en about
four years old. Those who knew of me and my affairs know how carefully I
raised the girl. She graduated from Hampton with honors, has a fair
musical education, and a voice that might have made her a fortune.
Imagine how proud her foster mother was when she returned home from
school, so full of promise. If she would only leave this place and seek
to live a better life in some strange community I would be more content.
It would be hard for her to do so here. This Ben Hartright and another
white gentleman had a free fight over her about a month ago. Ben was
prevented from using his pistol by the girl's timely interference. That
fiend of Georgia who is urging the men of her race to revel in the blood
of their fellows, would do them more good by urging upon them the
necessity of good morals. Doubtless this Ben Hartright is one of the
leaders of this proposed raid in Wilmington to drive out undesirable
citizens, yet he is so low morally, that he leaves a richly furnished
home, a refined wife and pretty child to fight over a Negro woman, for
such he has I hear." "But this letter proves that there are redeemable
qualities in Molly despite her birth and bad life." "Magdalene made a
devoted follower of Christ, you know," said Mrs. Wise; "with God's help,
she can if she wills, pull away from her present surroundings and be a
good woman." "Yes, she says in her letter that '_never did the full
realization of what I am, come so plainly before me, as when this
villian so cooly told me of his plans. I drove him from my presence as I
would a dog._' This shows that Molly's race pride is not entirely
blunted by dissipation and unholy living. I counsel you all ere you
depart, to remember that we are at the mercy of the whites, and each one
of us should do all in our power to show our men the wisdom of
coolness. By this, with God's help, we may be able to avert the evil
threatened. I declare the Union Aid Society adjourned, subject to the
call of the president."

CHAPTER VII.

Molly's Atonement.

A few evenings after the unpleasant interview between Molly Pierrepont
and Ben Hartright, Silas Wingate, chairman of the Republican Executive
Committee, sat alone in his office. In that morning's mail had come to
him a letter from the Governor, full of discouraging news as to the
chances of Republican success throughout the State, and advising that
for the safety of life Republican candidates be withdrawn from the
field--a requ