The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-21

WIN WeIe us nOSC VdludDle SUBJECTS.
1t was doubtless a painful trial for little
Susannah to leave her kind parents and
her pleasant home to live far away
among the canals and dikes of Holland.
For here she was to 60 and reside with one
of her cousins. But if she remained in
France, she might be forced to forsake
the faith of her parents and she must
fly from the danger. Some faithful HUI
guenots, who dressed in women's clothes
to avoid detection, helped the poor re-
tugees to make their escape. These good
men who were called night-walkers,
took charge of Susannah and her cousin
who had little babe with her. They
got away from Sedan and silently stole
past the watch-posts and guards of the
king in the darkness of the night and
were well on their way to the seaport
from which they expected to sail for
Holland, when Susannah's cousin STUN
bled on some rocks In stream they
were crossing, her babe was awaked and
began to cry; this aroused some soldiers
stationed near by; these men captured
the frightened refugees and took them
to prison. Moses Rochelle, Susannah' s
father, was allowed to take her back to
Sedan where she remained until her two
elder sisters succeeded in escaping to
Holland. Here they found home in
Amsterdam, where they were kindly re-
ceived by Christian friends who belonged
to what is known in America as the
Dutch Reformed Church. After they
were peacefully settled her sisters be-
came very anxious about Susannah, and
wrote their father to send her to them at
Amsterdam. But fearing that their let
ter might be intercepted and read by
enemies, they wrote their father to send
them the "httle night cap they had left
behind them when they left Sedan. AT
ter various unsuccessful efforts to send
her away, what do you think her father
did? He had his little girl put in a
hogshead, not too close to exclude the
air. then the head was hoped on
and marked as containing goods, the
barrel was entrusted to friendly sea
captain who had the hogshead placed on
board his ship. After they had sailed
and were safely past the vigilant guards
who We're posted on vessels in the har-
Dor, the hogshead was opened and
Susannah was lifted out of her mar
row, dark chamber. God preserved and
brought her safely to Amsterdam where
her sisters received her with great 10y.
For some years these three sisters lived
In Holland, where you may we'll sup
pose they appreciated the precious priv
leges OF a free government and theright
to worship God in scriptural manner.
At the same time they had to deny them
selves many comforts which they had
enjoyed in France. Amsterdam was
crowded with their countrymen who,
like them, had fed from cruel oppression.
The generous Hollanders were very lib
eral to the suffering refugees, but their
food was often of the coarsest description.
Upon visit which Moses Rochelle once
contrived to make his daughters, he
found them eating the cheapest black
bread in the country, when he pleas
antly remarked: "If 1 were choosing a
stone would take the whitest." Thus
they lived for years in the exercise of
great self-denial rather than renounce
their faith. But God gave them grace to
endure great trials for conscience sake.
One of them at least was to become the
head of long line of Presbyterians in
a Western land, and He was fitting her
for her great responsibilities. The two
elder sisters both married and moved to
the West Indies. When grown, Susannah
also married. Her husband, Abraham
Micheaux, was good, industrious man,
also Huguenot refugee.
In my next letter 1 will tell you of
Susannah's emigration to America and
her settlement in Virginia
Your affectionate uncle, w. D. NJ.