g and wrong, which intensely increased her sympathy in their
behalf. Although anxious to enter the Anti-Slavery field as a worker,
her modesty prevented her from pressing her claims; consequently as she
was but little known, being a young and homeless maiden (an exile by
law), no especial encouragement was tendered her by Anti-Slavery friends
in Philadelphia.

During her stay in Philadelphia she published some verses entitled,
"Eliza Harris crossing the River on the Ice." It was deemed best to
delay the issuing of the book.

After spending some weeks in Philadelphia, she concluded to visit
Boston. Here she was treated with the kindness characteristic of the
friends in the Anti-Slavery Office whom she visited, but only made a
brief stay, after which she proceeded to New Bedford, the "hot-bed of
the fugitives" in Massachusetts, where by invitation she addressed a
public meeting on the subject of Education and the Elevation of the
Colored Race.

The occasion and result of the commencement of her public career was
thus given by her own pen in a letter dated August, 1854:

"Well, I am out lecturing. I have lectured every night this
week; besides addressed a Sunday-school, and I shall speak, if
nothing prevent, to-night. My lectures have met with success.
Last night I lectured in a white church in Providence. Mr.
Gardener was present, and made the estimate of about six hundred
persons. Never, perhaps, was a speaker, old or young, favored
with a more attentive audience.... My voice is not wanting in
strength, as I am aware of, to reach pretty well over the house.
The church was the Roger Williams; the pastor, a Mr. Furnell,
who appeared to be a kind and Christian man.... My maiden
lecture was Monday night in New Bedford on the Elevation and
Education of our People. Perhaps as intellectual a place as any
I was ever at of its size."

Having thus won her way to a favorable position as a lecturer, the
following month she was engaged by the State Anti-Slavery Society of
Maine, with what success appears from one of her letters bearing
date--Buckstown Centre, Sept. 28, 1854:

"The agent of the State Anti-Slavery Society of Maine travels
with me, and she is a pleasant, dear, sweet lady. I do like her
so. We travel together, eat together, and sleep together. (She
is a white woman.) In fact I have not been in one colored
person's house since I left Mas