SHEPHERDSTOWN, ON THE POTOMAC. 95 



bo ugly enough spoken iu our harsher tones. Mr. Devon was, as I 

 said, a Yankee, but long association with a softer voiced people had 

 modified his naturally high tones, and when he said "your Ma," it 

 had by no means the vulgar sound which one might expect. "I 

 don't like the idea of the children exposed to his influence, he is such 

 a dreadful old Heathen. Now you hear Miss Helen, from one of 

 themselves, what they are. Of course old Si is an exception in some 

 things, but there are none of them who are fit to be free. I believe 

 they would relapse into idolatry if they were left to themselves ; and 

 I truly believe that their present condition, where they are looked 

 after, and taken care of in the smallest particulars, when even their 

 religion is provided for them, is the only one where there is the least 

 chance of evangalizing them. As it is, the majority of them can only 

 be taught a sort of wild, excited religion ; I never attempted to teach 

 them the doctrines of any particular church. Though there are many 

 exceptions here too. I must confess that there are, among them 

 many humble and earnest Christians, members of the Episcopal 

 church, here in this very town ; to whom I give the Communion reg- 

 ularly every month, with a thankful heart; for I have brought them 

 up from children; I christened them, I prepared them for Confirma- 

 tion, I gave them their first Communion, and will probably give them 

 their last. I don't say that they understand the doctrines of the 

 Church ; they do not ; but they do much better than understand them ; 

 they take them on faith. Still these are only a few, in comparison 

 with the noisy crowd that you saw baptized in the River last Sunday, 

 I am convinced that though the latter looked wild and almost 

 heathenish to us, it is what they understand best, and that it is the 

 Religion best suited to them. That violent excitement will, of course, 

 wear off, and many of them will be about where they were before, 

 perhaps, no better, but certainly no worse ; but many more of them 

 will be better for it to the end of their lives. And yet when Uncle 

 Si says niggers have no souls, he is only repeating what has been 

 told him by white people. I suppose it is hard for you to believe in 

 such ignorance, and yet it is a sad truth." 



We were beyond the town by this time, and were walking along a 

 narrow foot path above the cliffs which were here, very high and 

 steep and everhanging the Potomac. The day was very quiet, but 

 no sound from the river reached us ; it flowed too softly. The Mary- 



