The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-02

or WOulu only own tnht his actlOn against II
among them had been an error. Those who
tempted him well knew the value of such an
apostacy.
Had he not already suffered enough Cor what
was no fault OF hisf Had he not already served
his country enough against her Wilt bad be
rot already done and endured enough for q
class of despised men, to whom q majority of
his countrymen, by their laws, had solemnly
declared that little or nothing was dse2 Was
he, indeed, so much wiser than they? Or was it
merely his own headstrong, Inexperienced, self
coneeit, which was about to draw down death
on him, and lifelong despair upon his beloved?
Might he not have been wrong-could he not
conscientiously say that he had been, at least
in some part of the proceedings which brought
him there, even if the principles from which
they proceeded we're right2 Ali we may
think our principles much stronger than his,
and wonder at his wavering; but until our
principles have stood one such dreary, weary
lonely, midnight wrenching that, following
after such day, we must not be SO ready 20
condemn him, as he wa<, shortly after, to con
denim himself
His pulses throbbed, his brain burned ; and
as for one dreadful instant he entertained these
questions, the light of his little lamp on the
plastered wall on his cell was as the glare of
the pit. Then, with one tremendous thrust, he
put them from him: "When | was calm and
fearless" he said " settled all these points
in my own mind, as | thought, well. l shall
hardly settle them better or more wisely in a
spasm of selfish and unmanly terror like this !;
and therefore | leave ITEM where they are.
There is appointed uHto al men time once
to die. When it has come, what can it matter
whether the time which preceded it has been
| long or short? When it comes to me, let it find
me at my post, as becometh true soldier of
Christ; and, Father, into thy hands l CON-
mend my spirit
Humbled, but Gained, he threw himself on his
knees, and, unable to sleep, continued all night
/ in prayer to God, not so much for himsef-he
had put himself aside for the time-as for two or
three who were dearer to him, and for one who
was dearest of all. Every hour, he glided soft
ly through the still, dark corridors, listening, to
make sure that there were, as yet, no new suf
ferers agoniZing in their cells. At ay-break,
another man was seized, and, crawling on his
hands and knees to the door of his cell, cried
to him for help, as the light of his little lantern
danced through the crack, on the wall. BY
breakfast time, their room-mates reported two
more as ailing. Bad air, bad diet, bad clothing,
and bad constitutions, welcomed the destroyer
with open arms, and began 10 install him, and
carry him through the establishment with aw-
full rapidity.
The secret was out, and could not be got in
again. The prisoners were almost frantic. Log
ran away. Rodrick remained, but was half
stuPe6ed by CONSERVATION, and the other half
by something stronger The overseer came to
Herman for instructions. The incarcerated
abolitionist, by the simple force of character,
ability, and knowledge, was become the virtual
ruler of the prison.
1t was Sunday morning. The chaplain did
not come. Herman stepped to the door of the
hospital, and desired the overseer to assemble
the men, usual, for religious exercises, in the
! long narrow hall, or large main passage of the
prison. He also sent for Mrs. Rodrick. She
was on the spot with only so much delay as
was necessary to enable her TO pack up her
pretty little daughter and her clothes, and con-
sign them to the care of an aunt, who lived in
a neighboring town. The hard-featured, crab
bed, wiry woman of forty-6ve, was softened and
humanized by the sight of so much sulzepsAg,
and elevated by the presence of so much dan
ger. Herman, as he had hoped, found in her
a most efficient assistant. His manners towards
every woman with whom b., had to do, by seem
ing to take for granted in her everything that
is most delicate, amiable, and womanly, seldom
failed to call forth all the delicacy, amability,
and womanliness, that happened to be in her.
Besides, Mrs. Rodrick believed that she owed
to him the life of little May; and she loved
him like son. She wished to transfer him at
once to her own house but it had become clear
to him-how strangely things do clear them
selves up, after earnest prayer, sometlmes-that
it his duty TO cast in his lot with his fellow
prisoners, placed as he had been by providence
over them in post of great trust, which no
one else could fill and she the more readily
agreed, for his sake, to every measure which
he proposed for the common safety. DE gave
her his directions, leR the hospital under her
care for little while, and went to administer
few ounces of moral prevention to his qua
king congregation.
! They sat on stools in the shady hall, each at
the door of his own celia motley crew enough.
Some of them had their caps on ; some, blan-
kets wrapped around them some, merely their
pantaloons and shirts. Many were in chains.
A man with a musket stood on guard over
them. A low murmur ran through their
double line, as Herman, with his firm, light step,
and young, calm, gravely bright look, came
forth among them, Ike the conqueror that he
was from the chamber of Death, and for the
first time took the preachers place. Speaking
as brave man to brave men, he quietly told
them that refuge had been offered him with
out the walls, but that he had determined to
stand by them, and expected that they would
/ by him, and by one another. They looked at
one another, and at him again. he said that
an Immediate change for the better was to be
made in their diet and clothing; that he thought
that the epidemic had come too late in the sea-
son, in all probability to last long and that he
was glad to see them so orderly and composed,
because cowardice, besides being selfish, slavish,
/ and contemplate, was of all things one of the
most likely to bring on the disorder in men sit
uated as they were. Sweeping the ranks with
| his imperial eyes, he saw, in the abashed coun-
tenances around him, that the reproof of his
words and his example had struck home. He
added, that by and by he should choose out
from among them few whom he believed to
be courageous, firm, and kind hearted, and ask
them to help him, if he needed any further
help, in taking care of their sick comrades but
advised any who were afraid, to ask, see, and
hear little of the sickness as possible, but to
work and pray, that they might be fit for both
life and death, now or hereafter
Passing on, as if the subject was disposed Of,
he made them unite in singing The Lord is
My Shepherd" the words and air of which many
of them had learned of him. He wished, by
the music, and especially by giving a degree of
regularity and even formality to their services,
still further to tranquiize them, and to avail him.
self of the inverval to see how his patients were
going on.
Returning as they finished the last line, he
gave out for his text the words, Under the
shadow of Thy wings will make my refuge,
until alhthese calamities shall be over past"
Then, in the few minutes which he still dared
to spare TO them, he poured out to them, as it
were, in one rich gush, the very essence of his
whole past inward life-of many yearning
supplicatiOn, stuffed sigh, secret triumph, and