Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-30
THE BLIND SLAVE OF THE MINES.
ny rev, PRESIDENT HITCHCOCK.

Allow me here to refer TO a case that late
ly fell under my observation, which illustrates
more forcibly than had ever conceived, the
priceless value of the Christians hope to the
most unfortunate and degraded. had
descended one thousand feet beneath the
earth's surface, in the coal pits Of the
Mid Lothian Mines in Virginia, and was
wandering through their dark, subterra-
mean passages, when the sound of music ut
little distance, broke upon my ear. It ceased
upon our approach, and Icaught only the con-
cluding sentiment Of the hymn.
al shall be in Heaven in the morning."
On advancing with our lamps, we found
the passage close by door, in order to give
a different direction to the current of air, for
the purpose of ventilation, yet this door must
be opened occasionally to let the rail cars
pass, loaded with COAL And to accomplish
this, we found sitting by that door an aged
blind slave, whose eyes had been entirely
destroyed by blast of gunpowder many
years before, in that mine. There he sat, on
seat cut in the coal, from sunrise to sunset
day after day; his sole business being to
open and shut the door when he heard the
rail cars approaching. We requested him to
sing again the hymn whose last line we had
heard. II was indeed lame in expression,
and in the poetic measure very defective,
being, in fact, one of those productions which
we fonnd the pious slaves were in the habit
of singing, in part, at least, imprompu. But
each s'anza closed with the sentiment.
az shall be in Heaven in The morning."
1t was sung with clear and pleasant voice
and could see the shrivelled, sigh,less eye
balls of the oil man roll in their sockets, as
if his soul felt the inspiring sentiments /; and
really the exhibition was one of the most af-
fectng that have ever witnessed. There
he stood, an old man, whose earthly hopes,
even at the best, mus, be very faint and he
was slave-and he was bind-what could
he hope for on earth He was buried, too,
thousand feet beneath the solid rocks. In
the expressives language of Jonah. Gle has
gone down to the bottom of the mountain, the
earth with her bars was about him forever"
There, from month TO month, he sat in dark
ness. Oh, how utterly cherries his condi.
,ion. And yet that one pleasant hope Of a
resurrection morning was enough 10 infuse
peace and JOY in his soul.
| had often listened TO touching music
had heard gigantic intellects pour forth an.
chanting eloQuence, bnt never did music OF
| eloquence exert such overpowing influence
| over my feelings as did this scene. Never
| before did I witness SO grand an exhibition
of sublimity. o, how comparatively insig.
niticant did earth's mishtiest warriors and
statesmen, her princess and emperors, and
even her philosophers without piety appear
How poweress would all their pomp and pa
geantry, and wisdom be TO sustain them, il
called to change places with this poor slave
He had principle within him superior to
them all and when that morning which he
longs for shall come, how infinitely better
than theirs will his lot appear to an admiring
universe. And that morning shall ere long
break upon thy darkness, benighted old man
The light of the natural sur; and the face OF
this fair world will never, indeed, revisit you
and the remnant of your days mus, be spen,
in your monotonous task, by the side of the
wicked gate, deep in The caverns OF the earth
But that bright and blessed hope of resur.
rection morning shall not deceive you The
Saviour i'll whom you trust, shall manifest
himself TO you even in deep darkness, and al
the appointed hour, the chainso of slavery shall
drop off and the double night which envelops
you shall vanish into the light and the liberty
and the glory of heaven. And in just pro-
portions 10 the depths of your darkness and
degradation now, shall be the brightness and
the Joy of that everlasting day.