The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-06
A BATCH OF SHORT STORIES
Joy full Meeting Between Fred Douglass
and One of His Deiverers.
One Point Upon Which the Drummer and His
Pastor Agreed-Plain Case Of Faith Cure
-Bernhamer's Queer Experience.

following incident connected with the
campaign of 1888
Fred Douglass and had been speaking
and we were invited by the superintendent
of the Soldiers Orphans Home to go out
and speak to the soldiers orphans-some
four hundred of them, who were at the
home. We we approaching the crossing OF
Blue river on our way TO the home when
suddenly Douglass laid his hand over mp
on the Ieins of the horses-we were In q
CARR age-checking the team, and
pointing over to plateau OF
ground lying between the forks
of the river at that point, he said: Fifty.
two years ago We camped on that ground
one night while and two other young TEL
lowe were taking passage to Canada on
the underground railroad, escaping from
slavery He then named the man who
came down to where the fugitives were,
citizen of Knigbtstown whose name Tor
get now. but prominent member OF the
Quaker Church In that city. This man.
said Mr.. Douglass. came down 10 the
wagon In the morning and brought Us
something to eat, and gave rs full dlrec-
ground railroad station After he had
told this story the committeeman who was
with Us in the carriage said, Why that
man 10 still living uD here In knights
town now and Douglass Immediately ex-
claimed. 'Well. / must see him. So we
drove around there, and an old man over
eighty years of age tOttered out. and he
and Douglass shook hands and embraced
one another. and wept over one another,
lust like two dear friends. as they were,
and talked awhile over that event which
occurred at that place ffry-two years ago.
when young Douglass was escaping from
slavery"
most pleasant things ever witnessed. and
one of the things the memory OF which
j shall ever cherish IN connection with my
campaign life. Mr. Douglass then gave
me q description of the wagon, or
travelled over the underground rail.
road. IL consisted of an old-fashioned
country wagon, which had q false bottom in
the rear end, which was covered over with
bedding and ordinary household furniture,
and to all appearances a man and his wife
and family were moving to some point up
north.i The fugitives crept into the wagon.
into this false bottom feet foremost. and
chicken-c coop full of chickens was fastened
on the back of the wagon to hide them
from view. and the only view they could
get of the outside world was through the
slats of the chicken-coop. They lay in
there and turned over as best they could.
There were three young men In the party.
and the only chance they had TO get out
and stretch their legs was at the under
ground railway stations"
=
This story is told on drummer who be-
longed to the Methodist Church. He had
religious wife and daughter, but he was
not what the boys called strictly ''in line"
himself in religious ways. On Saturday
afternoon his pastor visited him in his coy
little home. The pastor talked in 3 gen.
eral way about the church, the news etc.,
but gradually got near the point of an in
terview on spiritual matters. The poor
drummer knew his faults, and felt, under
the searching questions proPounded by the
parsoD. what poor. humble creature he
was. and as the questions progressed his
voice grew weaker and weaker. until they
were only answered in whispers. The good
parson began by saying. Il don't see you
often at church"
Not very often. that's So" said the
drummer.
How do you spend your Sundaysp
well, sometimes in the woods. some
times at home. sometimes at work" -.
DO you chew tobacco"
Yes, q little"
And you smoke, alsoV
Yes sometimes"
And you drinkP
"Oh. we'll, now, only q glass of beer occa-
sionally."
DO You play cards!"
only to pass away an evening"
But by this time the the drummer's voice
was so weak you would have thought ne
had lost both lungs. At last. after long
pause and serious reflection by the parson,
he said: What is your politicsf
With aspiring and ayell that made every
thing in the coy little parlor rattle, he
yelled. Republican. you betw
With clasped hands the two men gazed
into each others smiling faces and bade
each other pleasant good afternoon.
When one of Indianapoliss most promi-
nent physicians was young man and had
Just hung out his single he had an ex-
perience which justifies the belief that
faith is sometimes better than works, and
particularly so in the case of a patient TAX
ing medicine. Late one night there came
ahurried knock at his door. and on going
TO 1t he found q boy in a greatly agi-
tated frame of mind and who said
that his mother was dying. He
begged in piteous tones for the
doctor to hurry and was SO excited that
the physician became little 80 himself.
lie gathered his medicines together in a
case and. his carriage By that time having
come around, he threw them under the
seat. jumped IN and drove rapidly away.
IL was several miles TO the patients house.
and he found to his horror. when he got
there, that he had lost his medicines. If
the woman wes dying, he surely
ought not 10 return TO hunt for them,
and SO concluded that he would
go In and see what be
could do. He found the woman in bed,
all doubled mp with pains In her abdomen
and moaning in n beart-rending fashion.
The young doctor was at his wits end. He
suddenly happened to remember that he
had n small vial of white-rose perfume in
his vest pocket. Calling for q tumbier of
water, he dumped about half OF the per-
md 0alu fol = ha
give the sufferer a spoonful every fiji
was not relieved of the pain.
Then he went out TO hunt up his medicine
case, and found It about halt of milo
from his own home. 1t then occurred to
him that be ought 10 20 back and see If he
could not do something for the sick woman.
10 back he drove, expecting to have all
sorts of reproaches hcaped on his head
when he got there but when he entered the
house the sick mother held out both hands
10 him and exclaimed in ay0ice tremulous
with gratitude: 20 Doctor, how can
thank you. The pain began to leave ue
when took the first spoonful of tho medi-
cine, on the second it went entlrely.D
+
At the time when Whitelaw Reid and
Channcey Depew addressed the Republic
ans in Indianapolis. and Bourke Cochran
the Democrats. and the parties had rival
street demonstrations. q little group of
Democrats were standing on one of the cor
ners watching the Republican column file
past in one vast array. In it wers Judge