contribution to it, and many gifts not large in themselves, but
representing a great deal of sacrifice, have been received by our
treasurer in New York. The pastor of our church in Marion, Alabama,
sends a contribution of over $16 from his church, which amount
represents more sacrifices than thousands of dollars would represent
from many of our more favored churches. He writes: "We had a Lincoln's
exercise on Lord's day, 10th, by the school at the church. It was a
very cold, dark night, but our offering was $16.09. You will consider
the hard times here--and they are hard, indeed, this year--we have had
intense cold now nearly two months with the mercury nearly to zero.
When ice is six inches thick in this part of Alabama it means intense
suffering for the half-clad and half-fed negroes. We add to this
$16.09, $11.26, which we have collected at our missionary prayer
meetings, making in all $27.35."

"I called on a few of the old ex-slaves for some experiences of bygone
days. Among others here is one: 'When I was a boy about twelve years
of age there were several boys together telling what we would do when
we became men. I said, "I am going to be free and keep a store, and
perhaps employ some of you boys as my clerks." Among these boys
standing there was a white boy, who, when he went home, told his
father what I had been saying. Shortly after a lady, when I was
passing her house one day called me in and said, "Steve, is that you?"
"Yes, marm." "I want to see you; I hear you have been talking some bad
talk with other boys." I said, "What is it, marm?" "You said that you
were going to be free some day. Now let me tell you, if you do not
stop talking such talk you will be hung and nobody can possibly save
you. Let me tell you, you were ordained from the foundation of the
world to be a slave; that is your destiny."' He continued, 'Although I
never employed any of those boys as clerks, yet from that white boy,