hey were good to me in many respects. I was a poor
colored man, in distress, and needed christian sympathy. I found it
truly, among the many white friends with whom I met in the North street
prayer meeting. There, in that meeting, the dear friends would pray with
me and for me. In a word, I felt at times it was good for me to be
afflicted, for surely, if it had not been for my peculiar circumstances,
I should never have been inside the Old South Chapel, or North street
prayer meeting, where I enjoyed so much of God's presence, and found so
many real friends, in the midst of strangers. I felt that I realized
what the apostle Peter meant: "If need be, ye are in heaviness, through
manifold temptation, that the trials of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might
be found unto praise and honor and glory, at the appearing of Jesus
Christ."--(1 Peter 1: 6,7.) Also, "For I will show him how
great things he must suffer for my name's sake."--(Acts 9: 16.) The
arguments I drew from these passages of Scripture were, to show that
when God wanted to purify our faith, and strengthen our confidence in
Him, He would send trials upon us. And to let us see how great the
things we must suffer for His name's sake, and to let us see too how
great the grace He gives us, to enable us to endure hardness, as good
soldiers of the cross.

Suffice it to say, the friends in Boston and its vicinity gave me about
four hundred dollars towards the purchase of my daughter. I had the
privilege of meeting the Baptist ministers in their conference meeting.
Here the Rev. Mr. Tilson, pastor of the First Baptist Church at Hingham,
invited me to spend a Sunday evening at his place, which I did, very
greatly to my own satisfaction and profit. During my stay in Boston, I
visited several of the smaller towns adjacent to it,--Lynn, Cambridge,
Melrose, Malden, Chelsea, and others, and I was kindly received at all
of them. I collected in Lynn something like $50, the most of which was
given to me by the members of the 2nd Baptist Church. Just before
leaving Boston, to my great and agreeable surprise, I met Dr. F. Patten,
surgeon in the U. S. Navy, (my former owner,) in the street, in that
city. I had not seen him for seven or eight years, and had no thought
of seeing him in Boston. He recognized me first, and spoke to me before
I knew he was near; but I instantly knew him. We greeted each other
heartily, and he