'Who taught you to read ?' 'God teach me to read.' 'What do you mean by saying so?' 'God give me desire to read, and that make reading easy. Master give me a Bible, and sailor shew me the letters, and so me learn to read by myself, with God's goot help.' 'And what do you read in the Bible ?' 'Oh me read all about Jesus Christ, and how he loved sinners and wicked men kill him, and died, and came again from the grave, and all this for poor Negro.' 'What do the people say about your reading and praying, and attention to the things of God?' 'Some wicked people that do not love Jesus, call me great fool and Negro dog, and black hypo- crite. That make me sometime feel angry ; but then me remember Christian must not be angry for that; Jesus Christ was called ugly black name and he was quiet as a lamb: and so then me re- member Jesus Christ, and me say nothing.' I was much delighted with the simplicity and apparent sincerity of this poor Negro; and wished to ascertain what measure of light and feeling he possessed on a few leading points. St. Paul's sum- mary of religion occurred to me; I said, 'Tell me what is faith? What is your own faith? What do you believe about Jesus, and your own soul?' 'Me believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and though me be chief of sinners, yet Jesus will save me though me be only poor black Negro.' 'What is your hope? What do you hope for both as to this life, and that which is to come?' 'Me hope Jesus Christ will keep me from sin and harm while me live here; and me hope, when
Page:Negro servant (2).pdf/6
