complish rapidly the needed work. One instance is
remembered, of a woman, with her little boy, whom they put into girls'
attire; and, changing also the woman's dress, sent both, by cars, to
Canada, accompanied by a friend. In this kind of work, too, they had
generous aid from friends at neighboring stations. From Lawrenceville
and Limerick, and Pottstown and Pughtown, came contributions of
clothing; at one time a supply which filled compactly three three-bushel
bags, and of which a small remainder, still on hand when slavery was
abolished, was sent South to the freedmen.

The prudence, skill, and watchful care with which the business was
conducted, are well attested by the fact that, so far as can be
remembered, during all the many years of their connection with the
Underground Rail Road, not a plan miscarried, and not a slave that
reached their station was retaken; although among their neighbors there
were bitter adversaries of the Anti-slavery cause, eager to find
occasion for hostile acts against any abolitionist; and, at times,
especially vindictive against the noble sisters, because of their
effective co-operation with other friends of Temperance, in preventing
the licensing of a liquor-selling tavern in the neighborhood. On one
occasion, when, within a week, they had passed on to freedom no less
than forty fugitives, eleven of whom had been in the house at once, they
were amused at hearing a remark by some of their pro-slavery neighbors,
to the effect that "there used to be a pretty brisk trade of running off
niggers, but there was not much of it done now."

Though parties of four, five or six sometimes arrived in open day, they
seldom sent any away till about nightfall or later, and, whenever the
danger was greater than usual, the coming was also at night. The
fugitives, in attempting to capture whom, Gorsuch was killed, near
Christiana, were brought to them at midnight, by Dr. Fussell; and in
this case such caution was observed, that not even the hired girl knew
of the presence of persons not of the family.

For one reason or another,--perhaps to let a hot pursuit go by; perhaps
to allow opportunity for recovering from fatigue and recruiting
exhausted strength, or for earning means to pursue the journey by the
common railroads,--it was often thought advisable that passengers should
remain with them for a considerable period; and numbers of these were,
at different times, employed as laborers in some capacity.