The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-10-14

fingers into my mouth, bending all my
joints, trying my eyes, my teeth, my
hearing.
cone man bid $3.50, but was sold
at last for 1925, and was delivered
over to this buyer. / was now slave!
I did not dare resist, but went pas
sively wherever / was told.
How lonely l was, living in the
silent country with three hundred
slaves, toiling from dawn to dark.
How l watched them, their strange
ways, their poor cabins, their wild
stories and their religion! How diff
ferent from Baltimore! And, oh, how
| pinned for my poor mother! / never
saw her again!
Almost the first thing that happened
was dispute about me.
"The family was sold to was half
Methodist and half Baptist, the father
holding to the Methodists and the
mother to the Baptists.
''They argued hot and strong with
each other to possess me for their re-
ligion. They quoted the Bible-lots of
i it. The bigger children laughed, but
took neither side. But / was bold
little darkey, and l waited for a lull
in the dispute, waited my chance,
for my dear mothers words came
ringing into my head, and at last there
was moments quiet.
Il mustered up all my courage and
stood up in my bare feet and my little
shirt and pants, my hands in my
pocketholes, and called out: 'The
Methodists and Baptists are both
nasty. I am a Roman Catholic, that's
what / am! It's Gods only true re-
ligionn
i when I got through, and before
they got over their surprise | thought
l had better say it over again, because
it didn't sound loud enough the first
time, so I planted my feet firmly and
fairly yelled out my good mammy's
words. And, sub, felt them deep
down in my heart, and I would have
said them if those people killed me, as
indeed I thought they would! Not at
all, sub. First, they stared, and glared
at me, but l stared back. Then, two
of the big girls giggled, and then the
children laughed, and after while
the old folks laughed, and there was a
shout all around, and then they made
me tell them all | knew. I said my
prayers three times over during my
story. told them how I was stolen,
and about my poor mother, and
think my mistress was kind-hearted
. for she said: You poor little niger,
no one shall touch you!' never had
, any real trouble after that day about
religion. The people were good enough
to me-but l had hard work, and
often just hankered after my mother
f and never forgot my prayers. Wher
they wanted me to go to Camp Meet
ing I said No so fierce that they lei
; me alone. You see, Father, it was my
+ mothers word! She had stamped then
3 on my heart, and although I knew mo-
one thing about Catholics I knew she
was right, and anything different wa:
f wrong. So I stuck to my mother
i When I was grown up | took up witt
q a fine girl, but she was SO savage
J., Baptist that / quit her. I never say
! Catholic, never heard OF any II
= reach. I have been a working man al
e my life, and always poor. After thu
+ war | was free and worked on
q lighter in little cotton port, and go
e a chance of working my passage t.
Il Baltimore My whole heart was Sc
n on getting to Baltimore and f1ndin
e my mother!
Father
s I began to hunt for my mother, but
y land here his voice broke and his bi
e chest heaved, he couldn't go on TO
n few moments,) everything
v changed. l couldn't find anything a
L | remembered them in the docks, tn
l. streets or the alleys. I found an oil
aunty who remembered my nam
If when l told her and she took me b
n the two hands and looked up into m
le face while she cried: You'll? Jeffe
ID son Stewart! You? Yes, indeedy,
ID members youh pooh mother, m
Of child, mother broke her heart an
IA died, when she couldn't find you! Sh
a. pinned and pined, and when the prizes
le came to her poor bed an glib her d
re Blessed Saviour I was there, an SD
N turned to me and says: Rachel,
he ever you meet my pooh boy on tn!
lie earth, tell him his mother watche
n him day and highland then ths
Id night she died! / don't know whe1
IL they buried her, for it was war time
e, and such things was done in hurry
Is "It was a hard blow, Father, har
~ blow! I could only bow my head an
'e take it-but then thought must q
= to the church my mother loved and b
le a good Catholic-for that's all / ca
u Il. do to please her, and Father, had
VI lot of trouble finding this church,
W is much changed, but here / am, an
o when saw you out there in that be
II | wanted to speak to you, and ask 70
10 to help me be good Catholic like m