64  LETTERS

I  asked  Julia,  if  she  had  ever  tried  to  learn  to  read.  She
replied,  "Yes,  ma'am,  I  tried  once;  because  I  thought  it
would  be  such  a  convenience,  if  I  could  read  the  Bible  for
myself.  I  made  good  progress,  and  in  a  short  time  could
spell  B-a-k-e-r,  as  well  as  anybody.  But  it  dragged  my
mind  down.  It  dragged  it  down.  When  I  tried  to  think,
every  thing  scattered  away  like  smoke,  and  I  could  do  no-
thing but  spell.  Once  I  got  up  in  an  evening  meeting  to
speak  ;  and  when  I  wanted  to  say,  '  Behold  the  days
come,'  I  began  '  B-a — .'  I  was  dreadfully  ashamed,  and
concluded  I'd  give  up  trying  to  learn  to  read."

These,  and  several  other  particulars  I  learned  of  Julia,
at  the  house  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  When  about  to  leave  us,
she  said  she  felt  moved  to  pray.  Accordingly,  we  all  re-
mained in  silence,  while  she  poured  forth  a  brief,  but  very
impressive  prayer  for  her  venerable  host ;  of  whom  she
spoke  as  "  that  good  old  man,  whom  thou,  0  Lord,  hast
raised  up  to  do  such  a  blessed  work  for  my  down-trodden
people."

Julia's  quiet,  dignified,  and  even  lady-like  deportment  in
the  parlour,  did  not  seem  at  all  in  keeping  with  what  I  had
been  told  of  her  in  the  pulpit,  with  a  voice  like  a  sailor  at
mast-head,  and  muscular  action  like  Garrick  in  Mad  Tom.
