356 John Bachman. 



the organist were dispensed with, and the band, 

 standing in the front aisle, led the singing. There 

 was no silent tongue in the congregation no bash- 

 ful hesitancy, the full voices drowning the cracked 

 notes of the older members. A singular and beau- 

 tiful custom prevailed among these simple worship- 

 pers they reverently bowed after receiving the 

 consecrated bread and wine from the hand of the 

 Minister doubtless in grateful acknowledgment of 

 the Saviour's gift of Himself. 



Born and educated while New York was still a 

 slave-holding State; removing to the South in 

 early manhood, and faithfully laboring there for the 

 temporal and spiritual advancement of the negro, it 

 was not strange that he should not have been in sym- 

 pathy with the pronounced abolitionist. Lydia, his 

 father's slave, in accordance with her own desire had 

 followed him to Charleston, and nursed his children. 

 When slavery was abolished in the State of New 

 York, he tells us, he offered her freedom ; but she 

 preferred to remain in his service. Her two sons he 

 apprenticed to trades that they might earn their own 

 support. 



When the property of Mrs. Bach man's mother, 

 Mrs. Martin, was divided among her children, the 

 slaves, according to custom, selected their owners in 

 the family. One of these, Plenty, entreated Dr. 

 Bachman to take him. Now Plenty, although 

 honest and industrious when sober, sometimes in- 

 dulged too freely in whiskey. He urged ; " Tek me 

 Massa Bachman. I'll plant and tek good ca' ob de 



