
the iron, and another of the overseer, with his
cowskin at his side, little thought that this plain
representation of fact, would be termed "iibe-
ious and insurrectionary" by the government UNI
der which he lived. He forgot that he was in
free, and bound for a slace State; he thought
only of his Bible and Of his songs, and trusting
] 70 (t,,lt
his pockets and went away. The happy little
faces that clustered about him on his return,
banished all anxious thoughts of his improvdence
The hymn book came to be cherished like the
Bible. Often had he hummed his baby to sleep
by the Joyous carol of Canaan, happy Canaan"
while the mourniul strains of "Come We discoEs
ISOLATE" had checked full many Sunday froIic
of the older boys. AT night it was carefully laid
upon the shelf, but all day it nestled in the other
wise empty pockets Of Sherry Williams and full
two years had now gone by without his ever mis-
sing the money it had cost He was by trade a
mason, and on another bright and gorgeous
morning, with far lighter heart than that which
he had waited the booksellers decree, Sherry
threw bod over his shoulder, and taking his
trowel in his hand, started for neighboring
/ farmhouse, where his services were wanted -
He threw his Jacket over the settle, and climbed
up the spacious chimney of the old kitchen
While he was proceeding with his repairs, he
heard the full sweet voice of Dinah, the cook,
singing what he called spiritual songs below,
and his work speeding all the lighter for this &C
compartment, he was soon down again. To
lis surprise his fyorite book was gone; but Di-
nah who had espied corner of it pceping from
his pocket, soon came to relieve his suspense
to beg him to stay to dinner, and read her some
Of the pretty hymns, which she had not the learn
ing to spell out. "Yes," said Sherry, eff you
will sing me one Of those sweet songs that made
my heart dance while was up in the chimney,
| will read you all l know" Dinah promised
while Sherry ate, she sang, and when they had
finished, he opened his dear book. While they
were both busted over its pages, a son of the
master OF the house, pining country lawyer, on
the ashore" came lounging in. | am glad do
not know his name. He may have come of honest
blood, and would not give it an ignoble fame
He was longing for client, and found it in his
native state. Poor Maryland, thou hast much to
answer for. Standing on the brink of the free
states, thou hast not been wholly able to check
the flood of light which hath invaded thy border;
nevertheless, thou hast turned thy back on its
glory, and chosen rather to gaze modify on thine
own shadow A glance sutliced to reveal to the
White man the character of the book, and he
i humbly begged to borrow it of Sherry, who
smothering his love for its worn out pages, I'M
hesitatingly complied with the request Sherry,
be 1t understood, was free man, and after wait
ing a reasonable number of weeks, he went to
the lawyers Office for his book. The pettifogger
put him off to an hour which he named. Sherry
went again and found himself in the power Of
the sheriff. his book, indeed, in his pocket, but
manacles on his free hands. He was torn from
wife and children and carried to Baltimore to be
tried for it is thus O Slavery that thou dost
protect myself! FIFTEEN witneSSes testified upon
the trial, that Sherry, was honest, plous, indus
trious and content he had never been heard to
complain; was the last man in the world to Gre
ate an excitement. In short, nothing could be
proved against him, but the fact that such hymn
book was in his possession Weeping children
and beart-stricken wife surrounded him, but
their tears flowed over cheeks of palest bronze,
and 50 made no impression on the heart of Judge
far darker and harder The law had taken hold
of him, and it would not retract. The statute
under which he was convicted, sentences the col
ored man who shall lie found with an incendiary
publication in his possession, to an Imprisonment
in the penitentiary of not more than twenty nor
less than than ten years In consideration of the
evidence Of character, abduced upon his trial,
and in despite of the public excitement on the
subject, poor Sherry was sentenced to ten. The
pettiGogger was satisfied, his angry chant gained
her cause, and the miserable family of the pris-
oner begged their way back to the "Shore" /
have forgotten how many children Williams had,
bv sure il was a round dozen, and the Oldest
bow was the only one able to help himself Gcd
help him, poor man, as he climbs those prison
steps, and feels the little hands fast Juggling az