offered for her capture, but all in vain. She could elude patrols and pursuers with as much ease and unconcern as an eagle would soar through the heavens. She "had faith in God;" always asked Him what to do, and to di rect her, "which," she said, "He always did." She would talk about "consulting with God," or "asking of Him," just as one would consult a friend upon matters of business; and she said "He never deceived her."

After escaping from bondage herself, she set about devising means by which she could assist others in leaving. In her first effort she brought away her brother, with his wife and several children. Next she helped her aged parents from Virginia to a comfortable home in Auburn, N. Y. And thus encouraged, she continued making these trips, at intervals, for several years. Many who escaped through her directions to Thomas Garrett were sent by him to Isaac Mendenhall.

When the war broke out, she felt, as she said, that "the good Lord had come down to deliver her people, and she must go and help Him." She went into Georgia and Florida, attached herself to the army, performed an incredible amount of labor as cook, laundress, and nurse, and still more as the leader of soldiers in scouting parties and raids. She seemed to know no fear, and scarcely ever fatigue. They called her their Moses. On account of the valuable services she rendered, several of the officers testiffed that she was entitled to a pension from the Government.

After the Christiana riot, James N. Taylor brought Parker, Pinkney, and Johnson and one other whose name was not known, to Isaac Mendenhall's. When James returned, the hunters had been at his place in

search of any colored people who might have fled to him from the vicinity of Christiana.

The four men slept in the barn at Isaac Mendenhall's at nights, but during the day they husked corn in the field, with all the appearance of regular farm hands. If pursuers came, the family were to give a certain sound when the men were to flee to the woods. One day a messenger came and said there was a party on the track of these men, and it would not be safe to keep them longer. During the remainder of the day they concealed themselves in the woods. Isaac decided to take them that night to John Vickers; but Dr. Bartholomew Fussell, then living near by, at Hamorton, hearing that the men were there, went to consult with him about them. Learning his decision, he said, “Isaac, I am better acquainted with the route than thee is; and beside, I have no property to sacrifice if I am detected and thee has. Thee start with them on the road and I will meet thee and go on with them and thee can return." After some deliberation, Isaac accepted the proposition, and at an appointed hour in the evening, started.

Dinah Mendenhall, in relating this case, said: "These men were not only fugitives but participants in the tragedy, and harboring them subjected us to heavy fine and imprisonment. But we had always said we would never submit to carry out that accursed Fugitive Slave Law, come what might. But that night when they started, the poor quivering flesh was weak and I had scarce strength to get into the house. But I held to my faith in an Overruling Providence, and we came through it in safety." "These," she remarked, "were the times which tried men's souls, and women's too."

Doctor Fussell, instead of taking them to John Vickers, took them to his niece, Graceanna Lewis, arriving there before midnight. Leaving them in the conveyance, he went to the house, awoke the family, told them whom he had with him and what the danger would be in harboring them. They admitted them, however, and put them in a third-story room, the door of which locked on the inside. They were told not to unlock it unless a certain signal was given. As the girl then living with the family was not to be trusted, they borrowed food for the men from a neighbor, so as not to excite her suspicion. The following day arrangements were made with J. Pierce West, living near by, to take them to the house of a friend in Montgomery county, about a mile or more from Phoenixville. A little after dark he and his brother, Thomas, started with them in a market dearborn, throwing some old carpet over them, just as they would cover a butter-tub. Passing through Phoenixville about midnight, they arrived at the friend's house, whose name is not now remembered, and there left them.

(A further description is given of them in the reminiscences of Dr. J. L. Paxson, of Norristown.)

Fugitives were taken from Isaac Mendenhall's to John Vickers, William and Simon Barnard, John Jackson, in Darby, and to Philadelphia. James Pugh, of Pennsbury, would frequently go to Philadelphia and make arrangements with Miller McKim and William Still, to meet Isaac outside the city and take the fugitives into their care.

Many families along these routes who were inherently opposed to slavery, refused, through fear, to give any

assistance whatever in facilitating the fugitives' escape. James Russell Lowell truly says:

"They are slaves who dare not be

In the right with two or three."

There were many persons in Kennett township who were not strenuously opposed to the anti-slavery movement; were inclined to be sympathizers in the cause, but thought abolitionists were running great risks.

Squire Jacob Lamborn was honestly opposed to the fanaticism of abolitionists, as their warring against the institution of slavery was engendering a spirit of animosity in the minds of the Southern people toward those of the North. But after hearing a cogent and exhaustive argument by Abbie Kelley, he was convinced of the true principles upon which they stood and united with them always afterwards.

Anti-slavery lectures in that township did much to enlighten the people upon universal liberty and to soften the asperity of antagonism toward abolitionists, although many meetings, in the early part of the time, were but slimly attended.

Many persons in Kennett and vicinity grew to be conscientiously opposed to using the products of slave labor, as by so doing they were patronizing an evil that they were endeavoring to uproot. To meet the demand of these persons, Sarah Pearson opened a free produce store in Hamorton, about the year 1844, and continued it fourteen years. She was well patronized. At first she kept only free produce; but later kept mixed goods.

Kennett Monthly Meeting of Friends disowned several of its members who had, in a measure, separated themselves from it, on account of the meeting's not

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taking as active a part in anti-slavery, temperance, and other needed reforms of the day, as they held it to be the moral duty of a religious body to do. Isaac Mendenhall was one who came under this decree of disownment, but his wife, as earnest in the progressive movement of reform as he, was never disowned. It is a principle of Friends to act in harmony. In the consideration of her case there was a division of sentiment." They united with a number of others in organizing the Society of Progressive Friends at Longwood. In conformity with a "Call for a General Religious Conference, with a view to the establishment of a Yearly Meeting in Pennsylvania," a large number of persons assembled in Old Kennett (Friends) Meeting House, on the twenty-second of Fifth month (May), 1853. The house was filled and many could not gain entrance. They invited to membership, "not only members of the Society of Friends, but all those who felt the need of social and religious co-operatiou, who looked to God as a Universal Father, and who regarded as one Brotherhood the whole family of man." Tney invited all such persons to take part in the deliberations upon such a plan of organization as might commend itself to their judgment, and to take action upon such other subjects pertaining to human duty and welfare as might appear to demand the attention of the assembly. The call to this Conference was signed by fifty-eight persons, chiefly Friends. Its sessions continued four days and were marked by free and cordial interchange of views, development of thought, and an earnestness and unity of action for the enlightenment, improvement and general welfare of the whole human family. That aged and