Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-06-11
A Distinguished Female.

Wv b0N 80 $50
tinguished perscnages of the male sex, of whom
honorable mention has been made on the pages
Of history. Until recently, however, no indi-
vidual of the female gender, resident within her
limits, has figured conspicuously on the pubic
stage. Our readers are perhaps not aware there,
fore that one of Augusta daughter, lately resident
herein our metropolis, has rapidly arisen from oD-
SECURITY and the kitchen to distinction and the put
pit. We allude to the mulatto lady, formerly
the property of John Churchman, Esq, more re-
Gently owned by Mr.. F. Schaffer, and now by
the unwonted generosity of the aboltlonists, be-
longing to herself.
It will be recollected that this girl made an
Intellectual attempt last winter to escape to o
free State. Having been recaptured, she was
promptly sold by her master, aud after passing
through various hands, and making sundry tours
she was bought by Mr.. Schaffer, and found her
way back to Stanton. Remaining here for a
short time, and moving about as usual among
her old acquaintance, she visited Washington
City, by the permission of her owner, for the
purpose of soliciting funds to purchase her free
dom. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe so far re-
Taxed her clutches upon a well-flled purse, as to
give her the sum Of 500. All efforts to raise
the money among the Abolitionists now congre-
gated at Washington having failed, a letter was
written to the famous Henry Ward Beecher, So
Letting the aid of his wealthy congregation
Suspicious of a design to extort money on false
pretences, the Rev. fanatic declined to move in
the matter unless the girl herself made a visit to
Brooklyn. Having given her parole Of honor
thai she would return in the event OF a failure
to collect the funds, Miss Sarah was permitted
to 90 on, and was present last Sabbath week in
Beecher's Church, at Brooklyn. And there she
cut a figure! Beecher stated the melancholy
circumstances of the case, with peculiar pathos,
coloring the picture by the detail of much that
was pure fiction. The scene is thus described
by the New York Journal of Commerce:
The pastor, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, near
the close of the usual morning services, paused
after reading the first line of the hymn, and in
justification of what he was about to propose,
read to the congregation the passage in the Xllth
chapter of st. Matthew, from the 10th to the
14th verse, in which the story of Christ heal
ing the withered hand on tho Sabbath day is SO
beautifully told.
Mr.. Beecher then, in on affecting manner, al
luded to the respect due to women, whether she
was bond or free, educated or uneducated, and
concluded by inviting the young woman, who
was present in the church to come upon the
platform, with which invitation she complied
She was scarcely as dark as an Indian, and had
a pleasing countenance. Her appearance upon
the speakers stand, evidently much discomfort
ed before such an immense assomblage OF stran-
gers, and fearing, no doubt, that the much need
ed money would not be raised, so excited the
congregation, stirred as their feelings We're by
the preceding remarks of the speaker, that the
hot tears streamed down the weather beaten
countenances of strong men as well as the softer
checks of beautiful women.
The officers of the church passed around the
plates, and although the congregation had no
previous knowledge or expectation that there
would be such q demand made upon their be-
nevolence, they were rapidly filled. Several
gentlemen near the pulpit intimated to Mr.. Is.
that they would be responsible for any short
coming in the collection, and that he might re-
lieve the girl of suspense. This he did, but it
also reached the ears of the congregation, who,
in as great suspense almost as the girl herself,
forgot the sacred character or the day, and gave
vent to their joy in a loud clapping Of hands.
Mr.. Beecher remarked that he did not approve
of the clapping of hands in the church on the
Sabbath, but as the deliverance of q slave from
bondage was q proper occasion for joy and glad
ness, ne would be content to call it "a holy clap
ping ofhands." The sum contributed was seUen
hundred and secenty.fUe dollars, besides several
articles of jewelry which ladies unprepared with
money had cast into the plates.
We understand that the girl has q child, and
that the surplus funds collected are to be applied
to the purchase of it's freedom, and to aid the
Young woman in settling herself at som useful
occupation here at the North.
We shall next expect to hear that sister Sa-
rah is a cannonized saint of Beecher's Church.
We presume Schaffer has made a pretty fair
speculation, and advise him by all means to buy
up the other little creature who accompanied
Beecher's martyr on her first trip to the North.
We see her walking about the streets of Staun-
ton every day, looking truly disconsolate. Hav-
ing been the partner of Sarah's misfortunes it
seems hard that she should not share the SYM
pathy and the funds of her abolition friends.