who, when I called upon
them, would ask of what faith I was,--and when I would reply, that I
belonged to what I understood to be the Regular Baptists, they would
answer, "Then you are not of our faith," &c.

Now I felt lonely indeed, separated far from home, from family, from
dear brethren and friends; thrown among strangers in a strange place.
Those I came to benefit, stood aloof from me, and seemed to look upon
all my movements with distrust and suspicion, and opposed to all I was
trying to do for the moral and spiritual benefit of our degraded race.
But, thanks be to God, all I found in Baltimore were not of this stamp.
Those of the white Baptists who had been the means of calling me to this
field, adhered to me like brethren, indeed. Could I feel at liberty to
mention names, I would bring to notice some dear friends who have ever
stood by me, in all my efforts to do good, and whose acts of
disinterested benevolence have been rarely equaled. But their labors of
love are recorded on high, and I must forbear.

CHAPTER V.

Experience in Baltimore--Education--Purchase of a Wife and two
Children--Great Distress of Mind--Generous Assistance--Church Matters.

When I came among the colored people of Baltimore, I found, to my
surprise, that they were advanced in education, quite beyond what I had
conceived of. Of course, as I never had such advantages, I was far
behind the people; and as this did not appear well in a preacher, I felt
very small, when comparing my abilities with others of a superior stamp.
I found that the great mass of colored professors of religion were
Methodists, whose piety and zeal seemed to carry all before them. There
were, at that time, some ten or eleven colored Methodist churches, one
Episcopalian, one Presbyterian; and one little Baptist church, located
upon the outskirts of the city. The most of the Methodist churches were
large and influential; and the Presbyterian church had one of the best
Sabbath schools for colored children in the city.

But the Baptist colored membership was looked upon as the smallest; and
under these circumstances, I was surrounded with discouragements;
although the ministers and brethren of other denominations have always
treated me with marked christian kindness.

I had never had a day's schooling; and coming to one of the first cities
in the Union, where the colored people had the advantages of schools,
and where their pulpits were occupied, Sabbath after