Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-12-03
Prejudice.

My friend Susan was a little fat, Jolly
Quaker woman. Not only was she happy
herself, but made every body around her for
get their cares and troubles, and look upon
the brightest side Of every event. She was
a great friend to the colored people anti-sla-
very was a matter of deep feeling and SYM
pathy with her, as well as a question of prin-
ciple. She had keen sensibilities, and the
wrongs Of the colored man enlisted her whole
soul in his behalf. Her strong sense Of JUS
tice and her love OF mtrcy, led her TO the
performance of noble deeds in the cause Of
human freedom.
Her husband on the other hand, protested
to be an abolitionist, because he thought il
anti.democra,ic and anti. christian to be 9TH
erwiso. He had some pride in maintaining,
what he termed, just and righteous princi-
pies, consequently whenever the subject
came up, he always spoke agains, slavery
But notwithstanding his professions, he had
a truly American aversion to a black skim
1t was seldom, however, that he allowed any
thing to escape him on this point. He had
no objection to employing colOred People-do
you know any body that has i-but between
him and the faithful John, who had been in
his family many years, there was slwaysa
great gulf.
But Susan was so kind to John, and so
much interested in his welfare and in that Of
his family !; she sent SO many nice bits to his
sickly wife who lived near by she made
such an effort to get his children into the
public school, and they all felt SO easy in her
presence, John and his wife often declared,
tina, Mrs. Price was the very best friend they
had in the world.
She was an active body /; mingled quite
extensively In society, and was ever seeking
out the poor and needy and relieving their
wants. They were rich, influential, and in
the circle in which they moved, none stood
higher than George and Susan Price. At
their house was a strong attraction for the
young people of the town, in the person of
their daughter Elizabeth. She was a noble
gir!-how could she be otherwise, having
such a motherl
Almost every day was John ordered to get
the carriage and drive somewhere. For the
sake of a better prospect and more fresh air,
Susan often took the front seat beside John,
and they chatted away as merrily as though
he belonged not to a prescribed class ; yet
they always escaped observation, because he
UGs her servant.
40 I haua alraadu iaIinoatoJ nar f;a-I G..
san had a great amount of flesh on her good
old bones, and frequently when they had
been shopping or TO market, if John was not
too heavily loaded, she would say, '',hee
may give mt thy arm, I'm getting very wea-
ry." This too, passed unnoticed, because he
wGs her servant.
In course Of time there was an anti-slave-
~ Convention and Fair in this same town.,
and among the distinguished speakers pres
ent, was Frederick Douglass.
"Oh Frederick! / have something funny
to tell thee now" exclaimed Elizabeth Price
as the person she addressed entered the Fair
and approached her. Elizabeth loved fun a
great deal better than she did her dinner
and she knew full well that no one could
appreciate what she had to say better than
Frederick Douglass. She laid her hand in
his arm and they walked up and down the
spacious saloon once or twice, she all sngross-
ed in telling her story and he laughing the
while as though it were the richest scene in
a popular comedy. Thoughtless girl! Lit
tie did she dream that hand was contracting
pollution, in the estimation of her towns peo-
pie, by contact with the arm of one she SO
much respected.
In tho afternoon of the same day a still
more shocking affair occurred.
"Did you see that sight, cried a merchant
as he entered the store of his ~neighbor where
several men had collected, and a minister
among the number.
"What sight," returned the man he ad-
dressed.
Mrs. Price just walked through the street
with that id Niger that ridicules all the
churches !"
"Had you been at the Fair this morning
you would have been more astonished STILL"
remarked another. 81 saw Lizzie Price pro-
menading the hall with him and looking as
happy as though she were hanging on the
arm of Henry yonder," abiding to a young
clerk who was present.
Whats that you say of Lizzie Price,"
asked Henry.
"She has been doing what you would blush
to see" was the reply.
Don't you be too sure of that" added
Henry, "If she walked with Frederick Doug
lass, she was with one whose superiority
would put to the blush both the intelligence
and moral worth Of many white men l could