Part 9 (1/2)
Leaving Providence, the sisters attended two Quarterly Meetings in adjacent tohere, Angelina states, the subject of slavery was brought up, ”and,” she says, ”gospel liberty prevailed to such an extent, that even poor I was enabled to open lected to say that these feords introduced the subject to thethat thened and encouraged
They also attended Yearly Meeting at Newport, where elina's conversations on the subject which absorbed all her thoughts produced such an iland, and become an anti-slavery missionary in the Society of Friends But she did not feel that she could stay, as, she says, it was shown her very clearly that Shrewsbury was her right place for the suh why, she knew not The reason was plainly revealed a little later
She returned to Shrewsbury refreshed and strengthened, and feeling that her various experiences had helped her to see more clearly where her duty and her work lay But she was saddened by the conviction that if she gave herself up, as she felt she must, to the anti-slavery cause, she would be cast loose from her peaceful home, and froest ties of gratitude and affection She thus writes to a friend:--
”Didst thou ever feel as if thou hadst no home on earth, except in the bosom of Jesus? I feel so now”
For several weeks after her return to Shrewsbury, Angelina tried to withdraw hertoo strong hold on it, and interfering with her spiritual needs and exercises Out of deference to these views, she resumed her studies, and tried to become interested in a ”History of the United States on Peace Principles,” which she had thought soan the coiveness, as Illustrated by the Story of Joseph,” but gave that up to commence a sacred history In this she did become much interested for a time, but her mind was too heavily burdened to per Still the question was ever before her: ”Is there nothing that I can do?” She tried to be cheerful, but felt at all tireater that it was borne alone The friend, Mrs Parker, whoer, whose views she had not yet ascertained, and whom she feared to trouble with her perplexities Of Sarah, so closely associated with Catherine Morris, she could not make an entire confidant, and no other friend was near Catherine, and sorowing indifference to her Society duties, tried to persuade her to open a school with one who had long been a highly-prized friend, but Angelina very decidedly refused to listen to the project
”As to SW's proposal,” she writes, ”I cannot think of acceding to it, because I have seen so clearly that reat refored in a school, iven could induce me to bind my body and mind and soul so coht as to the right decision about this”
For this reply she received a letter of remonstrance from Sarah, to which she thus answered:--
”I think I a to hurt ned for me to labor in But, Is it? is often a query of deep interest and sole Friends My spirit is oppressed and heavy laden, and shut up in prison What a letters and pieces for the peace and anti-slavery causes, and this makes me think that my influence is to reach beyond our own limits My mind is fully made up not to spend next winter in Philadelphia, if I can help it I feel strangely released, and am sure I know not what is to become of ht was cos were soon to be answered
It was not long before Mrs Parker saw that her guest's cheerfulness was assureat trouble As they became more intimate, she questioned her affectionately, and soon drew from her the whole story of her sorrows and her perplexities, and her great need of a friend to feel for her and advise her Mrs Parker beca frothen her For many days slavery was the only topic discussed between theelina entered the breakfast-roo countenance, and said:--
”It has all come to me; God has shown me what I can do; I can write an appeal to Southern women, one which, thus inspired, will touch their hearts, and lead them to use their influence with their husbands and brothers I will speak to theh me, the voice of justice and huun that very day, but before she had written es, she was interrupted in her task by a letter which threw her into a state of great agitation, and added to her perplexity This letter was froht, then secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, the office of which was in New York He invited her, in the name of the Executive Committee of the Society, to co circles and private parlors, and talk to them, as she so well kne to do, on slavery
The door of usefulness she had been looking for so long was opened at last, but it was so unexpected, so different froht of, that she was cast into a sea of trouble Naturally retiring and unobtrusive, she shrank frohtened her soit She had never spoken to the s, where all were free to speak as the spirit moved them, she had never uttered a word; and yet, how could she refuse? She delayed her answer until she couldto leave her sister entirely free to express her opinion, she merely wrote to her that she had received the proposition
Sarah was beginning to feel that Angelina was growing beyond her, and, may be, above her She did not offer a word of advice, but ive up her ”precious child,” to go anywhere, and do anything she felt was right And in a letter to a friend, alluding to this, she says:--
”My beloved sister does indeed need the prayers of all who love her
Oh! uide her footsteps and keep her in the hollow of His holy hand Perhaps the Lord ether If so, I feel as if I could ask no ness to surrender her to whatever work she felt called to do was a great relief to Angelina In writing to thank her and to speak ht's letter, she says:--
”The bare idea that such a thing , and that thy ned to it increases the fear that possibly I may have to do it It does not appear by the letter that it is expected I should extend , however, I do see clearly, that I aun to write an 'Appeal to the Christian Women of the South,' which I feel ive an account of the part of this Appeal already written, and of what she intended the rest to be, and shows that she shared the feelings co Southerners, the anticipation of a servile insurrection sooner or later She says:--
”In conclusion I intend to take up the subject of abolitionism, and endeavor to undeceive the South as to the supposed objects of anti-slavery societies, and bear my full testimony to their pacific principles; and then to close with as feeling an appeal as possible to the before the on them at this crisis; for if the woth of the Lord to plead with their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, that country must witness the most dreadful scenes of es, I suppose My wish is to sub committee of the AASS, of New York, for revision, to be published by them with my name attached, for I well know ht to it[4] Now, dearest, what dost thou think of it? A pretty bold step, I know, and one of which hly disapprove, but this is a day in which I feel I must act independently of consequences to myself, for of how little consequence will my trials be, if the cause of truth is helped forward ever so little The South must be reached An address to men will not reach women, but an address to women will reach the whole community, if it can be reached at all
”Ihi such a pamphlet, and that I feel as if the proposition of the committee is one of too much importance, either to accept or refuse, without ive to it The trial would indeed be great, to have to leave this sweet, quiet retreat, but if duty calls, Iletters”