OLD MOSES by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 12, 1857

OLD MOSES.

By Editor

A Story of Every Day Life.

[The story of "Old Moses" will be read with much interest. We rather object to the mirthful style of some portions of it; but on account of the many excellent things in the story we set it before our readers. It is a good illustration of the power of true religion in its pure simplicity.—ED.]

MR. B. was a merchant in Baltimore, and did a very heavy business, especially in grain. One morning, as he was passing over the vessels that lay at the wharf, with their various commodities for sale, he stepped over the deck of one, at the stern of which he saw a negro man sitting, whose dejected countenance gave sure indications of distress; and he accosted him with—

"Hey, man, what is the matter with you this morning?"

"Ah, massa, I'se in great trouble."

"What about?"

"Kase I'se fotched to be sold."

"What for? What have you been doing? Have you been stealing, or did you run away, or what?"

"No, no, massa, none o'dat; it's because I didn't mind the oaders."

"What kind of orders?"

"Well, massa stranger, I tell you. Massa Willum wery strict man, and wery nice man, too, and ebry body on the place got to mine him, and I break trew de rules; but I didn't tend to break trew de rule; but I forgot myself, and I got too high."

"It's for getting drunk, then, is it?"

"O, no, sah, not dat nother."

"You are the strangest negro I have seen for a week. I can get no satisfaction from you. If you would not like to be pitched overboard, you had better tell me what you did."

"Please, massa, don't trow de poor flicted nigger in de wata."

"Then tell me what you are to be sold for."

"For prayin', sah."

"For praying! that is a strange tale indeed. Will your master not permit you to pray?"

"O yes, sah, he let me pray easy, but I hollers too loud."

"And why do you halloo so loud in your prayer?"

"Kase de Spirit comes on me, and I gets happy fore I knows it; den I gone; can't trol mersef den; I knows nuthin bout massa's rules; den I holler if ole Sattin hissef come with all the rules of the quistion."

"And do you suppose your master will really sell you for that?"

"O yes, no help for me now; kase when massa Willum say one thing, he no do anoder."

"What is your name?"

"Moses, sah."

"What is your master's name?"

"Massa name, Col. Willum C——."

"Where does he live?"

"Down on Eassin Shoah."

"Is he a good master? Does he treat you well?"

"O yes, massa Willum good, no better massa in de world."

"Stand up and let me look at you." And Moses stood up and presented a robust frame; and as Mr. B. stripped up his sleeve, his arm gave evidence of unusual muscular strength.

"Where is your master?"

"Yonder he is, just coming to the wharf."

As Mr. B. started for the shore, he heard Moses give a heavy sigh, followed by a deep groan. Moses was not at all pleased with the present phase of affairs. He was strongly impressed with the idea that B. was a trader and intended to buy him, and it was this that made him so unwilling to communicate to B. the desired information. Mr. B. reached the wharf just as Col. C. did. He introduced himself and said,

"I understand you wish to sell that negro man yonder on board the schooner."

Col. C. replied that he did.

"What do you ask for him?"

"I expect to get seven hundred dollars."

"How old is he?"

"About thirty."

"Is he healthy?"

"Very; he never had any sickness in his life except one or two spells of ague."

"Is he hearty?"

"Yes, sir, he will eat as much as any man ought, and it will do him as much good."

"Is he a good hand?"

"Yes, sir, he is the best hand on my place. He is steady, honest and industrious. He has been my foreman for the last ten years, and a more trusty negro I never knew."

"Why do you wish to sell him?"

"Because he disobeys my orders. As I said, he is my foreman; and that he might be available at any time I might want him, I built his quarter within a hundred yards of my house, and I have never rung the bell at any time, in the night or morning, that his horn did not answer in five minutes after. But two years ago he got religion, and commenced what he terms family prayer—that is, prayer in his quarter every night and morning; and when he begun his prayer, it was impossible to tell when it would stop, especially if (as he termed it) he got happy. Then he would sing, pray, and halloo for an hour or two together, so loud that you might hear him a mile off. And he would pray for me, and my wife and children, and all my brothers and sisters and their children; and sometimes when we would have visitors, Moses' prayers would interrupt the conversation and destroy the enjoyment of the whole company. The women would cry, and the children would cry, and it would send me almost frantic; and even after I had retired, it would sometimes be nearly daylight before I could go to sleep; for it appeared to me that I could hear Moses pray for three hours after he had finished. I bore it as long as I could, and then forbid him praying so loud any more. Moses promised obedience, but he soon transgressed; and my rule is never to whip, but whenever a negro proves incorrigible, I sell him. This keeps them in better subjection, and is less trouble than whipping. I pardoned Moses twice for praying so loud, but the third time I knew I must sell him, or every negro on the farm would soon be perfectly regardless of all my orders."

"You spoke of Moses' quarters; I suppose from that he has a family."

"Yes; he has a woman and three children—or wife, I suppose he calls her now, for soon after he got religion he asked me if they might get married, and I presume they were."

"What will you take for her and the three children?"

"If you want them for your own use, I will take seven hundred dollars. But I shall not sell Moses or them to go out of the State."

"I wish them all for my own use, and I will give you the fourteen hundred dollars."

Mr. B. and Col. C. then went to B.'s store, drew up the writing, and closed the sale, after which they returned to the vessel; and Mr. B., approaching the negro, who sat with his eyes fixed upon the deck, seemingly wrapped in meditation of the most awful forebodings, said,

"Well, Moses, I have bought you."

Moses made a very low bow, and every muscle of his face worked with emotion as he replied—

"Is you, massa? Where is I gwine, massa? Is I gwine to Georgy?"

"No," said Mr. B., "I am a merchant in the city here, and yonder is my store, and I have purchased your wife and children too, that you may not be separated."

"Bress God for dat! And kin I go to meeting sometimes?"

"Yes, Moses, you can go to church three times on the Sabbath, and every night in the week; and you can pray as often as you choose; and every time you pray, I want you to pray for me, my wife, and all my children; for if you are a good man, your prayers will do us no harm, and we need them very much."

While Mr. B. was dealing out these privileges to Moses, the negro's eyes danced in their sockets, and his full heart laughed right out with gladness, exposing two rows of as even, clean ivories as any African can boast, and his response was, "Bress God, bress God all time, and bress you too, massa. Moses neber tink bout he gwine to have all dese commodations, it makes me tink bout Joseph in de Egypt."

And after Moses had poured a few blessings on Col. C., bidding him a warm adieu, and requesting him to give his love and farewell to his mistress, the children and all the servants, he followed B. to the store, to enter on the functions of his office.

The return of the schooner brought to Moses his wife and children.

Early next Spring, as Mr. B. was standing at the store door, he saw a man leap upon the wharf from the deck of a vessel and walk hurriedly towards the door. He soon recognized him as Col. C. They exchanged salutations, and to the Col.'s inquiry after Moses, Mr. B. replied that he was up stairs measuring grain, and invited him to walk up and see him. Soon Mr. B.'s attention was arrested by a very confused noise above. He listened, and he heard an unusual shuffling of feet, some one sobbing violently, and some one talking very hurriedly; and when he reflected on Col. C.'s singular movements and the peculiar expression of his countenance, he became alarmed, and determined to go up and see what was transpiring.

When he reached the head of the stairs he was startled by seeing Moses in the middle of the floor down upon his knees, with his arms around the Colonel's waist, and weeping audibly. As soon as the Col. could sufficiently control his feelings he told Mr. B. that he had never been able to free himself from the influence of Moses' prayers, and that during the past year he and his wife, and all the children, had been converted to God.

Moses responded, "Bress God, massa C., do I wa up hea, I neber forgit you in my prayers—I allers put de ole massa side de new one. Bress God, dis make Moses tink bout Joseph in de Egypt agin."

The Col. then stated to Mr. B. that his object in coming to Baltimore was to buy Moses and his family back again. But Mr. B. assured him that it was out of the question, for he could not part with him; and he intended to manumit Moses and his wife at forty, and his children at thirty-five years of age.

Moses was not far from right in his reference to Joseph. For when Joseph was sold in Egypt, God overruled it to his good, and he obtained blessings far beyond his expectations; as with Moses. Joseph eventually proved the instrument of saving the man's soul who sold him.

Old Moses is still living and doing well. He long since obtained his freedom, and at present occupies a comfortable house of his own; and I suppose he sings and prays, and prays and labours, to his heart's content.—Selected.