Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-11-09
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
A Spirited Picture of an HistOr-
zeal Character

Gates.
Miss Annie l.. Grout of West Brattle-
boro, who attended the 18th annual meet
ing of the American Missionary association
at Lowell, Mass, gives, in a private letter.
a very interesting account of the proceed
ings of the last day, when Frederick Doug
lass made striking and memorable speech
and the session closed in burst of enthus-
asm. When Mr. Douglass appeared with his
venerable figure and wealth of snow white
hair falling over his shoulders, the audi
ence rose to their feet with cheer upon cheer
and handkerchiefs fluttering in cloud
His introduction by DR.. Merrill +. Gates,
president of Amherst college, and also of
the American Missionary association, was
rarely felicitous, recalling as it did, recol-
lections of his own bOyhood when his
fathers house in New York state was a
station on the underground railroad"
speech of Frederick Douglas
Having acknowledged his introduction,
Mr.Douglass sal his main feeling at this
moment was one Of compassion for his
audience, that, after listening to such men
and such speeches as they had, for the
last three days, they should now be expect
ed TO listen to him. But he had been put
last before, as at the Worlds Fair, that
place of such beauty and grandeur as had
never been seen before in this world. When
speakers had beer eulogizing every nation
under heaven, they brought him out, and
refused to take NO for an answer. He
supposed they wanted he should give a
little color to the occasion
When a young man he had been sent up
fv,ts Nnvr L., l.
place on the Sabbath. He was directed to
the house of man who was supposed to
be an abolitionist. He soon found, how
ever, that while this man was very willing
that the slaves should be freed in the South
he did not care TO come in touch with them
at the North and in his own house. The
good lady of the house, however, took him
in, and although, when supper time came,
her husband had lost his appetite, she sat
down to the table with her guest and made
out supper. Next morning. when church
time came, the man drove his stylish car
riage up to the door, helped his wife in
got in himself, and, looking back al Doug
lass, who stood on the door steps, said, ~
suppose you can find your way over to the
church" Douglass said he thought he
could; and he did, and preached. When
church; not a soul came to speak to him.
He was to preach again in the afternoon,
and did so, to quite a good audience. Serv-
ice over, the noon experience was repeated.
Douglass went over to the church yard
tired and hungry, in a raw, chilly day, and
remembered what his Saviour had said !:
Foxes have holes and the birds of the
air have nests, but the Son of Man hath
not where to lay his head" After a time
he heard behind him the footsteps of one
whom he afterward found to be Demo
cratic member of Congress, who said to
him, You are Douglass, l believe?"
Yes" And | understand no one has
taken you in?' THAT is So" "Well, |
am no aboitionist, but l am a man, and
think you had better come home with me. -
Douglass gladly went with him. As they
entered the house the children ran, scream
ing to their mother, Mamma! mamma
there's a niger in the house," In the
course of the evening the first man APP
peared and said to Douglass: "Seems TO
me | sort of missed you this morning."
Douglass thought he did. "Well," said
the man, ''guess you'd better 90 back with
me" and, in the circumstances. Douglass
thought perhaps it would be best, and did
so. Next morning the man harnessed up
his best team and carried Douglass ten
miles 10 his next appointment. On the
way he told his guest he was proud to have
him in his carriage. why" said he, ~
would rather have you in my carriage than
the President of the United States. -
Douglass thought that was not much Of a
compliment, as the President at that time
was John Tyler
Speaking of the missionaries that had
been sent south to help his people, Doug
lass said; II have seen some of them and
been compelled to admire them. Many of
them educated and refined, accustomed TO
all the elegances that wealth and position
could command, they did not hesitate to
share their comfortable homes and face
southern scorn, ostracism and persecution
in order TO lift up and enlighten the de-
spised freedman. This spectacle was
grand and inspiring With zeal that never
grew cold, a courage that never quailed,
faith that never fatered, they dared 10
take their stand by the side of the negro in
all the storms incident to his early eman j.
patton" Speaking of the progress made
and still making on the part OF that race,
he said MY people are rising, have
risen; but be careful from what point you
measure their rise,-not from the three
stored height of education and training to
which you have attained, to which you
were born, but from the depths, the Depths,
/ from which we started and as he leaned
over and pointed down, we could almost
see the pit out of which the colored people
are slowly, painfully, but surely rising.
DIR. Gates "Reminiscences.
Among the recollections recalled by
President Gates in introducing Mr. Doug
lass, Miss Grout records the following
which will stir responsive chord in the
heart of many a graybeard who remrm-
bers the hard struggle and the devoted
work of the abolitlonists in the days before
the war;
When but a lad, scarcely more than Il
years of age, on one occasion there drove
into his fathers barn, late at night, a
Quaker with a large dry goods box in hi.
wagon, one end OF the box being pierced
with Jew holes, as of a gimlet or auger
When ''is box was opened, for the first
time j. nree weeks, there was lifted out OF
it, first, a three year-old boy, then the
child's mother, and within "a hours "A baby
girl was born to her. They had beer
brought by this Quaker all the way from
Virginia. The mother soon died, as was
/ to be expected. Mr. Gates took one child
and a neighbor the other. Both grew III
and are now respected citizens at theiI
homes in New York. AT one time and