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1>M)N «;i>raSEmOR FMIBMEN. 
 
 L;,UtTl!Aj.GEN.C.D.FlSR. 
 
Glass _£LLS_£_ 
 
PLAIN COUNSELS 
 
 FOK 
 
 FREEDMEN 
 
 JN SIXTEEN BRIEF LECTURES. 
 
 BY 
 
 BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL 
 
 CLINTON B. FISK 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
 
 iS CORKHILL, BOSTON. 
 
• 15 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by the 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 JJH tf' 
 
 S-IJ'^/d 
 
 ROCTTWELL AND ROLLIITS, Printers, 
 122 Washington Street, Boston. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 -•o*- 
 
 TO THE 
 
 FREEDMEN OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 
 Now happily released from the house of bondage, and fairly 
 set forward in the path of progress, these Plain Counsels are 
 respectfully and affectionately dedicated by one who has 
 marched with them through the Red Sea of strife, sympathized 
 with them in all their sufferings, labored incessantly for their 
 well-being,. rejoiced in their prosperity, and who believes that, 
 guided by the pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night, they 
 will reach the Promised Land. 
 
 CLINTON B. FISK, 
 
 Brevet Major- General U. S. Volunteers, and Assistant Commissioner 
 
 in the Freedmen^s Bureau. 
 
 Nashville, Tenn., March 1, 1866. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LECTURE I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 0:^ Freedom 7 
 
 LECTURE IL 
 About tour Old Master 10 
 
 LECTURE IIL 
 About "White Folks 13 
 
 LECTURE IV, 
 About Yourself . 15 
 
 LECTURE V. 
 To Young Men , " 19 
 
 LECTURE VI. 
 To Young Women 25 
 
 LECTURE VII. 
 To Married Folks 28 
 
 LECTURE Vin. 
 The Little Folks 36 
 
 LECTURE IX. 
 Work 40 
 
 LECTURE X. 
 Free Labor 45 
 
 LECTURE XL 
 Contracts 47 
 
 LECTURE XII. 
 Dishonesty . . 51 
 
 LECTURE XIII. 
 Receipts and Expenditures 55 
 
 LECTURE XIV. 
 
 Homes . . . . 59 
 
 LECTURE XV. . 
 Crime 67 
 
 LECTURE XVT. 
 Religion 71 
 
PLAIN ^COUNSELS. 
 
 LECTUKE I. 
 
 O]^ FREEDOM. 
 
 (/1^ VERY man is born into the world with 
 >^\l^ the right to his OAvn Kfe, to personal 
 ^^ liberty, and to inherit, earn, own, and 
 ^ hold projDerty. These rights are given 
 to him by the great God ; not because he is 
 a white man, a red man, or a black man, but 
 because he is ^ man, 
 
 A man may lose his right to life, by mur- 
 der ; to liberty, by theft ; and to jDroperty in 
 many ways ; but he loses these rights for 
 hhnself alone, and not for his children, his 
 neighbors, or his race. God means that ev- 
 ery child born shall have a fair chance ; and 
 to take away from any one any of the rights 
 named, before any wrong is done, is a high 
 crime. 
 
 'No^Y, for hundreds of years, these rights 
 \ wf^ro token from vou. You were slaves. 
 
8 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 You were owned, bought, and sold like cat- 
 tle and horses. You could not defend your 
 own life, could not claim your liberty, nor 
 own any property. It is true, your masters 
 sometimes allowed you to have a little prop- 
 erty, and to call it yours, but the law did 
 not give it to you, and you could not will it 
 to your children. Indeed, your children were 
 not yours, but were the property of your mas- 
 ters, and they had the power to take them 
 from you and to sell them to whomsoever they 
 pleased. 
 
 But that day has passed for ever ! The great 
 law — called the coxstitutio]^ — makes ev- 
 ery man in America free! Our country's 
 flag, the glorious star-spangled banner, floats 
 proudly over a free people. A slave can not 
 breathe our air. "When he touches our shores 
 his fetters break, his chains fall ofl", and he 
 becomes a man. The year of Jubilee has 
 come, and you have all seen it, and heard the 
 joyful news. 
 
 For this great salvation — this mighty de- 
 liverance — vou should thank God, everv dav A 
 
OiV^ FREEDOM. 9 
 
 and every night; for it is He wlio lias broken 
 open your prison doors, taken off your chains, 
 and brought you out into the light, and glory, 
 and bliss, of freedom. When the children of 
 Israel were delivered from Pharaoh, and taken 
 safely across the Red Sea, they sang and 
 shouted, — " The Lord hath triumphed glori- 
 ously." Your emancipation is the Lord's do- 
 ings. Bless his name for ever and ever ! 
 
 Oh, you should prize your freedom above 
 gold, for it has cost rivers of blood I Go 
 where you will, your eyes will behold great 
 battle-fields, and the graves of brave men, 
 who fell in the mighty struggle which made 
 you free. During the bloody gigantic con- 
 test, there has been mourning in tens of thou- 
 sands of homes, in the JSTorth and in the 
 South, and millions now mourn the loss of 
 those they will never see again on earth. 
 
 You can not be too glad that you are free; 
 that your hands, your head, your heart, are 
 your own ; and you should talk about freedom 
 to your children, and your children's children, 
 and teach them to love it more than lif<R. 
 
LECTUEE n. 
 
 ABOUT YOUR OLD MASTER. 
 
 HAVE a few words to say to you about 
 your old master. It may be he was a 
 very good master, or it may be he was 
 not so good as he might have been, but 
 that is all past now; he is yom- master no 
 longer, and I earnestly advise you to live on 
 good terms with him. 
 
 He has had a hard time of it, during the 
 war, as well as yourselves. His wealth has 
 melted away like wax before the fire. His 
 near relatives, and in many cases his sons, 
 have died on the field of battle, or have been 
 crippled for life, and the Government will 
 grant no pensions in their cases, because they 
 fought not under its flag. You have been 
 made free against his will, and all the money 
 he paid for you might better have been sunk 
 in the bottom of the sea. 
 
 T^ow it IS natural that he shonhl feel rovp 
 
 4 
 
 J 
 
ABOUT YOUB OLD MA8TEB. 11 
 
 that he should grieve over his loss ; that he 
 should be slow to adapt himself to the new 
 state of things ; and that he should be some 
 years in putting off the airs and manners of a 
 master, just as you find it hard to shake off 
 the habits of slaves. 
 
 It is natural, too, that he should feel severe 
 toward you. It is true you did not, in your 
 servitude, agitate the questions of the day; 
 you did not meddle with politics ; you were 
 neither Republican nor Democratic; you did 
 not begin the war; and he admits that you 
 behaved all through the conflict in a very 
 proper manner. Still, whenever he sees you 
 he can not but think of the great change, and 
 can not avoid blaming you for it, although his 
 better judgment tells him he ought to praise, 
 rather than blame you. 
 
 You must think of these things, and think 
 kindly of yoiu' old master. You have grown 
 up with hun, it may be, on the same planta- 
 tion. Do not fall out now, but join your in- 
 terests if you can, and live and die together. 
 
12 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 wants your labor. He is not able to do with- 
 out you, and you will, in most cases, find him 
 as kind, honest, and libt ral as other men. In- 
 deed he has for you a Mnd of family afiection, 
 and in s^Dite of this bad feeling, I have noticed, 
 he desires to see you do well in life. Be frank, 
 then, with him, and treat him with respect. 
 
 Do not think that, in order to be free, you 
 must fall out with your old master, gather up 
 your bundles and trudge off to a strange city. 
 This is a great mistake. As a general rule, 
 you can be as free and as happy in your old 
 home, for the present, as any where else in 
 the world. 
 
LECTUEE m. 
 
 ABOUT WHITE FOLKS. 
 
 S you very well know, some white folks 
 are bad, others are good, and many are 
 of no account either way; and in these 
 respects they are very much like the 
 colored folks. !N'ow, as you and your chil- 
 dren will live among them, — in the same 
 towns and on the same farms, — it is best for 
 you and for them that you live on real good 
 terms. 
 
 "White people have old, strong prejudices, 
 and you should avoid every thing you can 
 which will inflame those prejudices. You 
 laiow how easy it is to hurt a sore toe. Pre- 
 I judices are like tender toes. Do not step on 
 them when it is possible to avoid it. It can 
 do you no good and may do much harm. It 
 is better to have the good will than the ill 
 will of even a dog. Strive to deserve the 
 I good will of all the white people. 
 
14 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 If bad men make insulting remarks about 
 you, shut your ears, and do not hear them. 
 Pass on about your business. "Words will not 
 hurt you much, or if they do grieve you, God 
 will comfort and heal you. It takes two to 
 make a quarrel ; and if you are bent on being 
 good and kind, and return soft answers to 
 hard words and good for evil, you will have 
 few troubles with white men, and nearly all 
 men will be kind to you and esteem you. 
 
 Some white men will put on airs, and look 
 down on you. ISTow, instead of putting on 
 airs, too, and saying, " I am as good as you 
 are," it is better to say nothing, or if you do 
 answer, to say, ^^ I am not as good as I ought 
 to be, as I want to be, and as I hope to be." 
 
 Wliite men are very much influenced by a 
 man's success in making a good living, and 
 if you are thrifty and get on well in the world, 
 they can not help respecting you. They make 
 very polite bows to Frank P. and to Mr. S. 
 because they have money in the bank. 
 
LECTURE IV. 
 
 ABOUT YOURSELF. 
 
 HElJf a man sets out in life with no 
 capital but himself, he must be a 
 ^* pretty good fellow, or he will break 
 up. Now, sit down, and let me tell 
 you a few home truths. 
 
 You can not afford to smoJce fine cigars. 
 I say nothing of the icrong, but of the cost. 
 Cigars cost, at least, ten cents apiece. Sup- 
 pose you smoke only four a day, — that is 
 forty cents a day, — two dollars and eighty 
 cents a week, — twelve dollars and thirteen 
 I cents a month, — one hundi^ed and fortj^-five 
 dollars and sixty cents a year! This would 
 buy you a fine mule, or a good wagon, or a 
 lot of ground. 
 
 You can not afford to drhik any "kind of 
 spirituous or mcdt liquors. To say nothing of 
 their bad effects on your health and morals, 
 von can not, in justice to yourself, pay what 
 
v 
 
 16 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEED3IEN. ' 
 
 1 
 
 they will cost. Three glasses of beer a day ^ 
 would be thirty cents, — two dollars and ten 
 cents per week, — nine dollars and ten cents 
 per month, — one hundred and nine dollars 
 and twenty cents per year ! But, if you drink 
 at all, you will want something stronger than 
 beer and more costly, and you will waste your 
 time at drinking saloons, fall into bad com- 
 pany, and, ten chances to one, become a mis- 
 erable, bloated, wheezing, blear-eyed, drunk- 
 ard. ISTo, you can not afford to drink. " Touch 
 not, taste not, handle not." Do not go into 
 a liquor saloon. Let no man see you there. 
 Go straight by without turning your head. 
 God says, " "Wine is a mocker, strong drink 
 is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby 
 is not wise." " Look not upon the wine when 
 it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, 
 when it moveth itself aright: at the last it 
 biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an ad- 
 der." If you want a clear head and a strong 
 arm, self-respect, and money in your pocket, 
 swear, and keep the oath, that you will never 
 take a dram. 
 
ABOUT YOUBSELF. 17 
 
 You can not afford to spend money for use- 
 less dress and ornaments. You need tools, 
 horses, plows, books, lands, education, — ev- 
 ery thing, before costly rings, watch-chains, 
 and expensive apparel. Do not waste your 
 earnings on your person. Dress well, but in 
 cheap, plain apparel. After you get a good 
 home paid for, and money in the bank, you 
 can indulge your taste or your vanity, but not 
 now. 
 
 You can not afford to he idle. Time is mon- 
 ey. Every day you lose sets you back two 
 or three days. Shake off sloth, then, rise 
 early, roll up your sleeves, and quit yourself 
 like a man. The world is full of profitable 
 work and business, and nothing is impossible 
 to the industrious and persevering. Idleness 
 destroys a man's health, weakens hun, short- 
 ens his life, makes him feel mean, and sends 
 him on a short road to ruin. 
 
 Every man is, under God, just what he 
 makes himself; it matters not whether he be 
 white or colored. Frederick Douglas was 
 J^orn a slave and had no friend to help him; 
 
18 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FEEED3IEN. 
 
 but, by dint of hard work, he has made 
 Mmself a maiij — a wise, strong, eloquent 
 man. ISTow you have yourself in charge, and 
 I want you to make a man of yourself. "Will 
 you do it? 
 
LECTURE V. 
 
 TO YoimG me:n". 
 
 AVE you ever seen a ship well laden, 
 ^Yith canvas spread, putting out to sea 
 under a favorable wind? One always 
 looks with interest upon such a specta- 
 cle, for it is beautiful and insjDiring; but a 
 shadow flits across the mind at the thought 
 of the dangers to which the beautiful vessel, 
 now gliding so smoothly and sailing so proud- 
 ly, will be exposed. The fierce tempest may 
 tear its white sails to shreds, its strong masts 
 may be broken, the hidden rocks may dash it 
 in pieces, and the angry waves swallow it up. 
 It is with a feeling aldn to this, that I look 
 upon a young man starting out in life. He 
 has health, vigor, intellect, and is full of hope 
 and promise ; but will he succeed, or will he, 
 like an unfortunate vessel, be wrecked before 
 he completes his voyage? 
 
 My first advice to you, is to Jiave a ivortTii/ 
 aim. Find out as soon as dossiI^Ip w>inf \rr\n 
 
20 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 may apply yourself to, and then set about it, 
 and bring to it all your powers. 
 
 Many a man utterly fails because he frit- 
 ters away his strength on useless and foolish 
 experiments. He tries one thing and then 
 another, diddles at this and diddles at that, 
 and does nothing persistently and thoroughly. 
 
 Concentrate your strength, young men. A 
 large ball of wool can not be thrown with any 
 great force, but see that solid piece of metal 
 in the cannon. You ignite the fuse. There is 
 a flash like lightning, a noise loud as thun- 
 der, and the great ball strikes, like an aveng- 
 ing angel, miles away! 
 
 Now, you may say, you have not much 
 
 ' strength, — you are ignorant and unlearned ; 
 
 but fix your aim, and worlc to it imtli all your 
 
 powe7^s, and I will guarantee you great sue- 
 
 cess. 
 
 It may seem to you that there are obsta- 
 cles in your way to success, which you can 
 never remove; but, I tell you there is no 
 obstacle which persistent work will not re- 
 .,„. move out of your way. 
 
PETER PUFF AXD BETTY SIMPLE. 
 
TO YOUNG MEN. 23 
 
 Get good steady work as soon as you can. 
 Do not attem23t to live on the little jobs yoii 
 may pick up about hotels and places of busi- 
 ness. Do not be content with cold victuals, 
 old clothes, and a blanket on the floor. Be 
 a ma:n". Earn money, and save it. Do not 
 spend it at suppers, parties, and dances. 
 
 You have no time to spend in kicking up 
 your heels. I speak of time^ not of the right 
 or wrong of dancing. You must learn to 
 read, wiite, and cipher, in order to make you 
 able to get on well in the world as a free 
 man, and you will need all your leisure even- 
 ings to do this. It may be dull, hard work, for 
 awhile, to sit down and study your book, while 
 Peter Puff is hopping around the ball-room 
 like a monkey, with Betty Simple, but it will 
 become easy after awhile, and it will pay 
 richly in the end. 
 
 Do not he in haste to get married, "Wait 
 until you are at least twenty-one years of age, 
 ^nd until you have a home for your wife. 
 To marry a girl, and have no home to take 
 her to, is foolish. She will soon regret that 
 
24 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 she married you, and you will be sorry you 
 married her. You will have a family of rag- 
 ged children, and will be dogged around the 
 world like a slave. "Wait, I say, until you 
 have a home for a wife, and then if you can 
 find a pure, good woman, who will help you 
 on in the world, marry her. 
 
 A:void the companij of had men and women. 
 Do not go with a man who does not care for 
 the virtue of a woman. Keep away from 
 gamblers. ]^ever be found in the company 
 of a woman who cares nothing about a good 
 name. Lewd women will lead you down 
 quick into hell. 
 
 Make up your mind to be good, to do right, 
 and you will be happy. God will love you 
 then as he loved Joseph, and will take as 
 good care of you as he did of him. 
 
 J 
 
LECTUKE VI. 
 
 TO YOUXG WOjMEI^. 
 
 HAVE spoken plainly to the young 
 men, and much that I have said to them 
 is equally applicable to you; but I desire 
 
 XI your careful attention to a few additional 
 suggestions. 
 
 There is no being on earth for whom I have 
 a higher regard than a true woman ; and -if 
 there is one thing I desne above another, it is, 
 that the freed-women of this country, so long 
 degraded and made merchandise of, may rise 
 to the dignity and glory of true womanhood. 
 
 The Christian religion elevates woman from 
 slavery and concubinage to an honorable and 
 responsible place in society; makes her man's 
 "helpmeet," companion, and equal; and re- 
 qunes of her the diligent cultivation of her 
 mind, and of all the vntues. 
 
 You ought not to consider life a mere play 
 or holiday. You have serious and important 
 
26 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 work to do, and yon should prepare yourselves 
 for it, and devote yourselves to it, in the spirit 
 of the noblest enthusiasm. 
 
 Do not think of getting married until you 
 know how to knit and sew, to mend clothes 
 and bake good bread, to keep a nice clean 
 house and cultivate a garden, and to read and 
 write. Many girls are so foolish as to think 
 that if they can only get married, it matters 
 little to whom, they will then be happy. But 
 many, perhaps a majority, find in married life 
 nothing but misery. 
 
 Let it be your first aim to make of yourself 
 a true woman. Allow no man, under any pre- 
 tense, to despoil you of 3^our virtue. The brand 
 of shame rests upon the brow of the unchaste 
 woman. She is hated, even by those who are 
 as bad as she is. l^o man can ever love her. 
 Her parents mourn the day of her birth; her 
 brothers hang their heads in very shame when 
 she is named, and her sisters blush to own her. 
 If in your slave fife you have been careless of 
 your morals, now that you are free, live as 
 becomes a free Christian woman. Stamp a 
 
TO YOUNG WOMEN. 27 
 
 lie upon the common remark, that colored 
 women are all bad. Allow no white man to 
 speak mean words to you, for he will leave 
 you when he gets you into trouble, and would 
 as lief see you die of hunger and cold as to 
 live. 
 
 I warn you against those base white men 
 who come to you with smooth words and good 
 promises, while seeking to destroy you. They 
 are slimy snakes in the grass^ Do not hear 
 them. Hate them as you hate the devil. You 
 had better hang yourself by the neck until 
 you are dead, than yield to them. 
 
 A true, honest, wise woman is the best work 
 of God. She is man's strength, the charm of 
 the household, the attraction of the social cir- 
 cle, the light of the church, and the brightest 
 jewel in the Saviour's crown. 
 
 But a foolish-, vain, cross, idle, slovenly 
 woman is the meanest creature that ever 
 blotted the fair creation of God. 
 
LECTUEE Vn. 
 
 TO MAEEIED FOLKS. 
 
 
 ^^^HE Bible tells us that God made Adam; 
 vMrJ^ and seeing that it was not good for 
 him to be alone, he took a rib from his 
 side, while he was asleep, and made a 
 woman of it, whom he called Eve. He then 
 waked Adam, brought Eve to him, and mar- 
 ried them, and they spent then' honey-moon 
 in Eden. 
 
 You see from this story that marriage was 
 instituted in Eden, by the great Being, and 
 before sin was known in the world. It is 
 sanctioned, too, both by the Law and the 
 Gospel; and in all ages holy marriage has 
 been blessed, while a violation of its laws has 
 been visited by the most dreadful curses. 
 
 You see also that, from the beginning, 
 God meant man should have but one wife, 
 and a woman but one husband, and that 
 
/ \ 
 
 
 "S, ^>^:«v-«J«C<?iCO^N.-s-% 
 
 ^^^^-^^^^»#fl 
 
 A HAPPY FAMILY. 
 
TO MABIUED FOLKS. 31 
 
 ^^ thej twain should be one flesh." God 
 is angry with a man who has two or three 
 wives, and with a woman who has several 
 husbands. 
 
 Wlien you were slaves you " took up " with 
 each other, and were not taught what a bad 
 thing it was to break God's law of marriage. 
 But now you can only be sorry for the past, 
 and begin life anew, and on a pure founda- 
 tion. 
 
 You who have been and are now living 
 together as husband and wife, and have had 
 children born to you, should be married ac- 
 cording to law, as soon as possible. This 
 will give you the civil rights of married per- 
 sons, and will make your children the legal 
 heirs to your property. If you have been 
 living with several husbands, or with several 
 wives, and can not agree among yourselves 
 as to whom you should be legally married, 
 take the case before some good man, let him 
 hear all the cncumstances, and decide the 
 case, and then abide his decision in good 
 ■fniflv nnrl live iDure lives in the futm^e. God 
 
32 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEED3IEN. 
 
 will not wink at adultery and fornication 
 among you now. 
 
 I will give you a few hints which will be 
 useful to you, I think, and aid you in getting 
 on well in married life. 
 
 1. Husbands must jprovide for tlieir fam- 
 Hies, The Bible says "If any provide not 
 for his own, and specially for those of his 
 own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 
 worse than an infidel." Your wives will not 
 love you if you do not provide bread and 
 clothes for them. 
 
 They can not be happy and greet you with 
 a kiss, when you come home, if they are 
 hungry, ragged, and cold. Your children 
 will not run to meet you, dance before you, 
 and climb upon your knees, and call you 
 " papa," if you make beggars of them. 
 
 By industry and economy you can soon 
 provide a real good home, and plenty of food 
 and clothing for your own family- and you 
 should not rest imtil this is done. This is 
 your first duty, and the most rehgious thing 
 
 vnn os\r\ rln. 
 
TO MABBIED FOLKS. 33 
 
 Then spend all your spare time at Jiome, 
 This is a good rule. Some men have a way 
 of going to saloons, shows, groceries, con- 
 certs, and theaters, and of leaving their wives 
 and children night after night alone. This 
 is mean, and bad. It disheartens a wife, 
 makes children unhappy, and demoralizes 
 husbands. IsTo, you must learn to love home 
 better than any other place on earth. It must 
 gladden your heart when you think of it. 
 You should always be thinking how you Avill 
 make it prettier and happier than it is; and, 
 whatever trouble you may have in the tug 
 and bustle of life, you should be happy at 
 home. 
 
 But wives must do their part, also. A 
 man can not make a happy home if he has 
 an idle, shiftless, and scolding wife. 
 
 A wife should take good care of her person, 
 be clean, neat, tidy, and look as pretty as 
 possible. I do not see how a man can love a 
 slovenly woman, who goes about with her 
 heels out of her stockings, her dress un- 
 
 pinr»pr1 Tipr hnir imoonihprl. with rlirt nnrloT 
 
34 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 her finger-nails, and snuff or tobacco in her 
 mouth. And no man can long love a brawl- 
 ing wife. " A continual dropping will wear 
 away a stone," and so an every-day scold will 
 ruin the best temper. An ill-tempered wo- 
 man will drive her husband to the saloon and 
 to the evil one. 
 
 Eve was made for a " help meet." This is 
 the word. A wife must do her very best to 
 help her husband make a living. She can 
 earn as much money sometimes as he can, 
 and she can save money. A leak in the 
 kitchen will drain a good fortune. 
 
 Much of the beauty and happiness of home 
 depends on the good sense, economy, and 
 industry of the wife. 
 
 But, as married life is a partnership, — 
 sanctioned by heaven, cemented by love, and 
 perpetual, — each member of the firm should 
 be prompt and faithful. They should sit 
 together in loving counsel, talk over their 
 affairs, and find out all that can be done to 
 advance their mutual well-being. 
 
 Thp.v should flo this for each other's p-ood^ . 
 
TO MABniED FOLKS. 60 
 
 and for the good of their children. But, of 
 the dear children, I must speak in the next 
 lecture. 
 
 But, before leaving you, let me entreat you 
 to love each other. You have had your little- 
 troubles, no doubt, and all men and women 
 have their faults. Let these be mended, for- 
 get the past, be kind to each other, strive to 
 make each other happy, and let death alone 
 part you. 
 
 When I die, I ask no greater favor of earth, 
 than that the wife of my youth may sit by 
 me, wipe the death damp from my brow, and 
 whisper in my ear, ^^ Dear one, we have been 
 true to each other. You have been a dear 
 good husband to me. Farewell ! I will meet 
 you in the beautiful land, and bring our 
 children with me." 
 
LECTUEE Ym. 
 
 THE LITTLE FOLKS. 
 
 
 ■^^^HE Lord loves little children, and when 
 ID he Avas in the world he called them to 
 him, laid his hands on them and blessed 
 them; and he also said that it would 
 be better for any man to have a millstone tied 
 to his neck and to be thrown into the sea, than 
 to lay a stumbling-block in a little child's path 
 and cause it to fall. All good people love 
 children, and will do all they can to make them 
 happy. But parents are especially charged 
 with the care, government, and education of 
 their own children. Allow me to give to 
 those of you who are parents, a few hints. 
 
 1. Government of children, No one can i 
 govern a child who cannot govern himself; 
 and parents must first learn to govern them- 
 selves. If the father and mother quarrel, the 
 children will follow the bad example. If 
 father and^^^tli^^,s^.^.^^.^^;^i~fe^* and steal 
 
THE LITTLE FOLKS. 37 
 
 the children will not be slow in doing the same 
 things. It is not j)ossible for parents to place 
 then' children on a moral plane higher than 
 that upon which they themselves walk. 
 
 Children must learn to ohey. This is one 
 of the first things to be taught them. But 
 obedience should be enforced in love, not in 
 anger. Love is stronger than passion, and 
 can punish with much better effect. 
 
 Some parents fly into a passion with their 
 children, call them hard names, and fall on 
 them and beat them in a cruel manner. This 
 is foolish and wicked. A parent should never 
 strike a child in anger, never. Take time. 
 Become perfectly calm. Make your wrong- 
 doing child sit down by you, and hear you 
 tell in quiet, tender voice, the evil thing 
 done. Use the rod, if it must be done, in 
 moderation. Let your child know that it is 
 the deepest, tenderest love which directs every 
 stroke. 
 
 Children must he taught to ivorTc. It is 
 cruel to overtask them, and imbitter their 
 
38 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 pline of work. The best men in the world 
 are those Avho acquired the habit of industry 
 in thek youth. Give your children reason- 
 able tasks and see that they perform them. 
 Never allow them to do their work shabbily, 
 nor to leave it when half done. Teach them 
 to do well, to do in time, all that is commanded. 
 This will give them a certain force of charac- 
 ter which will be of service to them, in any 
 situation, through the- whole of their lives. 
 The ability and the will to work are, of them- 
 selves, more valuable than inherited wealth. 
 
 Children must he educated. "What I have 
 just said relates to education in its broadest 
 sense ; but I now speak of what is more gen- 
 erally understood by education. 
 
 You can not well over-estimate the value of 
 education. It is worth more to your child 
 than money. Education makes the mind 
 stronger, gives greater vigor and endurance 
 to the body, and adds to the years of a man's 
 life. Then it opens numerous roads to com- 
 petence and to wealth. An educated man 
 o-p±s hidber wa^ps than an uneducated man. 
 
THE LITTLE FOLKS. 39 
 
 and he can do many more things. But I need 
 not argue the question. Send your children 
 to school while they are small, and keep them 
 there as long as you are able. Do not let 
 them play truant. Do not fall out with their 
 teachers when they are chastised. 
 
 A little child comes into this great world 
 an innocent, helpless, confiding creature, not 
 knowing what to do, where to go, or how to 
 shape its course; and if nobody loves and 
 takes it by the hand, and leads it into good 
 paths, it will stray away into vice and crime 
 and misery. 
 
 O parents ! love your children ; train them 
 up in the good way; teach them to pray as 
 soon as they can lisp the Saviour's precious 
 name. Take them with you to the house of 
 God; bless them with a good home, and 
 when they go out from your humble roof, 
 let your prayers call down upon then' heads 
 heaven's constant benedictions. 
 
LECTUEE IX. 
 
 WORK. 
 
 ^^ COME to speak to you this evening about 
 work; yes, work, good, honest,'hard work. 
 
 Do not turn away, and say you will not 
 ^ hear me, — that you know all about it, and 
 that it is not a good subject for a lecture. 
 
 Listen ! The very first verse of the Holy 
 Bible tells us that God is a worker, — that in 
 six days he made all this great world on which 
 we dwell, and the sun and moon and stars. 
 
 All the holy angels in heaven are very busy. 
 They go forth to do the will of the Great Be- 
 ing, and find their greatest bliss in action. 
 
 Good and great men are all hard workers. 
 And do you know what it is that makes a 
 free state so rich and strong? It is, above 
 all things save God's blessing, jyatient^ honest 
 worh. 
 
 There is nothing degrading in free labor, 
 — nay, it is most honorable. Why, when 
 
WOIiR. ' 41 
 
 God placed Adam and Eve in the garden of 
 Eden, before either of them had ever done 
 any wrong thing, and while they were as 
 pure as the angels, he made gardeners of 
 them. He required them to dress the garden 
 and keep it nice and in good condition. 
 
 The blessed Saviour hunself worked at the 
 bench, at the carpenter's trade, until he was 
 about thirty years of age. 
 
 And yet, some very silly people are above 
 work, — are ashamed to have hard hands, — 
 and do their best to get through the world 
 without honest toil. 
 
 But this was not the case with Abraham 
 Lincoln, the man who wrote the Proclamation 
 of Emancipation. He used the hoe, the ax, 
 and the maul, cleared ground, and fenced 
 it with the rails he had spht, and was ready 
 to turn his hands to any honest work. 
 
 I know that it is quite natural that you 
 should associate work with slavery, and free- 
 dom with idleness, because you have seen 
 slaves working all their lives, and free people 
 doinsr little or nothing:. And I should not 
 
42 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEED3IEN. 
 
 blame you if you should ask, "Wliat have 
 we gained by freedom, if we are to work, 
 work, work ! " 
 
 Now, let me explain. A slave works all 
 his life for others. A free man works for 
 himself, — that is, he gets pay for his labor; 
 and if he saves what he earns and manages 
 well, he can get on so well that he may spend 
 the afternoon of his life in his own pleasant 
 home, and never want for any thing. 
 

 
 
 
 (o^4^^W^' 
 
 DICK SLACK'S HOME. 
 
LECTUEE X. 
 
 TREE LABOR. 
 
 HAVE already spoken of the difference 
 between slave labor and free labor; but I 
 wish to dwell upon the subject more at 
 length. I was myself brought up to hard 
 work from my very childhood, and I am not 
 speaking to you upon a matter that I know 
 nothing about. 'No, my friends, I love work, 
 and nothing would be a greater punishment 
 to me than enforced idleness. I would rather 
 work ten days than to be idle one day. 
 
 I^ow free labor does not imply that you may 
 perform your work iiTCgularly, carelessly, and 
 dishonestly; and that your employer must 
 put up with it, and say nothing about it. 
 When you were a slave, it may have been 
 your habit to do just as little as you could to 
 avoid the lash. But now that you are free, 
 you should be actuated by a more noble 
 principle than fear. 
 
46 PXxLLY COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 A free laborer should rise early, shake off 
 sloth, step lively, and apply himself to his task 
 betimes. A sluggard turns his lazy body in 
 his bed when the sun peeps in at the window, 
 and the birds are singing, and says, — "A 
 little more sleep, a little more slumber." 
 When he rises he mopes about, half awake, 
 looks as dull as a mummy, stands half bent, 
 and goes to work as a felon goes to prison. 
 'So one wants him in shop, or on his farm. 
 He earns little, and poverty makes a prisoner 
 of him. 
 
 
LECTUEE XI. 
 
 CONTRACTS. 
 
 WE of the first things to which the at- 
 tention of a freedman is called, is a con- 
 tract You have all heard a great deal 
 about contracts, have you not, since you 
 have been free? A contract is something 
 which binds two or more parties. For ex- 
 ample, John and Mary agree together to get 
 married. John promises Mary, and Mary 
 accepts John. That is a marriage contract. 
 Again : John Doe agi^ees to give Richard Roe 
 fifty dollars for a month's work. That is a 
 contract for labor; and, if Bichard Roe per- 
 forms the labor, John Doe must pay him. 
 
 Contracts are very numerous ; numerous as 
 the leaves on the trees almost; and, in fact, 
 the world could not get on at all without 
 them. I will notice the various kinds of 
 contracts. 
 
 1. There are what are called imjylied con- 
 
48 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FREEDMEN, 
 
 tracts — as, for example, if the baker leaves a 
 loaf of bread at your house every day, and you 
 take the bread, there is an unplied contract 
 that you will pay for it, and the law Avill make I 
 you pay for it, although you never said in 
 ivords or in loriting that you would pay, or 
 that you wanted the bread. 
 
 2. There are also verhal contracts. These 
 are the most common of all. A man tells you 
 he will j)ay you a dollar for a day's work, or 
 twenty dollars for a month's work, and you 
 reply that you will do the work for the pay, 
 — that is a verbal contract. By mere words 
 or verbal agreements all manner of goods are 
 bought and sold, and all kinds of labor em- 
 ployed and jobs done. A man's word should 
 be as good as his bond or his oath; and men 
 generally do tell the truth and stick to their 
 engagements. 
 
 3. There are, besides the two kinds of con- 
 tracts named, a third kind, called ivritten con- 
 tracts. It is better to have all important bar- 
 gains written down and signed by the par- 
 ties, and that binds them; and if there should^ 
 
CONTBACTS, 49 
 
 be any dispute about what was agreed to, the 
 paper can be produced and read, and that 
 settles the whole matter. 
 
 You ought to know, too, that some agree- 
 ments are of no legal force unless they are 
 \mtten down. JSTo one can buy land and hold 
 it on a verbal or implied contract. He must 
 have it written down, signed, and witnessed. 
 And a lease of land, for three years or more, 
 must be in writing. This is the law, and it 
 was made to prevent frauds. 
 
 I^ow I wish to impress upon you the im- 
 portance of complying strictly with your 
 contracts. 
 
 1. Heg ar d f or y our loord requires it. When 
 
 you make a contract you pledge your word 
 and honor that you will do as you agree, and 
 when you break a contract through dishon- 
 esty, idleness, or neglect, you dishonor your- 
 selves. 
 
 2. Respect for the rights of others, requires 
 it. When a contract is violated, damage is 
 usually done to the other party, and if he has 
 
50 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN, 
 
 a mind to do it, he can sue the unfaithful 
 party, and make him pay for his bad failh. 
 
 3. Self-interest demands it, No man can 
 succeed in any business, or labor, long after 
 it becomes known that he does not come up 
 to his promises. It is much better, in the long 
 run, to live up to a hard contract than to 
 break it, for the credit acquired thereby over- 
 balances the loss. 
 
LECTURE Xn. 
 
 DISHONESTY. 
 
 BEG leave to invite your most earnest 
 attention to the subject of this evening's 
 lecture, because it is fraught with the 
 highest interest to you, and your chil- 
 dren, and your children's children. 
 
 A snake is the best type of dishonesty. For 
 this reason the enemy of all good is called a 
 serpent, — " that old serpent, the devil." It 
 was in the character of a serpent that he went 
 to Eve in the garden of Eden, and, by artful 
 words, persuaded her to look at the forbidden 
 fruit, to desire it, and then to steal and eat it. 
 The devil is a cheat, a liar, and a knave; in 
 his very nature the very personification of 
 dishonesty. 
 
 There are numerous kinds of dishonest men 
 in the world. One is a gambler, another a 
 thief, a tliird is a swindler. One steals your 
 STOods under cover of law, another under fair 
 
52 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 pretense of honorable dealing, a third by the 
 boldest knavery. 
 
 Society is infested with sharpers, and now 
 that you are free, and have a little money in 
 your pockets or a little property at your dis- 
 posal, they will watch you with keen eyes, 
 and rob you if they can. 
 
 You must not think that dishonesty is con- 
 fined to one class or color or party. There 
 are many dishonest Yankees and loyal men; 
 dishonest Southerners and disloyal men; dis- 
 honest white men, and black men; and you 
 will find dishonesty in some instances crawl- 
 mg about in the holy garb of philanthropy 
 and religion. 
 
 But it is my object in this lecture, not so 
 much to put you on your guard against 
 knaves, as to give you some hints which will 
 enable you to avoid the evil and to be honest 
 yourselves, for " An honest man's the noblest 
 work of God." There are many fruitful 
 causes of dislionesty^ and I will call your 
 attention to a few of the more common. 
 
DISHOXESTT, 63 
 
 1. Slavery. All agree that slavery fosters 
 lying and stealing. In all countries and in 
 all ages these vices have prevailed among 
 slaves. But, as slavery has been for ever abol- 
 ished in this country, that cause has been re- 
 moved, although the effects have not ceased. 
 
 2. Poverty. Extreme poverty subjects the 
 poor to the temptation of theft. Agiu' prayed 
 that he might not be reduced to poverty lest 
 he should steal and take God's name in vain. 
 If a man is hungry and has nothing to buy 
 food with, or is shivering with cold and has 
 nothing to buy wood or clothes with, he will 
 be tempted to steal. 
 
 3. Idleness. This is the most common and 
 the most culpable cause of dishonesty. ^^ An 
 idle man's head is the devil's workshop." The 
 idle man tempts the devil to tempt hun. He 
 sits by the wayside, and, as the old Evil One 
 passes, he says to him, " See here, have you 
 no job for me?" And the devil soon finds 
 hmi a job. !N^ow, if you desu^e to do the dkty 
 work of Satan, quit work and hang around 
 the street corners and drmkino: saloons and 
 
54 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 groceries. You will soon have your hands 
 full! If you wish your children to spend 
 their lives in jails and workhouses, or to end 
 tlieir days in the prison or on the gallows, 
 bring them up in idleness. "Whenever you 
 allow your children to loiter about, with noth- 
 ing to do, you advertise them for the devil; 
 you say, in effect, "Here, Satan; here are 
 hands for you ! " , 
 
 Oh, my friends, it is a sad thing to see a 
 child die, to fold its cold hands over its still 
 bosom, to close for ever its dear eyes, to kiss 
 its sweet lips whose prattle has been music in 
 your ears, to bend over its little coffin and 
 gaze upon that matchless beauty in death, — 
 
 •• Before decay's eflfacing fingers 
 Have swept the lines where beauty lingers," 
 
 and to see the coffin-lid closed, not to be 
 opened again; but I would rather every one 
 of my children should die and be buried thus, 
 than that they should be raised in idleness, 
 and thus be exposed to dishonesty. 
 
LECTURE Xni. 
 
 RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES. 
 
 'F you earn twelve dollars in a month, and 
 spend thirteen, you are on the road to 
 misery, for yon will get into debt, deeper 
 -Q and deeper, until after awhile it* will be^ 
 a load you can not carry. 
 
 You should make it a rule, therefore, to 
 spend less each month and each year than 
 you make. If you do this, you will become 
 well to do in the world. 
 
 A free man should always consider before 
 he buys an article, whether he can afford it. 
 He would like a new hat, — price five dollars, 
 — but if he needs the five for other and more 
 pressing uses, to make a payment, for ex- 
 ample, for something he has bought, then he 
 should deny hunself the pleasure of the new 
 hat, and brush up the old one. A new coat 
 might be very desnable, but if its purchase 
 would create a debt, better keep the old one 
 
56 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 in good repair as possible, and stick to it 
 another season. It is much pleasanter to 
 wear the old clothes than to have the consta- 
 ble chasing you in the new ones. 
 
 Many a i^oor man has been driven almost 
 out of his wits by constables, who were pur- 
 suing him for the payment of debts made to 
 gratify the vanity of his wife. She wanted a 
 handsome breastpin, and begged him to buy 
 it. He could not resist, and bought it with 
 the proceeds of a week's hard toil, and, as a 
 consequence, was obliged to go in debt for 
 meat and bread. Then she wanted a fine 
 dress; then this, and then that; and so he sank 
 into debt, step by step, until he was ruined. 
 
 A wife can soon destroy her husband's 
 good name, by urging him to buy for her 
 things she could do without, and for which 
 he is unable to pay. 
 
 It is a good plan for a man and woman 
 who are just setting out as you are to make 
 a living, to balance their accounts — that is 
 count up what they earn and what they spend, 
 and see how they compare — a great many 
 
BECEIPTS AND EXPENDITUBES. 57 
 
 times in the year. It will not take them long 
 to do it, and the task will be both pleasant 
 and nseful. 
 
 Eesolve that you will, by the blessing of 
 God, live within your means. This is one of 
 the most important secrets of success. It may 
 cost you a struggle, but stick to it resolutely, 
 and the day will come when you will be able 
 to purchase not only the necessaries, but the 
 luxuries of life. 
 
 I am not counseling you to be mean and 
 stingy, — by no means; but no man has a 
 right to be liberal with another man's money 
 and at another man's expense. 
 
 For the sake of your good name, do not 
 make a splurge in society with jewelry and fine 
 clothes which have not been paid for, and for 
 which you will never be able to pay. That 
 is almost as mean as theft. 
 
 " The borrower," says the Bible, ^^ is ser- 
 vant to the lender," and, let me assm^e you, a 
 creditor is a very hard master. Do not put 
 your necks m his iron yoke. 
 
 I am acquainted with manv white iDersons 
 
58 PLAIN COUNSELS FOE FBEEDMEN. 
 
 who commenced married life twenty-five years 
 ago Avith as little as you have now, and who 
 worked with their hands for less than is given 
 to 3"on, who are now owners of handsome 
 houses and farms, and are in very easy cir- 
 cumstances. They made it a rule to spend 
 less than they earned. 
 
 ■^"srivt a -'a^j r / ganrsgiis^w aif-J BmfcJUB*L.\JLJ BB^^MM1WBmH*^** 
 
e^ 
 
 LECTURE XIY. 
 
 HOINIES. 
 
 THIOT51 God intended that every man 
 ^ should have a place on the earth which 
 he might call his o^vn, upon which to es- 
 tablish a home for himself and his family. 
 He made the world very large, and from age 
 :o age is increasing the breadth of dry land, 
 [nnumerable little creatures toil night and day 
 bo build up foundations for islands from the 
 bottom of the sea, and the busy waters carry 
 from the mountain sides rich earths, to fatten 
 and extend the land, ^atm'e is not stingy. 
 She has homes for all! 
 
 [NTow, I come before you this evening to 
 turn your thoughts, if possible, with intense 
 force to this subject. In my very heart I pity 
 the man who has never had a home. 
 
 A homeless child! Why, the angel of 
 mercy weeps over it. And who so exposed, 
 
 Q<^ nnlTm-kf-^Tr OQ o Ax^nmnn wIto Tina nr» V»r»mpT 
 
60 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 Hood describes a poor girl who had thrown 
 herself in the river because she had no home 
 and could find no one to take her in. Look- 
 ing at her beautiful form as she lay dead upon 
 the bank of the stream, he said, — 
 
 '♦Was it not pitiful? 
 In a whole city full, 
 Home she had none." 
 
 Heretofore, you have had no opportunity 
 to provide homes for yourselves and families. 
 You were liable to be removed at any time, and 
 it was impossible for you to keep your fami- 
 lies together. But all that is now changed; 
 and, if you have the mind to do it, you may 
 in a few years own a piece of ground and a 
 good house. In many places lots may be 
 purchased for from fifty to five hundred dol- 
 lars, and land for from one to thirty dollars 
 per acre. A little economy and well-directed 
 industry will enable you to make a purchase, 
 and to become a freeholder. 
 
 !N^ow, as soon as you have a house of your 
 own all iDaid for, vou are. comDarativelv. an,^ 
 
E02IES. 61 
 
 Independent man. No one can make you 
 move away. You need not ask permission to 
 live and die there. You command the situa- 
 tion. You own all that is under your ground 
 to the center of the earth, and all that is above 
 ^ou to the twinkling stars. 
 
 I advise you to imitate the German people, 
 riiey live close and work hard until they get 
 ^ood homes, and that makes them a thrifty, 
 bappy people. You scarcely ever see a Ger- 
 man beggar. And, if you take the advice I 
 tiave given you, we will see few negro beg- 
 gars in the United States twenty years hence. 
 
 But I wish to give you a hint or two about 
 ^our home after you have it. 
 
 It should he comfortable. It is better to 
 make it tight and warm than waste fuel in 
 keeping it heated. 
 
 It should he Tcept clean. Filth breeds siek- 
 Qess, and invites into yom' house the most 
 fearful contagions. 
 
 It should he heautiful. The great God 
 loves beauty, and so he stoops down and 
 
62 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 paints all the little flowers, and every thing he 
 touches is beautiful. The beauty of the Lord 
 appears in all his works, and he is pleased 
 with us when we see and admire it. Many 
 people have a mistaken notion of beauty. * 
 They confound it with pride and vanity, and 
 talk and act as if a religious person should be 
 as rough and as ugly as possible. "What a 
 sad mistake! 
 
 Now, make your homes as pretty as possi- 
 ble. A little paint, a little whitewash, a few 
 yards of paper, some gravel walks and a few 
 flowers, make all the difference in the world 
 in the appearance of homes. 
 
 Have you ever seen Dick Slack's home? 
 Let me describe it. It stands on a bare lot. 
 The fence is down, and much of it, to tell the 
 truth, has been used for kindling. The pigs \ 
 root around his door and sleep under his 
 house. ISTo flower blooms about his dwelling, 
 no green plat of grass spreads its charms 
 before your eyes. His house is innocent of 
 paint or whitewash, and from one window 
 
HOMES. 63 
 
 le crown of an old hat sticks out, from 
 notlier a pillow! 
 
 And Dick is like his house ; see him stand- 
 ig there, motionless as a post, half bent, with 
 is hands in his pockets. Oh, Dick, stir your- 
 elf ! Put up a nice fence about your dwell- 
 ig. Go put glass in your windows. Grass, 
 owers, gravel, and whitewash are cheap. 
 
 Let us take a walk over to Paul Thrifty's. 
 Lh! we are there. Open the pretty gate, 
 isten to the hum of the bees. They know 
 ^here to find the flowers. See! that is a 
 nmming-bird si^Dping daintily from the sweet 
 oney-suckle which Mrs. Thrifty has trained 
 y the side of the house. You walk on a 
 lean pavement. Paul meets you at the door. 
 lis hand is hard but his heart is warm. 
 lis wife is clean, his children sweet, and 
 very thing has an air of comfort. 
 
 Paul has a home ! He loves it. His voice 
 ^oes up to God in prayer for his blessing in 
 lis household. The good angels hover over 
 he place. All the covenants of promise are 
 
64 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 his. And his children may wander to the 
 farthest verge of the green earth, but their 
 hearts will go back to the dear old home, and 
 their memories will recall the wise counsels, 
 the solemn warnings, and heartfelt prayers of 
 the parental fireside. 
 
 I 
 
 : i.:* >. ■ - -■ -oaHh^tiaM 
 

 THE WAY OF TRAXSGltESSORS IS HAKD. 
 
LECTUEE XV. 
 
 CREME. 
 
 IMUST speak a few earnest words to you, 
 this evening, on a subject which should 
 engage your most serious attention. 
 An artist saw a beautiful child, — and 
 nothing on earth is so beautiful as a child, — 
 and he painted it upon canvas, and hung the 
 picture in his studio, and named it ^^Inno- 
 cence." Sweet, smiling, happy innocence! 
 
 Many years afterwards the same artist vis- 
 ited the cell of a notorious criminal, who had 
 been sentenced to expiate his crimes upon the 
 gallows. He was prematurely old; vice had 
 marked his features with deep lines. His 
 look was fierce as a wolFs. He appeared to 
 be more a demon incarnate than a man, and 
 yet there was in his face a look of inexpres- 
 sible grief. The artist painted hmi also, — 
 painted all the lines of vice and shame, mal- 
 
68 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 ice and sorrow, and, placed beside the pretty 
 child's picture, called it " Crime." 
 
 "What a contrast ! but he afterward learned 
 that the pictures were taken from the same 
 person, — that years of crime had transformed 
 the child he had named " Innocence^^ into the 
 wretched man he had called " CrimeP 
 
 My friends, such transformations are going 
 on every day all over the world. Crime not 
 only corrupts men's hearts, but it paints their 
 vileness in their faces, and advertises them to 
 men and to angels. Satan himself was once 
 an angel, shining like a star in the heavens, 
 but crime took from him his crown of glory 
 and robe of light, and made of him an angel 
 of darkness. A man may be gifted, learned, 
 and wealthy, but if he is addicted to any vice 
 all these blessings will be transformed into 
 curses. 
 
 ]Srow I want you to fix it in your minds 
 that crime and misery go hand in hand. They 
 never can be separated, for the great God 
 has linked them together. 
 
CBIME, 69 
 
 always tempted to believe that he mil escape 
 punishment. But, when the deed is done, he 
 is placed in a new relation to himself and to 
 all other beings. He is a criminal. He is 
 condemned at the bar of his own conscience. 
 His sleep becomes troubled. His imagina- 
 tion tortures him with frightful images. He 
 looks suspiciously upon all men. He is with- 
 out a friend on the earth, for he must keep 
 his own horrible secret. He is constantly 
 afraid of detection. He watches, feverishly, 
 every stranger who approaches hun, fearing 
 he is a police officer about to arrest him. The 
 very means he takes to avoid discovery leads 
 to his detection, and at last he is arraigned 
 and punished, for "Murder will out." The 
 world is full of telltales, l^o man can escape 
 punishment. Sleepless, stern Justice, with 
 drawn sword, follows the guilty wi^etch day 
 and night, in summer and in winter, over land 
 and sea, and, when the time arrives for his 
 execution, cuts him doAvn. 
 
 Oh, my friends, no man can tell the depth 
 of human miserv. Thousands and thousands 
 
70 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN 
 
 whom we suppose to be comparatively happy 
 have a worm gnawing at their heart; and, in 
 the still watches of the night, they meditate 
 upon the wrongs they have done, toss upon 
 their restless beds, and wish they had never 
 been born. 
 
 Now if you wish to build upon the solid 
 rock, to be on good terms with yourself, to 
 be able to look every man in the face, and to 
 have peace with your God, keep yourselves 
 pure. Avoid all vice, and especially all those 
 things which are forbidden by the wholesome 
 laws of society. 
 
 Let no man deceive you by plausible prom- 
 ises. Scorn the gambler, the thief, the wretch 
 who carries concealed weapons, and values 
 not a human life. Be law-abiding, law-lov- 
 ing men, for I tell you again that it is the 
 saddest thing in the world to be a wrong- 
 doer, to go through life like a beast of prey, 
 and to have one's death-bed haunted by accus- 
 ing angels. And then, " The wrongs men do 
 in this life live after them." 
 
LECTUEE XVI. 
 
 PtELIGIO:^". 
 
 AM not a preacher by profession, but a 
 simple, unpretending layman; but I can 
 '^ not close this series of lectures without 
 having a plain talk with you about relig- 
 ion. It is a subject in Avhich I have felt a 
 deep interest from my childhood. My mother 
 was a widow, and was reduced by misfortune 
 to extreme poverty, and I can remember when 
 all the food we had in the house was on the 
 table, and we knew not Avhere the next meal 
 would come from. But my mother trusted 
 impUcitly in God, and we were never obliged 
 to beg bread. When I was a little boy only 
 nine years old I was bound out to a farmer^ 
 gathered up my little bundle of clothes, and 
 went from my mother's home to live among 
 strangers. But my mother followed me day 
 and night with her prayers ; and, although I am 
 now n mni. nnr1 hnvP. b^Pri a p-oorl deal in the 
 
72 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 world among men, I can never get away from 
 the Christian influence of my mother. I love 
 Jesus, — have loved him from my childhood, 
 and find my greatest happiness in his service. 
 I trust therefore that, in speaking to you upon 
 the subject of religion, I am addressing you 
 upon a theme with which I am somewhat ac- 
 quainted. But the subject is vast, and I can 
 only touch upon a few points. 
 
 "We read in holy Scripture of a man named 
 Jacob, who, when he was young, set out to 
 visit his uncle's house in Padan Aram. "When 
 night came on he was in the desert alone, and 
 he slept on the ground with a stone for a pil- 
 low; and while he slept he dreamed that he 
 saw a ladder set upon the earth, and the top 
 of it reached to heaven ! 
 
 Blessed vision! Human existence is not 
 confined to this world. The Bible teaches 
 that the soul is immortal; that there is a 
 bright and beautiful world above this one on 
 which we fight the battle of life, and that 
 there is a ladder, — a plan of salvation, — 
 
BELIGION. 73 
 
 accommodated to our weakness, upon which 
 we may cHmb to heaven ! 
 
 Blessed revelation! Under its glorious 
 light life assumes unspeakable value. And is 
 it possible that I shall live for ever? And has 
 the great Being not only endowed me with 
 immortality, but given me capacity to improve 
 and increase in wisdom and goodness and 
 happiness for ever and for ever? Is it possible 
 for the humblest and most sinful man to be 
 pardoned, washed in the blood of the Lamb, 
 redeemed and glorified; to be placed in the 
 firmament of heaven, and shine there as a 
 star with forever-increasing splendor? 
 
 Then it would be folly, wickedness, nay, 
 madness, for me to confine my thoughts and 
 aims to this life alone. If I am to live for ever 
 I should spend this life with respect to the 
 immortal existence with which the good God 
 has endowed me. 
 
 Man was made to be a religious being, to 
 know, love, and obey his Creator; and he can 
 never be truly happy in sin. All experience 
 nrove^^i^tob^true^JDivin^ov^^^^ 
 
74 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FBEEDMEN. 
 
 natural element of the soul, and when out of 
 this element unrest, nay, misery, is a necessity. 
 It can not be otherwise while his being remains 
 what it is. A fish sports with delight in its 
 natural element, the clear, cold water. It is 
 'not afraid of the deepest water. It glides 
 through it with pleasure, and rejoices in exist- 
 ence ; but, when thrown out upon the beach, it 
 gasps and dies. The bird, on the other hand, 
 was created for the air. It spreads its wings 
 and mounts up toward the sun, sings its sweet 
 songs, and warbles in the tree-tops. But it 
 can not live in the water with the fish. 
 
 ~So^Y God has given to each of us such a 
 nature that we can only be happy when we 
 are good; when we dwell in the love of 
 God, and walk in the light as he is in the 
 light. i^To man can change his own constitu- 
 tion, and therefore, while God is sovereign, 
 good men will be happy and bad men will be 
 miserable. 
 
 The Bible Is God's written word, and it is 
 his will that it should be circulated among 
 all men, and be read in all lanminp-es- ^nv if. 
 
ItELIGION. 75 
 
 LS a revelation of the Divine Will, not to one 
 race, or to the people of one color or clime, 
 jut to man, 
 
 I earnestly connsel yon, therefore, to read 
 ;his holy hook every day of yonr lives. If 
 ^on have never learned to read, apply yonr- 
 j elves to stndy until yon can read the Bible. 
 S'o man, nnder forty years of age, shonld 
 'hink of getting throngh life withont ability 
 o read a book which God has taken the pains 
 ;o prepare for him. If yon are too old to 
 earn to read, then reqnire yonr children and 
 ronr grandchildren to read it to yon. A 
 Bible-reading people are always a free and 
 lappy people. 
 
 I advise yon to he liberal-minded toivard 
 oilier Christian people. You are divided np 
 imong a number of religious denominations, 
 — as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and 
 ]]piscopalian, — all of which have their excel- 
 ent qualities, and all, perhaps, some weak 
 )oints. !Now each one has a perfect right 
 o his own preference, and no one should 
 
76 PLAIN COUNSELS FOB FREEDI^IEN. 
 
 another. Love your own church, and do; 
 your very best to make it strong. But use 
 fah^ means. Let it not grow up in fraud, but 
 in truth and goodness, and then the glory of 
 the Lord will shine into it. 
 
 In one army there are niunerous regiments, 
 each having its own name, and all under 
 one common leader or commander. Some 
 fight in close order, others in open order. 
 Some use artillery, others small arms. One 
 regiment is mounted, another on foot. Now 
 all have a common cause, a common enemy, 
 and there should be but one purpose, — to 
 serve the common cause and overthrow the 
 common enemy. So in the great army of 
 Christians. It is divided into numerous de- 
 nominations, and has various modes of war- 
 fare; but there should be no bitter rivalry; no j 
 intestine feuds; no turning of hostile bayo- 
 nets upon each other. This is the greatest 
 folly and wickedness. 
 
 Be liberal, then. Take your Christian broth- 
 er, of whatever name, and work heartily with 
 him in the promotion of every good work. |. 
 
BELIGION, 77 
 
 Foin all your strength against the common 
 nemy, and you will achieve glorious victo- 
 ies. One shall chase a thousand, and two 
 hall put ten thousand to flight. An old 
 lymn contains a good prayer. 
 
 ♦'Help us to help each other, Lord, 
 Each other's cross to hear ; 
 Let each his friendly aid afiford, 
 And feel his brother's care." 
 
 Let your religion be characterized by char- 
 ty toward all men. '^Vllen religion does not 
 nake men kind and tender-hearted it is, evi- 
 lently, false and spurious, no matter how pre- 
 tentious it may be. Let me read to you, from 
 :he best of all books, a parable spoken by the 
 Grreat Teacher, which illustrates, with a beau- 
 :y and power never surpassed, the true idea 
 3f practical Christianity. 
 
 ^^ A certain man went down Irom Jerusa- 
 lem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which 
 stripped him of his raiment, and wounded 
 bim, and departed, leaving him half dead. 
 And by chance there came down a certain 
 
78 PLAIN COUNSELS FOR FBEEDMEN. 
 
 priest that way and when he saw him, he . 
 passed by on the other side. But a certain { 
 Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he 
 was; and when he saw him, he liad compas- 
 sion on hun, and went to him, and bound up ' 
 his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set 
 him on his own beast, and brought him to an 
 inn, and took care of him. And on the mor- 
 row when he departed, he took out two pence, 
 and gave them to the liost, and said unto him, 
 "Take care of him: and whatsoever thou 
 spendest more, when I come again I will re- 
 pay thee." 
 
 Now, to love God aright, is to do as the 
 good Samaritan did, to " Go, and do thou 
 likewise." 
 
 The same Great Teacher gave to us all a i 
 beautiful and touching example of the spirit 
 which should influence us in the choice of 
 the work of life. On the same night in which 
 he was betrayed, he took a towel and girded 
 himself, and a basin of water, and washed the 
 dusty feet of his disciples, and wiped them 
 dry with the towel. Then he asked them if^ 
 
BELIGION. 79 
 
 they understood what he meant to teach them 
 by this example. " If I, yom' Lord and Mas- 
 [:er, have washed your feet, ye also ought to 
 5\^ash one another's feet. If ye know these 
 Jiings, happy are ye if ye do them." 
 
 The idea is this : that a good man is happy 
 n performing the humblest services requu^ed 
 Dy the necessities of his fellow-beings. He 
 s ^villing, if need be, to wash the feet, to 
 3athe the brow, to moisten the lips, or to sit 
 ill night by the sick-bed of the humblest man. 
 
 It is not the work, so much as the spkit 
 vhich you take to it, which pleases God. And 
 
 ** Far better in its place, the lowliest bird 
 
 Should sin;? ario^ht to him the lowliest son^f. 
 Than that a seraph strayed should take the word, 
 And sing his glory wrong." 
 
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