wife might be wrenched from husband or child from mother
according to the state of the market. And, strangest of all to
our ears, the pulpits of the South extolled slavery as appointed
of Heaven, and solemnly quoting the prophecy that Ham should be
the servant of his brethren, the pulpiteer would ask who would
dare to resist the will of God Most High? Not content to hold
their views tenaciously, the slave-holders and their followers
dealt out threatenings and slaughter to all who by lip or pen
opposed them. The household of Brown pondered all this invasion
of the great natural right of freedom, and with one accord pined
for the opportunity of checking, or, it might be, ending it.

It is on record how they were taught to repeat their father's
vow. It was in 1839, when they were living at Franklin, Ohio,
that he called them around him, and on bended knee declared the
secret mission with which, he believed, High Heaven had charged
him--to labour by word or sword, by any means opportunity might
offer, for the overthrow of slavery, which he believed to be the
very citadel of evil in America. 'Swear, children, swear,' said
he; and from that little group in the log house there went up an
appeal for a blessing upon their oath--an oath which they could
truly protest was likely to bring nought to them but peril,
disaster, and, perchance, death, but which they were well assured
must bring glory to Eternal God. And so their oath was
registered in heaven.

For many years it was only in indirect ways they could promote
their end. Early they gave themselves to help the tentative
endeavours that were often on foot to educate those slaves who
did make good their escape, and especially to train them to