Part 1 (1/2)
Mary S Peake
by Lewis C Lockwood
CHAPTER I
Birth and Parentage--Education--Religious Convictions--Prayers in the Toe
The subject of this narrative was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1823
Her maiden name was Mary Sht, and her father a white lishman of rank and culture She was a very lovely child in person and rew up, developed traits of character which made her a universal favorite
When she was six years old, herschool She re with her aunt, Mary Paine Mrs Paine occupied a house belonging to Mr Rollins Fowle, and near his residence This gentleuished for their kindness to colored people He frequently bought slaves ere in danger of being sold into bad hands, gave them their freedom, and set them up in business John Paine, Mary's uncle, was one whoreat pet in Mr Fowle's fahter
A school in Providence, Rhode Island, says Mary was a very aood student They for a tiht by a colored woht by white teachers The last teacher was Mr Nuthall, an Englishress enacted that the law of Virginia in relation to free colored people should prevail in the District of Columbia This was several years before Alexandria was retroceded to Virginia This law closed all colored schools in the city Mary was co inforinia
While at school, Mary acquired a good English education, and, in addition to this, a knowledge of various kinds of needlework, and also dress- Her aunt was a devoted Christian, and no doubt had a very happy influence on Mary Her mother also was converted when Mary o or three years old Under these influences she was early the subject of serious i and study, there was no book she loved so well as the Bible This was her coe portions of it tofinished her education, she returned to her ious elerowth and strengthened with her strength--becarace of God, and asserted their power over her
Near her residence was a garden, connected with a large old arden was a dilapidated fao into this toloo coffins and scattered bones As she entered and knelt in the death cell, she trembled with a fear which her prayers could not dissipate Quickly and stealthily she retraced her steps, and hurried back to her hoe to seek the disain, with siht broke upon the darkness of the tohtful communion with her Lord; whence it was afterward called ”Mary's parlor” At the ht hour, she left the to, fearless of the patrol The song was this strain of Watts, in which many a saint has poured forth his soul:--
”Stand up, ospel arreat Captain, 's gone
”hell and thy sins resist thy course, But hell and sin are vanquished foes; Thy Jesus nailed the the triumph when he rose
”Then let ate; There peace and joy eternal reign, And glittering robes for conquerors wait
”There shall I wear a starry crown, And triurace; While all the arlorious Leader's praise”
This strain fell on the waking ears of ladies in the house adjacent to the tomb, and they inquired, ”What sweetat this hour?” Little did they know the spirit-pro
Soon after this, Mary went to visit some friends in Hampton As she entered the yard, and approached the house, she sang another expressive hyospel stands, My Lord, my Hope, my Trust; If I am found in Jesus' hands, My soul can ne'er be lost
”His honor is engaged to save The ave His hands securely keep
”Nor death nor hell shall e'er remove His favorites from his breast; Safe on the bosom of his love Shall they for ever rest”
Her friends opened the door at the sound of the tender music, and as they looked on her face, and listened to her song, they were overcome, and could not restrain their emotions
Soon afterward, she united with the First Baptist Church in Norfolk, on Bute Street The pastor was Rev James A Mitchell, who served the church from the time of Nat Turner's insurrection till his death, about 1852 He was eood man, and a father to the colored people--a very Barnabas, ”son of consolation” indeed A considerable portion of his church were colored people, and he would visit them at their houses, take meals with them, and enter into their affairs, temporal and spiritual, with a true and zealous heart He never loved slavery; his private opinion was against it, but he was obliged to be cautious in the expression of his sentireat trials for this proscribed class, and was alun just after Nat Turner's insurrection, which caused great persecution and restriction of privileges But the Lord ith him, and hted to visit the poor in Norfolk, and especially the aged A very old man, in the suburbs, often came to her door, and never went eo and carry hiht him wood in small armfuls When he died, he said he wanted Mary to have all that belonged to hih he was scarcely worth three cents, it was a rich heart gift
Her Christian course was lory of God and the good of others characterized her earlier, as her later career A deacon of the church on whom the writer called when recently in Norfolk, says she had a strong desire for the conversion of souls, and was often found exhorting them to repentance