A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
"Well, it is a glorious thing to feel like you do; but I reckon you'd
better go over the river to Dr. Field's, and when Mr. Thruston comes
into the city I'll send him over to see you. I advise you not to set
foot on the Kentucky shore again, as I know it will not be safe. There
is this morning a great excitement jail over town about you. So one of
the officers told me. But I'll go to the river with you right soon."
We started for the door, when he halted: "I don't think I had better go
with you now, as these officers may come out and make trouble, and I
reckon you'd be safer alone."
"Very well, I have no hesitancy whatever in going alone;" and I bode
him "good-bye."
As I was opening the door he reached his hand to return the
"Good-bye--God bless you!" and I left the jail and jailer.
I passed a large hotel, with perhaps fifteen or twenty men standing on
the sidewalk in front. All seemed in a perfect buzz of
excitement,--When I saw this company of men, the first thought was to
pass over on the other side. "But I will neither turn to the right nor
the left, but pass through their midst," was an impression that I
followed; and so busily engaged were they in their excited conversation
that they hardly looked to see the little passer-by, the subject of
their thoughts and words. Said one:
"Great excitement in town to-day."
"Yes, sir; you can see a group of men at every street corner."
I smiled to myself, as I thought, "Little do you think this is the
little old woman you are troubling yourselves over."
I soon was in Jeffersonville inquiring for Dr. Field's residence, and
was shown the house across the street, and upon its front porch stood a
little group--the doctor and family, with two ministers--watching me;
and as I opened the gate and inquired if this was Dr. Field's residence:
"Yes, I am the Jason," said the doctor. "We're been looking for you,
Mrs. Haviland, every day since you've been in Louisville."
This was an unexpected salutation, and I felt at home again as I
clasped their warm hands of friendship.
"How is it that you have knowledge of me?"
"Just walk in, and I'll show you the papers; haven't you seen them?"
I told him I had not, and knew nothing of it until just as I was
leaving; the jailer told me there had been threats in the daily papers
to arrest me. When I read these little scurrilous articles, calculated
to inflame an already inflamed public, I wondered, as well as the
doctor, that they had not found my whereabouts and made trouble. I
hoped my Cincinnati friends had not seen this, as I had written them
the reason of my delay, and sent the letter by the same boat that
brought me to Louisville. I enjoyed sweet rest with these Christian
friends, and attended with them their afternoon meeting. The minister
who preached was as earnest an abolitionist as the doctor, and brother
Proctor preached as radical an abolition sermon as I ever listened to;
it seemed like an oasis in a desert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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