TENNESSEE.
Woman’s Work Among Women.
MISS HATTIE MILTON, MEMPHIS.
Out of a population of 40,000, one-third are colored. Many of the children attend school a few months during the year; but the parents think if their son John Quincy Adams Anderson attends school two weeks out of four, he will “learn a heap,” and be ready to graduate in a year or two. However, some of the children do make good progress at school; but the home influence is so degrading that the necessity of missionary work among the mothers is felt more and more, as we see more of their homes. Many are too poor to send their children to school at all; consequently they have no opportunity of becoming better.
In my daily visits from house to house I found them in a wretched condition, filth and vermin reigning supreme. Often, on entering these abodes, my sensibilities were so shocked that I could not speak at first—dogs, cats, chickens and children clamoring for the hoe cake in the ashes or the unleavened dough baking on the stove-cover, which, when done, is broken and handed around to each, sometimes with the addition of a dripping bit of bacon. In many of these homes the table is never set, the entire furniture consisting of a bed, two chairs, a trunk, box, cupboard, bundle of rags and a poor stove, if there is no fireplace. They sometimes own the board shanties in which they live, and rent the ground they stand on; and when they wish to move, they pull down the shanty, move it to the new place, and put it up again.
I was usually received kindly; by some enthusiastically. One old ex-slave, learning the nature of my errand at her house, said, raising her hands above her turbaned head, “Oh, bless the Lord! Thank the Lord! for He has heard the prayer of His downtrodden people, and put it into the hearts of His dear children in the North to send some one to instruct us. My blessed baby, come as often as you can, and read to Aunt Hettie, for she is an ole Etheopum, and don’t know nothing.” After I left, she rushed around to her neighbors, saying, “Bless the Lord! for He has heard our prayer, and sent an angel right down from heaven to instruct us, and she has been to my house this evenin’.” They were usually glad—many were anxious—to hear the Bible read, some insisting on paying me, saying, “Do take it. We wants you to come often, for we don’t hear anything like it anywhere else.” One woman, wishing, as she said, to do something for the Lord, and having no money, sent me a nice warm dinner. They are very liberal, giving as long as they have a nickel, whether they rightly own it or not.
Some who were suspicious said, “Never heerd tell of white lady going to humble colo’d cabin to read the Bible. Look like it’s mighty queer.” These suspicions had to be overcome in various ways. Often, by attending the sick ones, the good will of the neighbors would be secured. One poor creature, who had not been washed in six months, and was almost dead, after I had bathed her and put on her clean clothes—furnished by the good Northern friends—thanked me and said, “Thank the Lord! when we get home to heaven, we will all have on clean clothes.” Her last days of suffering were thus made more comfortable. I went in often, as she loved to hear the Bible read, and singing. But a few weeks later, I went in one morning, and found her poor remains stretched out on a rough board, resting on two chairs. Thus she lay in state, in her winding-sheet. A plate, placed on her crossed hands, with its mute appeal for money to bury her, told how poor they were.
One day a very black woman met me on the street and said, “How d’y’, Miss. You don’t know me; but I knows you, for you is the one what visits the sick; and I heard you read the Bible, and I wants ye to read it to me. We all loves ye, and we all says, ‘If any one is gwine right up to heaven, it is you.’” I often found the best way to reach the mother was through her children. By giving them little presents, they would become fond of me. Then the mother, who was proud of them, would say, “I wants my children to be better than me, but don’t know how to make them so. I whips them a heap, but they is bad all the time.” After convincing one mother that she was teaching her children to lie by her daily example, she said, “Sure enough! Never thought of that afore. I alus wondered why my children would lie so, ’cause I alus tells ’em not to. Now, Miss, you come often, and teach me; I needs it much as any one. How can we be expected to do better? No one we go with does any better; and in ole slave times, if master saw us with a book, he would ‘slap our jaws;’ so we cannot read to find out better.” Another said, “This is the first work I have seen that looked like really making our homes better.”
Finding the mothers and daughters knew but little about sewing, an industrial school was started, where they met once a week, and were taught how to cut, fit and make garments. The material for this school was furnished by the good people of Romeo. A small sum was charged for each garment, when finished, and used to purchase more material. Also a small price was charged for a few of the more valuable garments sent in boxes, the persons gladly paying the small sum, which was used to procure medicine and other comforts for the sick ones.
I also added something to this fund by giving lessons to some who were able and willing to pay for the instruction.
Sunday was my most busy day; besides attending church and Sabbath-school, I went out to read the Bible to those who were not at home during the week. I seemed to find no rest days; indeed, there was so much for one pair of hands to do, that many times I could not sleep as much as needed. Another meeting was held weekly. I gave Bible readings on those subjects which were of the most interest and importance to mothers, after which we had a prayer-meeting, which was often very interesting.
Near the end of the year, a temperance movement was started in our church and Sabbath-school; many signed the pledge, among whom were about thirty from my class. The colored people are very intemperate, and nearly all the women use snuff and tobacco. One, who was complaining of her poverty, upon being told she could ill afford to use snuff and tobacco, said she only paid ten cents a box, and was astonished to find that in a year it amounted to half as much as her rent. She seemed to try to live an honest Christian life, and before I left had given up all her bad habits, and was very proud and happy.
Although these people are naturally religious, still their religion consists in going to meeting, where they sing, pray, and relate imaginary experiences, and get wrought up to such a pitch that they scream, roll on the floor, and often remain until the small hours of the night. They go home, thinking they are very holy, but have no idea of showing it by a well-ordered life; on the contrary, they continue to live with unlawful companions, steal and lie with impunity; in fact, in many respects, they will compare with their heathen forefathers, from whom they have inherited their superstitions and forms of worship. The bonds of slavery have prevented them from becoming enlightened.
However, I am glad to say there are some grand exceptions to this dark picture; some noble Christians, a few who have good homes. Among these, the good accomplished by the mission-school and the little Congregational church, sustained by the A. M. A., can be seen. The pastor, Mr. Mallory, allows no wife whipping in his church, and he has caused the large number of those who were living together unlawfully to be married. Indeed, his church will compare favorably with white churches of the North. These things show the dawning of day to these benighted people, and give us great encouragement to proceed with our work. But the mass are worse than tongue can tell or pen portray. I feel that in my description the half of woe and degradation has not been told. The Lord was with me in this work, and was a present help in every time of need. Many mornings I would start out with a heavy heart, for it would seem that my efforts to do good were almost in vain; but trusting alone in Jesus, I would go forward. Just then the Lord would show me that some one was becoming better, and I would return at evening upbraiding myself for my want of faith, and reminded of that Scripture which says, “He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” It was a precious privilege to comfort these broken-hearted ones with His words, of whom it was said: “Never man spake like this Man.”
The Bible is the only book the colored people have any confidence in. A sick man, whom I visited, said he would like to hear the Bible read through; he was not a Christian. For some time he seemed but little interested; but one day he greeted me with a smile, saying: “I can trust the Lord now, and it is all that Bible-reading. Many have talked to me before, but I never thought of what they said; but I could not forget these words from the Bible, and I studied about it all the time, and last week, after you left me, I just did as the Bible said: gave up all, and trusted Jesus. I am ready to go now, and am not afraid.”
When the time drew near for me to return North, the women said: “What will we do without you? Who will visit us when sick, and read comforting words from the Bible? And who will teach us how to train up our children? Now that we have had some one to do these things for us, we feel as if we could not get along without you.” And many were the expressions of gratitude towards those dear ladies in the North, who had sent them a missionary, and many the prayers offered in their behalf. There were many signs of encouragement, though, no doubt, much seed that was sown will not spring up at once, but in the future will bear precious fruit, for the Lord will not permit His word to return unto Him void. This has been the happiest year of my life, for this work has its own reward, both to the missionary and those who send her, which is more valuable than silver or gold. I sometimes think the angels might almost envy us in this work.