The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-21
SLAVERY DAYS TALE.

| dropped in at St. Gabriels Church
the other day to say Rosary. AS I
entered my attention was attracted to
an old colored woman cropping about
the kneeling bench of pew back near
the door. She had evidently dropped
something, but with no further notice
! passed on However, had scarcely
knelt when the sound of her weeping
brought me back on my feet.
Poor SOUL" l thought as / went
to her aid. She has lost her last
coin"
l patted her shoulder assuringly.
What's the trouble, Grandma? Did
you lose something money
may be? Don't worry, we'll find it.
Down | got on all tours and began
feeling around when between her
sobs the old woman gave me this un-
ineligible piece of information:
Hits ma Underground Railroad
medal. Use KEEP dat medal nigh on
ter sixty yeas an | wanted to- keep
hit Always SO l cud hab hit in ma
hand when Use goin' ter die
Il suppose it is souvenir of some
brave rescue from railroad wreck?"
l suggested, crushing my hat against
the pew ahead in an effort to peer
under the seat. / was anxious to
gain her confidence and assuage her
grief
ooh! No, indeed! Hits not dat
kline er medal, lady. Fact, Use neber
chen seen train wreck. l cum by
er boat on ma Underground Railroad
trip. was hid away in er cu'bo'd in
de scullery, but dis yere medal brung
me safe an SCUM ter freedom"
| l sat back on my launches and
stared at her. This description of a
railroad trip by boat struck me as the
vaporings of senility, and what if the
loss and consequent grief were of the
same source. Here l was busting the
church floor with my skirt and
smudging beyond recognition per-
fectly good pair of gloves.
Her great brown eyes met my gaze
squarely and they had no hint of
fogginess. In fact, they seemed to
penetrate my jumbled conceptions.
HAS yer neber hearn of der Under
round Railroad, lady?" The question
was simple and direct. I shook my
head.
Underground Railroad" l repeated
to myself vaguely. But all | could
conjure to my mind was the subway
minus the boat to which she referred.
II suppose it was an old-time rail.
road that has long since been in dis
use?" suggested lamely. She seemed
to know what she was talking about
and l was sure | did not, and l felt
my disadvantage
''EIit went inter disIse," she said
emphatically, wen der wahr wus ober
an der slabes wus sot free. Dere
wus no moer use OBJ it den. Case yer
see it wus de wo'k OBJ de folks wot
he'pt poar slabes lax me ter Escape
dere fette's and dere masses an git
Moth ware dey Wus tuck keer NV an
hid fun slabe hunters. Mos oh EN-
wen ter Candy but some hid yere an
dere. Dere wus de committy wat I'D
look after dem an warn 'em bout
slabe hunters en- sech."
And the Underground Railroad
people" l suggested, as wanted tt
hear more of them. Were these
colored or white people whose feel
ings were opposed to slavery anC
who were willing to defy the laws il
which they could not believer"
"Dey wus bofh, chile. Both white
an colo'd han in han wokin'.''
"And where did the name Under
ground Railroad come from? Die
) they have the trains to carry away
the slaves?'
Lam no, chile. A powerful lot oil
'em cum a foot travelin' by night an
: hidin' daytime.
, Desc yere kline people call dem
se'vs de Underground Railroad case
dey was awl so sekut an quiet like
in der wo'k like es if 'twer awl under
de ground.
"An' lady, meny's de poar slabe wen
, tn is death fore he'd tell on de I'm
derground Railroad sekuts.'
At this statement her face beameG
: with pride as though she were
speaking of the martyrs of old.
Il caught glimpse of the sextor
and asked him for a taper to locate
the medal 1t was still an object Of
mystery upon which she had MOI
touched. l vaguely wondered if il
would prove to be some relic o.
voodooism handed down by these SUI
lperstitious people. Somehow ! felt i
would not just fit with the story o.
brave conflict to which had listened
waited.
The sexton handed to me first
1t was badly worn, lie Inscription
entirely illegible and the figures yer.
dim, but Strange, it looks just lik'
J. a Blessed Virgin medal l spoke m.
thoughts aloud.
Eyes, lady, hits Blessed Vigil
medal. She am er powerful frien' an
she doan ask is yer white or black
! An tank yu, lady"
And she was gone.
Nora Desmond. In our Coiorsd Missions.