rned to mourn
out in prayers, thoughts and feelings wrung from their agonizing hearts,
which they did not dare express when they were forced to have their
meetings under the surveillance of a white man."

"It is because I consider the ministry the highest and most sacred
calling, that I cannot, nay I dare not, rush into it unless I feel
impelled by the strongest and holiest motives."

"You are right and I think just such men as you ought to be in the
ministry."

"Are you calling me?" "I wish it were in my power." "I am glad that it
is not, I think there are more in the ministry now than magnify their
calling."

"But Mr. Thomas[2] are you not looking on the dark side of the question?
you must judge of the sun, not by its spots, but by its brightness."

"Oh I did not mean to say that the ministry is crowded with unworthy
men, who love the fleece more than the flock. I believe that there are
in the ministry a large number who are the salt of the earth and whose
life work bears witness to their fitness. But unfortunately there are
men who seem so lacking in reverence for God, by their free handling of
sacred things; now I think one of the great wants of our people is more
reverence for God who is above us, and respect for the man who is beside
us, and I do hope that our next minister will be a good man, of active
brain, warm heart and Christly sympathies, who will be among us a
living, moral, and spiritual force, and who will be willing to teach us
on the Bible plan of 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a
little there a little.'"

"I hope he will be; it is said that brother Lomax our new minister is an
excellent young man."

"Well I hope that we will not fail to receive him as an apostle and try
to hold up his hands."

"I hope so. I think that to be called of God to be an ambassador for
Christ, to help him build the kingdom of righteousness, love and peace,
amid the misery, sin and strife, is the highest and most blessed
position that a man can hold, and because I esteem the calling so highly
I would not rush into it unless I felt divinely commissioned."

Chapter III

Mrs. Harcourt was a Southern woman by birth, who belonged to that class
of colored people whose freedom consisted chiefly in not being the
chattels of the dominant race--a class to whom little was given and from
whom much was required. She was naturally bright and intelligent, but
had come up in a day when the very book of the Chr