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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



229 



Our Homes. 



Ye are bought with a price.— I. Cor. 6:20. 



I do not know just where it happened, and I 

 do not know just ivlieti it happened; but some- 

 thing like the following occurred, so 1 am told, 

 not a great many years ago. There was to be 

 an auction; and among other things a lot of 

 slaves were to be sold. They were standing 

 about waiting for the time when the auctioneer 

 should commence. There were men, women, 

 and children who were to exchange owners. 

 Some of them were careless and indifferent. I 

 suppose most of them had been sold before, and 

 therefore took it in a sort of philosophical way 

 as the African people, the greater part or them, 

 are in the habit of taking such things. A color- 

 ed preacher spoke from our pulpit not many 

 days ago. He was not only a scholar, but an 

 orator of no small talent. At the close of his 

 remarks he spoke of the good qualities espe- 

 cially pertaining to the colored people. The 

 last among the things enumerated was hopeful- 

 ness. He said there was no people on the face 

 of the earth who were so bright and hopeful 

 under all circumstances as the colored race. 

 They would sing their jubilee songs, and re- 

 joice, even under the most untoward circum- 

 stances. They are always looking for some- 

 thing better and brighter, and are never dis- 

 couraged. By the way, did any of you ever 

 hear of a full-blooded negro committing sui- 

 cide? Perhaps this very characteristic spe- 

 cially fits them to endure service better than 

 any other race. In any case, we ought to honor 

 them for this very trait. 



Well, among the crowd that were awaiting 

 (they knew not what) was a young colored 

 woman— in fact, a girl; and, to tell the truth, 

 she was remarkable for her look of refinement, 

 gentility, and attractive appearance. She stood 

 alone; and the sadness and terrible sorrow that 

 seemed to weigh her down showed itself in her 

 otherwise bright and beautiful face in a way 

 that attracted attention generally. A Christian 

 man of culture and refinement was looking up- 

 on the scene. He was probably a stranger, not 

 only to that locality, but nvidently to such 

 scenes, and was touched by the sad countenance 

 of the young girl. He ventured to make some 

 inquiry. One of thf colored people explained: 



" Oh ! this is th(- first time she has been sold. 

 She is not used to it. She was brought up on a 

 plantation where they were very kind and good 

 to her. She can read and write. She never ex- 

 pected to be sold: but her master died, and they 

 got in debt, and finally the property had to be 

 all closed out." 



The humanitarian, for such indeed he was, 

 looked again and again at the young girl, and 

 finally inquired the price It was very high 

 Others had their eye on her already. I nee^ 

 not go back and call up these sad memories in 

 the past history of our country; I may only 

 hint at what her feelings must have been when 

 she contemplated that, before the sun went 

 down, she would have to be sold to some/jor/y. 

 It did not matter who the man was, or what 

 his morals, or for what purpose he wanted her. 

 If he could raise the money she would be his. 

 body and soul— or, at least, he would so regard 

 it. 



The good gentleman debated quite a time, 

 but finally went up and paid the price, unusual 

 and excessive though it was. Then ' ^ went 

 straight to the proper authorities and procured 

 the necessary emancipation papers. When they 

 wore finished in due form he simply presented 

 them to her, made his bow. and started to walk 

 away. The thing was so sudden and unexpect- 



ed she could not comprehend it at all. She 

 started to follow him for an explanation. One 

 of her fellow-slaves, who could also read, ex- 

 plained to her what it was. Said he: 



"Why, you are /ree, don't you see? Here 

 are the papers. You are not obliged to follow 

 that man, even if he did 'pay the price.' You 

 are emancipated. Here are the papers. You 

 are not obliged to follow him or anyb(jdy. From 

 this time forward you are &free luomati. You 

 can go where you please and do as you please." 



"But did this man pay the price? Did /le 

 make me free? Then 1 will follow him to the 

 last day of my life. 1 will serve him with the 

 last drop of blood that courses in my veins. 

 My whole life henceforth shall be to minister 

 unto him and his, if he will accept such service 

 in token of my gratitude for this great and un- 

 speakable gift of freedom and emayicipation 

 from that which might have been worse than 

 death." 



Some time afterward somebody visited this 

 man's home. A bright presence pervaded it 

 all. There was a cheerful and willing step, a 

 joyous service that was so unusual, that the 

 visitor asked her how she could always be so 

 bright and good-natured and light-hearted, even 

 though things were discouraging at times. 



" How is it, my young friend, that you, a ser- 

 vant, can be the brightest, happiest, and most 

 joyous one of the whole household ? 



She replied: 



"' O my dear sir! you are mistaken. I ayn a 

 servant, but I am not a slave. He whom I 

 serve, once bouglit me ' with a price.' He paid 

 the price, and then he made me free. ' A. II to 

 him i owe.' Do you think I can ever forget 

 that kind act from this good man? What a 

 poor recompense it would be if I should ever 

 even once in my life forget this deliverance — 

 this emancipation — so far forget as to show 

 either by Iook, word, or action, the least trace 

 of ingratitude! What would you think of me 

 if I should forget this, or if I should forget to 

 be bright, happy, and joyous and grateful, 

 while it is my privilege to serve him, and to 

 feel that I am of some use in his household 

 and in ministering to those I love? I love them, 

 and it is a joy and privilege to serve them be- 

 cause he loves them." 



Dear reader, I think you see the point I am 

 trying to make, even before I make the applica- 

 tion. I do not know how many of you, but I 

 am sure a great number of my readers can say 

 in their hearts as did the poor slave-girl, "■He 

 paid the price, and made me/ree. I was in the 

 bondage of sin. I was a slave to evil appetites 

 or evil passions. I was helpless, and was un- 

 done and ruined. I had nothing with which to 

 redeem myself. No friend was willing, even if 

 he could have done so, to pay the price and set 

 me free." 



: Jesus paid it all; 

 All to him I owe. 



Now, then, dear friends, this being true, can 

 we not, as consistently as did the poor slave- 

 girl, say, " I will spend my life in serving him"? 

 God have mercy on me if I ever forget this 

 great act of his. He not only paid the price, 

 but he died; he shed his precious blood that I 

 might go free. 



The above little incident that I have told in 

 my own language, with perhaps some addition- 

 al thoughts of my own. was given last evening 

 in an address by Dr. SchauHler, whose name has 

 become prominent as the leader of the Bohemi- 

 an church work in Cleveland. As I listened it 

 brought back to me, oh so vividly! the time 

 when / stood a slave— yes, a slave to sin — when 

 I stood awaiting the ne.rt act of ray cruel mas- 

 ters. The older readers of GLEANiNf4s have 

 heard the story; and some of the newer ones 



