A[bram] Pryne to Frederick Douglass, January 14, 1859

RAMBLINGS OF A RADICAL.

PIERPONT MANOR, Jeff. Co., N. Y.

DEAR DOUGLASS:—You asked me to write for your paper, and may have expected something from my pen weeks ago. But I have been in no condition to write for the press.—The darkest sorrow of my life still envelops me in the gloom of its shadow. The sudden death of my dear little Frank was like extracting the core of my hear, and has, for the time, palsied my energies. Those who have lost their first born in the very flush of beauteous boyhood—whose ears have lost forever the ring of his joyous silvery voice—whose hands can never again clasp his soft hand—whose lips can never again mee his pure kiss of affection, except in dreams, or in heaven, will easily understand how life loses its interest, and the mind lays down its energies, under the gloom of such a terrible sorrow. But he has gone to that Jesus who loved just such innocent and affectionate children as was our Frank, and His love will guide him through the flowery paths of heaven's own play ground for guileless childhood. He lost his life in trying to save his brother Charlie, and his unselfish love of a brother will be appreciated by the Great Elder Brother of us all.

I came into this part of the State, to continue the series of anti-slavery lectures that were broken off by my sad bereavement. I spent the Sabbath before last with Bro. James Gregg, whom you and many of your readers know, as one of God's most faithful and true ministers—one who preaches a full gospel, even to the scathing rebuke of villainous politics and corrupt and cruel religion.—The heroic struggles of such men as James Gregg for the honor of God the purity of the gospel, and the rights of man, are worthy of being chronicled on pages that shall not die. I spoke on Sunday afternoon, in a stone church, built on a rocky ledge, about five miles north east of Watertown, to a company of "stony

ground" hearers. The whole meeting was a stony affair.

In the evening I went to Perth River, where I received such a genuine brotherly welcome from Hugh Smith and his truly womanly wife, that my courage rose fifty per cent. Ah, you well know how much inspiration is gathered by the weary and heart sore lecturer, who comes from the chilling atmosphere of clerical rebuffs, and pious kicks, so often encountered among the long faced and broad-skirted elect, when he finds a heart warm welcome to the bosom of such a family as that of Hugh Smith. May God bless all such true hearted ones, for this kindness to the itinerant advocates of reform! My home-like reception, and the generous appreciation of my audience, made it a pleasure to speak in the evening.

My next meeting was a Low-ville, Lewis county. You have been there, I believe, and so will appreciate the manner in which I write the name of the place. I heard of one Abolitionist, and called on him. He seemed to be a man of wealth, and probably thought I was, for he did not ask me to stay even to dinner. So I went to a whisky tavern. My meeting was in the Court House, which I warmed and lighted myself, because the man I had hired to build fires and light lamps did not come. A fair sized audience listened to my lecture, looked at the portrait of Parson Brownlow in my look, expressed the opinion that he must be a hard customer, and then quite a portion of them must have gone back to the tavern, for I counted thirty men in the bar room, and the old lady was making whisky punch for a company of students in the dining room. Next morning I shook the Low-ville dust (or snow) from my feet, and walked to Martinsburg. At Martinburg, Bro. Stephen Taft got up a good meeting for me, and I was at home again in his family. Bro. Taft is another one of those brave and true preachers who bring us back again to the old heroic age of the primitive church. His congregation have just finished a neat, plain, meeting house, and he is doing much good.

From Martinsburg I went to Copenhagen. Eld. Olney Place took me to Champion, where

he had got up a meeting for me, smoothed the way for my lecture, assisted in raising "material aid" after it, took me home with him and to another meeting the next night, and then rallied out a rousing audience for me in Copenhagen on Sunday, and his generous people gave me a very liberation contribution.—Bro. Place has a large congregation, and preaches a full gospel. He is none of your lackadaisical ministers, but with a build and complexion like that of Martin Luther, and a stentorian voice, like that of the great German reformer, he would preach what he believed if the devils were as thick in Copenhagen "as the tiles on the houses."

I had a good meeting in Watertown on Sunday night, and was invited home and generously entertained by Mr. Angel, the husband of good Mrs. Angel, of blessed memory, whose sudden death, a few weeks since, bereft the poor of Watertown of a mother, and the cause of reform in this county of its best and truest supporter. I lecture here to-night, at Woodville to-morrow night, and then HOME.

Yours, &c.,

A. PRYNE.