davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21

but ere he had got out of sight the poor
slave again commenced to pray. The
master overhearing him, rushed upon him
with cowhide in hand, and with the ven
geance of a demon belabored the old mans
naked body until it was mass of culver
ing flesh. Then, still holding the whip
over his victim, he exclaimed:
"Will you obey now2"
Yes, massa," he replied, through his
pain and tears; "I'll obey Be kind, mas
sa; III do any ting for yer, but Il
must pray to my heavenly massa if 1
die p
That was enough--the demon, with in
creased rage, whipped that Christian mar
tyr until he lay as one dead The would
be murderer then left his victim, and wend-
ed his way towards home, refecting upon
what he had done, and what it was for.
Conscience at length began to trouble him,
and preyed upon his mind to such degree
that it threw him into a settled fever-he
went to his room that night sick man.
His wife had witnessed the whole whip
ping transaction from the window, and no.
ticing the strange manner he presented, she
went quietly to his room, and asked him
why he had whipped poor Tom SO severe
ly, for it was only that very morning she
had heard him praying to God to bless his
"new massa and missus and de family
This inquiry affected the master-tears
gushed from his eyes, and with his hands
he motioned her away.
About week he lay there in agony,
the greater part of the time refusing food
or water, when one night his distress was
so great he called his wife and asked:
"Is Tom dead or alive7"
81 don't know; | have not seen him
since the whipping she replied.
'Go and tell him want to see him;
want him to pray for me, here in my
room"
The wife f und the poor man alive, but
he could hardly move one foot before the
other on account of great pain. However,
he crawled on his hands and knees up the
stairs to that repentant sinners room, and
there knelt by the bedside, and prayed
God to have mercy upon and forgive his
"poor massa."
Next morning at the rising of the sun
the master and the slave were both
free.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21

frightened than hurt, if he kept within his
rotary prison, without any rash attempt to
escape; and that even if he became insen-
sible, he could not fall out of it.
In the meantime, the wheel went round
and round with its steady, unceasing mo-
ton; and round and round the man went
with it, while sense remained, beseiging
Hanchen with entreaties, promises, and
wild, impotent threats, which were all
equally disregarded- till, by degrees, feel
ing and perception failed him, and he saw
and heard no one. He fell senseless at
the bottom of the engine, but even then,
Hanchen did not dare to trust to appear
ances in such villain, and would not
venture to suspend the working of the mill
or stop the mill-gear and tackle from run
ming at their fullest speed.
At length she heard loud knocking al
the door, and flew to open it. 1t was her
master and his family, accompanied by
several of his neighbors, all in the utmost
excitement and wonder at seeing the mill
sails in full swing on Sunday-and still
more when they had found the poor child
lying bound upon the grass, who, howev.
er, was too terrified to give them any &C.
count of what had happened. Hanchen
in few words, told all and then her spir.
it, which had sustained her through such
scenes of terror, gave way under the sense
of safety and relief, and she fell fainting in
their arms, and was with much difficulty re.
covered. The machinery of the mill was
at once stopped, and the inanimate ruffian
dragged from his dreadful prison. Helm.
rich, too, was brought forth from the mil
ler's chamber, and both were, in short
time, sent bound under strong escort to
Bonn, where they soon met the reward Of
ther crimes.
The story of this extraordinary act Of
presence of mind concludes by telling us
that Hanchen-thus efectually cured Of
her penchant for her unworthy suitor-be.
came eventually the wife of the miller's
eldest son, and thus lived all her life on the
scene of her immediate danger and happy
delverance.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
THE MILLER'S MAID.

Near the hamlet of Urdorf, on the banks
of the Rhine, not far from Bonn, there yet
stands the mill which was the scene of the
| adventure we are about to relate
One Sunday morning the miller and his
family set out as usual to attend service at
the nearest church, in the village of Heas-
ell, leaving the mill, to which the dwelling
house was attached, in charge of his ser
vant-maid, Hanchen, a handsome and bold
hearted girl, who had been some time in
his service. The youngest child, who was
still too little to 60 to church, remained un-
der her care.
AS Hanchen was busily engaged in pre-
pairing dinner for the family, she was in
terrupted by visit from her admirer,
Heinrich Botteler. He was an idle, grace
less fellow; and her master, who knew his
character well, had forbidden him the
house; but Hanchen could not believe all
the stories she heard against her lover and
was sincerely attached to him. On this
occasion she greeted him kindly; and not
only got him something to eat at once, but
found time, in the midst of her business,
to sit down and have a gossip with him,
while he did Justice to the fare set before
him. AS he was eating he let fall his
knife, which he asked her to pick up for
him; she playfully demonstrated, telling
him she feared, from all she heard, he did
little enough work, and ought at least to
wait upon himself In the end, however,
she stopped down to pick up the knife,
when the treacherous villain drew a dag
ger from under his coat and caught her by
the nape of the neck, grasping her throat
firmly with his fingers to prevent her from
screaming; then with an oath, he desired
her to tell him where her master kept his
money, threatening to kill her if she did
not comply with his demand. The sur
prised and terrified girl in vain attempted
to parley with him; he still held her tight
ly in his choaking grasp, leaving her no
choice but to die or betray her master.
She saw there was no hope of softening
him, or changing his purpose; and with
the full conviction of his treachery, all her
natural courage awoke in her bosom. Af-
fecting, however, to yield to what was ine-
vitable, she answered in resigned tone,
that what must be must; only, if he car
ried off her masters gold he must take her
too; for she could never stay to bear their
suspicious and reproaches; entreating him
at the same time to relax his grasp of her
throat, for she could hardly speak, much
less do what he bid her, while he held her
so tight At length he was induced to
quit his hold, on her reminding him that
he must lose no time, or the family would
be returning from church. She then led
the way to her masters bed room, and
showed him the Golfer where he kept his
money.
Here" she said, reaching to him an
axe which lay in corner of the room,
you can open it with this, while l run up
stairs to put my things together, besides
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
QeferreO Correspondence.
RELIGION MADE THE CLOAK OF SIN

Mr.. EDToR:-In almost every stage of
Christian history we find men psrverting
and subsidizing the principles of religion
to effect their base designs. Looking
through the gloomy and painful record of
the past, we see the terrible agents of the
doctrines of heresy, faggot and torch, tor
lures, accommodations, and the inquisi-
ton, reddening the earth with blood, and
permeating it with livid terrorism. These
engines of intolerance and fanaticism have
been consigned, through the influence of
Bible evangelization, to history; but they
stand forth in all their revolving hideous-
ness as monuments of folly and violence,
draped with the vestments of religion.
But while the world witnesses the spread
of gospel truth and the destruction of ma
ny devilish systems and crimes, the reli
gionist has to mourn that the hydra-head-
ed monsters, error and sin, still live and
stalk abroad in the land. He has to mourn
that after eighteen hundred and sixty years
of warfare with the Stygian foe, complete
victory has not perched upon the banners
of the faithful He has to mourn that, in
stead of love and peace reigning amongst
men, oppression, hate, and strife prevail.
"Whatsoever you would that men should
do unto you, do ye even so unto them" has
become scoff and jest. No wrong seems
to be too deep-dyed to receive the counte-
nance of the so-called Christian. Through
out the entire church thousands of Baalites
and Iscariots may be found unblushingly
defaming Bible truth with their impious
tongues.
Mormonism, that relic of barbarism,
boasts of 100000 votaries to its lecherous
system-a shame and disgrace to the
age. "Free-love" and "Spiritualism," the
miserable creations of morbid moral senti-
nents, are openly and daringly advocated.
That arch-infamy, American slavery, a
parallel to which cannot be found in the
history of the world, are all propagated,
sanctioned, and justified by the Bible. The
slaughter of the Jews" the murder of
~s innOcents,' and the "reign of terrer"
Su stand in the annals of crime chiefest
11a9Ocity; but, like mountain above the
aus American slavery will tower above
= su all, and will brand the Ameriacn ma
With infamy through coming time
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21

stone, resigning to more experienced hands
the honor to hew, square, number and tit
in the great moral edifce.
Makinguse of our eyes, without the help
of natural history, we can see the affection
practised al around us by brute, bird
and fish. They love their kind. For
each others good they toll, and in each
others defense they are not wanting in
true courage, if am allowed the word.
And shall man, the noblest evidence of the
Almighty's handiwork, fit only of all his
creation to adore Jehovah, and triumphing
over Death, to become citizen of heaven,
less charitable, less benevolent, less brave,
less unwilling to lay himself out, heart and
hand, for the consummation of the subli-
NEST idea that ever crave admittance into
human brains2 No, God forbid The
throbbings of the human heart say nay;
and let every Mason, of whatever jurisdic-
ton, catching up the denial, give in his ad-
neSlOn at once ana forever, Io u 0ldSoHlC
union, which will know no earthly termi-
nation.
We write as we feel We commend
what is here expressed to the calm, care
full consideration of the fraternity. If, in
the history of our people and common
country, there ever was time for laying
down every detrimental element, that
epoch is now We have mission to per
form--a destiny to work out. We are a
part and parcel of this mighty Republic,
and here we are going TO remain. As
Masons, we cannot be Indifferent to the
calls and cries of bleeding humanity. Free
dom is an overshadowlng truth with us,
and in the proportion we respond TO union,
in the same will be enabled to shiver the
lances Of the enemy by the presentation of
an unbroken front, let the opposition in its
maddened fury tower as high as the Mount
of Ossa upon Pelion. We hope to hear
from the craft.
Troy, Jan IL, 1860
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21

"Colonization,' the offspring and mouth
piece of American prejudice and hatred,
under the false plea of christianizing Afri-
ca, is using every effort, aided by deluded
or avaricious and designing colored men,
to propagate emigration to that enervating
region, thus blighting the prospects of the
sterling and aspiring free negro on Ameri-
can soil. Not content with the stratagems
that sophistry and meanness suggest to eff.
feet their accursed designs, they have COM
menced the work of compulsory emigra-
ton. State after State has either re-en-
shaved or banished our brethren from its
territories. They seem determined that
the negro shall remain in the country only
in the condition of slave Take notRe,
disfranchised Americans the favorers of
this scheme are preparing two dreadful al
ternatives for you-hopeless bondage in
this land, or suffering and death on the
arid shores of Africa. And, mark it well |!
eolored men in high places are lending
their influence and are urging the motion
of the infamous measure. sEs.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
For the Weekly Anglo. .Afric
THE PRAYING SLAVE.
BY ASA FRANCIS, JR.

On plantation in the county of -,
in the State of Georgia, there lived an old
grey-headed man, aged 20 years, the pro-
perty of Deacon -. This old man was
a true Christian and faithful slave, never
receiving blow in his life. When he
went into his secret place to pray you
could find it out by the force ofhis unbound
ed vocalization. During the revulsion in
the monetary world in 1887, the South
felt the effects to great extent, thereby
causing many to dispose of their man-prop-
erty, and it became the lot of this old man
to go to the auction-block to be sold Here
stood the old man in the midst of band
of his fellow unfortunate mortals, held as
chattels, and doomed to eternal slavery
with tears slowly trickling, drop by drop,
down his furrowed cheek, his eyes uplift-
ed to heaven, his hands partly clasped, and
from his wrist hanging the cruel chains.
As the old man stood there in that po-
sition, praying to God necessarily but in
audibly for the day when he should be re-
leased from bondage and from his cruel
task-maSter, and saying, "but, Lord, please,
if ] am to be sold, give me kind massa,"
the hammer of the auctioneer descends, the
multitude begins to sway to and fro, the
hum of many voices is heard, above which
rises that of the auctioneer in loud and
sonorous notes, and the sale of human be-
ings commences.
The auctioneer was heavy-built, whis-
kered man, his beard concealing his vis-
age, except ais proboscis, which had on its
end for an ornament something similar in
color and size to a cherry or crab-apple
The fend had sold one after another until
he at last reached the old man, when there
there was a pause in the auctioneers
voice.
Gentlemen" says he, "here's trust
worthy old boy-never was struck a blow
in his life; but must tell you, he has one
fault-he will pray"
The bidding then commenced at very
low fgure-$12O. They did not want a
praying slave. At last rough slave-dri-
yer bid 5000, when the auctiOneer cried:
"Going at two hundred-two hundred
who bids higher7 Going, going, gone
Your name, sir But what will you do
with his prayers2"
"Pll whip all that out of him in short
time," was the response.
The old slave was taken further down
South with drove, and put upon the
plantation The next evening, after sun
down, the slave-driyer heard the old man
praying as usual. He said nothing to him
at this time, not having forbidden it on the
premises. The next evening, however,
about the same time, he heard him at it
again, when he went up to him roughly,
ier9ed him from his knees, slapped him in
the face, and SAID:
"Did 1 not tell you I would not allow
that ? Get up, sir. Don't let me catch
you praying again"
"Oh massa, I'll do any ting you want,
massa; but I will must pray to my
heavenly massa."
"What do you say, sir p said the mas
ter. "Do you dare to rebel, and say you
aciu to me2 The next time you disobey
on my plantation | will whip you within
an inch of your life"
The slave-driver then lef. the old man,
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
For the Weekly Anglo African
MASONIC UNION.
MITE D. N A TION ALI
BY \ PAST MASTER MASON.

When governments, corporations, or So
cieties instituted for the good of humanity
wander away from great fundamental
truths, betake themselves to warning about
technicalities, and ignore the objects which
gave them birth and character, it is the le-
gitimate business of those concern
ed to bring back such organizations
to the paths from which they have strayed
by the application of such means as will
best answer and set aside forever the caus-
es which stand out against the final triumph
of glorious principles.
We are moved in this direction not be-
cause Of the notoriety which may attach
itself, nor because we feel injured by the
misunderstanding which unhappily pre-
walls among the craft, but only and truly
because we love the fraternity, and would
see its principles set up in every faithful
heart, which cannot better be enhanced
than by that union so much needed and
hoped for by the truly unselfsh and devo-
ted brethren owing allegiance to the two
distinct Grand Lodges in the State of New
York and elsewhere.
Several years since union was brought
about. We entertained exalted hopes, be-
cause we could see in the fidelity of the
craft to that union a prosperity to the insti-
tuition hitherto unknown. But, alasl for
some purpose, whether honestly or not en-
tertained, the indiscreet of our household
forged thunderbolt, which has riven as
sunder that holy alliance, and left US sail
ing upon the ocean of time with the words
nailed to our mast-head-"No Masonic re-
cognition.
In the midst of these precious fragments
(which, Heaven knows, had we the power,
we would gather and put together) it is a
solace to recur to the fact that no stranger
to the fraternity has yet been able to pos
sess himself of that key which alone can in
terpret the unuttered language of Mason
ry. No one of the Masonic family, how
ever embittered, has transferred to the
keeping of an outsider the little stone cut
out of the mountain without hands. Thanks,
many thanks, to the Great Architect of the
Universe that Death himself, when he de-
prives US of life, will only leave US the
more srue to his obligations. Nothing will
be revealed. In our estimation this is an
argument satisfactory enough why we can
second time, with the necessary healing
appliances, undertake the radical cure Of
the body polite. 1t can be done, and SO
efectually as to make us forget that ever
there was division.
We do not aspire to point out the course
to be pursued-th there are among US enough
of noble, selfsecra6cing humanity, in
whose purity of motive, devoted to the best
interests of the craft, and exalted intellec-
tual attainments, as to make US feel quite
certain that the effect viii be an immortal
reality just as soon as the cause becomes a
conception. 1t will be glory enough for
US to know that we only presented rough
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
A CARD.

Mr.. EDIroR:-Having a charge against
me in your " Philadelphia Letter" of the
10Th inst, l hope you will give this place
in your valuable paper.
Your correspondent Banneker" says
that the Rev. Jonathan G. Gibbs was to
have delivered an eulogy npon the charac-
ter of the Harper's Ferry heroes on Friday
evening, but DIR. Jonathan Davis, the
janitor agent of the hall, refused to open
it unless the committee would assure him
that no report should go out from the meet
ing, fearful that the hall would be burned"
This deny, most emphatically. l asked
for no such assurance from the committee,
or any one. / supposed that the doors
were open, until Mr.. johnson, member
of the Institute, called at my place of bust
ness and inquired if the hall was to be
opened. was getting ready at the time
to attend the meeting, and within five min
utes thereafter | was in the janitor's room,
where | met several of the trustees, who
objected to the meeting on account of in
formation received that some of the men,
bers of the Banneker Institute, the nature
of which was, that some of the rowdies had
threatened to burn the hall should the
meeting be held. 1t was not long thereaf-
ter before Mr. Parker T. Smith, and others
of the Banneker Institute, entered.
Mr., Davis Turner, who engaged the hall,
and paid one dollar ON account, did tell me
some two days before the meeting was to
have been held, than there would be no
publishing more than what had been, which
was reading of a notice in four churches;
also that the members of the Institute had
taken into consideration the propriety of
publishing, and that they had studiously
avoided it. This was simply mentioned
by me while in the janitor's room, when
the President of the Institute, Mr. P T.
Smith, declared that he Mr. Turner had
no right to say any such thing, and as the
President, he would assure me that the
proceedings would be published. A dis
cussion ensued between the members of the
Institute, the trustees, and others, when Mr.
Davis Turner asked for, and received his
dollar
would say to Mr.. Banneker," as to
his impression in regard to my thoughts,
he can know nothing of them, unless I ex-
press them; and for his edifcation, he may
know that imagine that I have back
bone, perhaps as large as his, with nparroro
in it at that. I can do my own thinking,
and my own acting, and do not allow
any one to do so for me- Where l act for
others, it is different matter
1t is not my legitimate business to enter
into newspaper controversy, neither do /
intend to do SO, but hope for the future that
Banneker," as chronicler of events, will
feel himself bound in honor to adhere to
the truth. JONATHAN DAVIS.
PHILADELPHIA Dee. 81, 1859.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
THE FIRST SNOW FALL.

The following beautiful lines are by James Rus
el Lowell, though not included in the latest ed
ion of his works
The snow had begun in the cleaning,
And busily all the night
Had been heaping field and highway
With a silence deep and white.
Every pine and fur, and hemlock,
Wore ermine too dear for an earl,
And the poorest twig on the elm tree
Was fringed inch deep with pearl
From sheds now rooted with Carrara
Came Chantioleer's muffied crow.
The stiff rails we're softsned to swans down,
And still futtered down the snow
stood and watched by the window
The noiseless work Of the sky,
Aud the sudden furries of snow-birds,
Like brown leaves whirling by
thought of mound in sweet Auburn,
Where a little head-stone stood,
How the flakes were folding it gently,
As did robins the babes in the wood
Up spoke our own little Mabel,
Saying, Father, who makes itsnowg"
And told her of the good Allfather,
Who cares for us here below
And again looked at the snowfall,
And thought of the leaden sky
That arched DER our first great sorrow,
When the mound was heaped SO high
remember the gradual patience
That fell from the cloud like snow.
Flake by flake, healing and hiding
The scar Of that deep-stabbed woe.
And again to the child whispered,
The snow that husheth all
Darling, the Merciful Father
Alone can make it fall"
Then, with eyes that saw not, kissed her,
And she, kissing back, did not know
That my kiss was given to her sister,
Folded close under deepening snow.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21
ROOM ENOUGH FOR ALL.

What need of all this fuss and strife,
Each warning with his brothers
Why should we, in the crowd of life,
Keep trampling down each other?
Is there no goal that can be won,
Without squeeze to gain it
No other way of getting on
But scrambling to obtain it?
Oh! fellow-men, hear wisdom, then,
In friendly warning call
"Your claims divide, the world is wide,
There's room enough for all"
What if the swarthy peasant find
No field for honest labor,
He need not idly stop behind
To thrust aside his neighbor
There is land with sunny skies,
Which gold for toll is giving,
Where every brawny hand that tries
Its strength can grasp living.
Oh fellow-men, remember then,
Whatever chance befall,
The world is wide-where those abide,
There's room enough for all.
From poisoned air ye breathe in courts
And typhus-tainted alleys,
Go forth and dwell where health resorts,
In fertile hills and valleys;
Where every man that clears bough
Finds plenty in attendance
Up, leave your loathsome cities, now,
And toll for independence.
Oh hasten, then, from fevered den,
And lodging cramp and small;
The world is wide, in land beside,
There's room enough for all.
The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-21

Follow THE RIGHr.-No matter who
you are, what your lot or where you live;
you cannot afford to do that which is
wrong. The only way to obtain happiness
for yourself, is to do the right thing.
You may not always hit the mark; but you
should, nevertheless, always aim for It,
and with every trial your skill will in
crease. Whether you are to be praised or
blamed for it by others; whether it will
seemingly make you richer or poorer, or
whether no other person than yourself
knows of your action; still, always, and in
all cases, do the right thing. Your first
lessons in this rule will sometimes seem
hard ones, but they will grow easier, and
easier, until, finally, doing the right thing
will become habit, and to do wrong will
seem an impossibility.