Rhoda of the Underground

by Florence Finch Kelly

CHAPTER XXII

In the depths of humiliation Rhoda mourned over the fiasco of her attempt to guide Mary Ellen to freedom. But she soon found that the fiasco itself was bearing a rich crop of results. She was indicted for aiding and abetting the escape of a runaway slave and a dozen men of the rescuing party for obstructing the United States marshal in the performance of his duties and preventing him from rendering back the fugitive. The anti-slavery side retorted by arresting Gordon, the slave trader’s agent, and the slave catcher accompanying him, under the state’s personal liberty law, for kidnaping, and several members of the marshal’s posse, who had used fire-arms, for assault with intent to kill.

As the news spread, meeting after meeting was held all through the central and eastern part of the state and up into the Western Reserve, denouncing the law, expressing sympathy with its victims and declaring the righteousness of setting at naught its provisions. Through the southern portion of the state and wherever there was sufficient pro-slavery feeling to crystallize into such action, counter-meetings were held, which reprobated the unfairness to the South, characterized in contemptuous terms the actions and principles of believers in the “higher law,” declared them to be traitors and called upon the Federal Government to use stern measures in upholding the Fugitive Slave Act.

On the advice of Horace Hardaker, who was to conduct her case, and that of the counsel for her fellow prisoners, both Rhoda and they refused to enter recognizance that they would appear in court when wanted, and therefore were compelled to remain in jail.

“It’s an unrighteous law in every respect,” said Hardaker, “and our contention will be that it is unconstitutional and void. To consent to return for trial under it would make tacit recognition of its validity. And that we won’t do. Besides, staying in jail will make martyrdom out of it, and the effect will be all the more potent.”

But Rhoda, although she saw that her failure, in the outcome, would be of more consequence than success would have been, felt the pangs of humbled pride. She talked the matter over with Rachel, Daniel Benedict’s wife. For between her and the Quakeress a warm affection had quickly developed. Rachel Benedict visited her as often as the prison officials would allow, and Rhoda soon found that the little, dove-gray figure, with the sweet, strong face and the silver hair, was sure to bring assuaging of her heartaches and renewal of her spiritual strength. Without making any mention of her personal affairs, Rhoda yet found it possible to talk with her new friend with more intimacy and with greater surety of understanding and response than she had ever been able to do with her mother.

“I was so proud, so self-complacent,” she said, “that I thought I could make amends to Mary Ellen for the wrongs that had been done to her. And I showed myself unworthy even to try. I let her be taken, just by being wrapped up for a few minutes in my own affairs, in something that troubled me. Oh, it has been a bitter lesson!”

“Thee seems to me to be too much troubled by thy repentance. If thee lets it engross thee it too will become a sin. And perhaps the sin for which thee is repenting does not deserve so much repentance, after all. If thee did this thing believing in thy inmost soul that it was right and wishing in thy inmost soul to do good to others by means of it, then don’t disturb thy heart, Rhoda Ware, with how it seems to have come out. It hasn’t ended yet. And thee can be sure there is plenty of time yet for more good to come out of it than thee ever dreamed of.”

“Yes, it didn’t make any difference to Mary Ellen,” Rhoda answered thoughtfully, “for she reached Canada just as safely as if I’d taken her all the way myself. But such an awful wrong had been done to her,—it seemed more horrible than any other case I had known about, and I wanted to suffer for it myself. I wanted to make atonement for another person’s sin. And it has all ended in failure!”

“Well, isn’t thee suffering for it? Isn’t thee suffering a great deal more than if thee had been successful? But don’t delude thyself, Rhoda Ware, by thinking thee can do any good by suffering for another person’s sins. We have got to sweat and suffer stripes ourselves for the evil that is in us if we are to be purged of our sins!”