u tell anybody what you then felt?"

"No, me speak to nobody but to God den. De goot minister say dat God
hear de cry of de poor; so me cry to God, and he hear me. And me often
tink about Jesus Christ, and wish to be like him."

"Can you read?"

"A little."

"Who taught you to read?"

"God teach me to read."

"What do you mean by saying so?"

"God give me desire to read, and dat make reading easy. Master give me
Bible, and one sailor show me de letters: and so me learned to read by
myself, with God's good help."

"And what do you read in the Bible?"

"Oh, me read all about Jesus Christ, and how he loved sinners; and wicked
men killed him, and he died, and came again from de grave; and all dis
for poor Negro. And it sometime make me cry, to tink that Christ love so
poor Negro."

"And what do the people say about your reading, and praying, and
attention to the things of God?"

"Some wicked people, dat do not love Jesus Christ, call me great fool,
and Negro dog, and black hypocrite. And dat make me sometimes feel
angry; but den me remember Christian must not be angry, for Jesus Christ
was called ugly black names, and he was quiet as a lamb; and so den me
remember Jesus Christ; and me say nothing again to dem."

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 summary of religion {97}
occuring to me, I said, "Tell me what is faith? What is your faith? What
do you believe about Jesus Christ, and your own soul?"

"Me believe," said he, "dat Jesus Christ came into de world to save
sinners; and dough me be chief of sinners, yet Jesus will save me, dough
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 take good care of me, and keep me from sin and
harm, while me live here; and me hope, when me come to die, to go and
live with him always, and never die again."

"What are your thoughts about Christian love or charity,--I mean, whom
and what do you most love?"

"Me love God de Father, because he was so goot to send his Son. Me love
Jesus Christ, because he love men. Me love all men, black men and white
men too; for God made dem all. Me love goot Christian people, because
Jesus love dem, and dey love Jesus."

Such was my first conversation with this young di