, 
 
 w^ 
 
 A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 WHIT TIER. 
 
SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 By JOHN G. WHITTIEK. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS BY BAKER, SMITH, AND ANDREW. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 JOHN P. JEWETT AND COMPANY. 
 
 CLEVELAND, OHIO: JEWETT, PROCTOR, AND WORTHINGTON. 
 LONDON : SAMPSON, LOW, SON AND COMPANY. 
 
 1864. 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
A SABBATH SCENE,* 
 
 SCARCE had the solemn Sabbath-bell 
 Ceased quivering in the steeple, 
 
 Scarce had .the parson to his desk 
 Walked stately through his people, 
 
 When down the summer shaded street 
 
 A wasted female figure, 
 With dusky brow and naked feet, 
 
 Came rushing wild and eager. 
 5 
 
 MT7S654 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 She saw the white spire through the trees, 
 She heard the sweet hymn swelling ; 
 
 0, pitying Christ ! a refuge give 
 That poor one in thy dwelling ! 
 
 Like a scared fawn before the hounds, 
 
 Right up the aisle she glided, 
 While close behind her, whip in hand, 
 
 A lank-haired hunter strided. 
 
 7 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 She raised a keen and bitter cry. 
 To Heaven and Earth appealing : 
 
 Were manhood's generous pulses dead? 
 Had woman's heart no feeling? 
 
 A score of stout hands rose between 
 
 The hunter and the flying ; 
 Age clinched his staff, and maiden eyes 
 
 Flashed tearful, yet defying. 
 9 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 " Who dares profane this house and day ? " 
 
 Cried out the angry pastor. 
 " Why, bless your soul, the wench J s a slave, 
 
 And I ? m her lord and master ! 
 
 " I Ve law and gospel on my side, 
 
 And who shall dare refuse me ? " 
 Down came the parson, bowing low, 
 "My good sir, pray excuse me! 
 11 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 " Of course I know your right divine 
 To own and work and whip her ; 
 Quick, deacon, throw that Polyglot 
 Before the wench, and trip her!" 
 
 Plump dropped the holy tome, and o'er 
 
 Its sacred pages stumbling, 
 Bound hand and foot, a slave once more, 
 
 The hapless wretch lay trembling. 
 13 
 
A SABBATH SCENE 
 
 I saw the parson tie the knots, 
 The while his flock addressing, 
 
 The Scriptural claims of slavery 
 With text on text impressing. 
 
 'Although/ 7 said he, "on Sabbath day, 
 
 All secular occupations 
 Are deadly sins, we must fulfil 
 Our moral obligations : 
 15 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 " And this commends itself as one 
 
 To every conscience tender ; 
 As Paul sent back Onesimus, 
 
 My Christian friends, we send her ! " 
 
 Shriek rose on shriek, the Sabbath air 
 Her wild cries tore asunder; 
 
 I listened, with hushed breath, to hear 
 
 God answering with his thunder! 
 
 17 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 All still ! the very altar's cloth 
 Had smothered down her shrieking, 
 
 And, dumb, she turned from face to face, 
 For human pity seeking ! 
 
 I saw her dragged along the aisle, 
 Her shackles harshly clanking ; 
 
 I heard the parson, over all, 
 The Lord devoutly thanking ! 
 19 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 My brain took fire : " Is this/ 7 I cried, 
 " The end of prayer and preaching ? 
 
 Then down with pulpit, down with priest, 
 And give us Nature's teaching ! 
 
 " Foul shame and scorn be on ye all 
 
 Who turn the good to evil, 
 And steal the Bible from the Lord, 
 To give it to the Devil! 
 21 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 " Than garbled text or parchment law 
 
 I own a statute higher ; 
 And God is true, though every book 
 And every man 7 s a liar ! " 
 
 Just then I felt the deacon's hand 
 In wrath my coat-tail seize on ; 
 
 I heard the priest cry " Infidel ! " 
 The lawyer mutter, " Treason ! " 
 23 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 I started up, where now were church, 
 Slave, master, priest, and people? 
 
 I only heard the supper-bell, 
 Instead of clanging steeple. 
 
 But, on the open window's sill, 
 
 O'er which the white blooms drifted, 
 
 The pages of a good old Book 
 The wind of summer lifted. 
 25 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 And flower and vine, like angel wings 
 
 Around the Holy Mother, 
 Waved softly there, as if God's truth 
 
 And Mercy kissed each other. 
 
 And freely from the cherry-bough 
 Above the casement swinging, 
 
 With golden bosom to the sun, 
 The oriole was singing. 
 
 27 
 
A SABBATH SCENE. 
 
 As bird and flower made plain of old 
 
 The lesson of the Teacher, 
 So now I heard the written Word 
 
 Interpreted by Nature! 
 
 For to my ear methought the breeze 
 Bore Freedom's blessed word on ; 
 
 THUS SAITH THE LORD : BREAK EVERY YOKE, 
 UNDO THE HEAVY BURDEN ! 
 
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M17965* 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY