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Show 168 THE 1\IONTHLY OFFERING. mothers, daughters and sisters were provided with seats by their friends. Among the crowd around the ti cket office, I discovered a colored women, with an infant in her arms. Incumber· ed with her little charge she was unable to resist and over· come the fore~ of the men around the pigeon hole .of the ticket dealer. Dispirited and exhausted, she retired back from the press nnd sighed , but" I fear I shall be left after all!" On henring this, I introduced myself to her, and inquired if I should secure her a ticket. Upon hearing this, the sadness and melancholy disappeared from her countenance at once. She thanked me and passed into my hand six dollars, and at her request I purchased a ticket for the first classs cars to Albany. Having fresh in my memory the outrages committed upon intelligent and re· spectable colered people on the Eastern Rail Road, I felt that this woman might need my protection and assistan ce. Notwithstanding Thad learned that colored people were not proscribed on this route, I offered to escort her into the cars. To this she gratefu lly assented, and I gave her a seat near the door in one of the long cars divided into apartments, each of which were capable of accommodating eight persons. Here we were, (if any judgement can be formed from appearances) in the midst of gentlemen and ladies, according to common parlance, moving in the high· est walks of society. Yet no one of the passengers appear· ed horrified or even molested. I entered into conversation with her and found her affia· ble, intelligent, and prepossessing in her manners, and was nntic.ipating no small pleasure in holding three or four hours conversation with her, but in this I was disappointed,for the train had hardly got under weigh when the conductor en- PUBLIC OPINION VS. JUSTICE. 169 tered our apartment, and stood siler.t for a minute or there· abouts like Banquo's ghost, with his eyes rivited upon us, and then disappeared. My colored friend •ppeared somewhat agitated , and I must confess that my heart struggled for my mouth. I had but little relish for controversy, and less for being insulted or "snaked out." While our imaginations were conjuring up the most unpleasant scenes, the conductor re-entered, and with doubt expressed upon his countenance, stootl mo· tionless, like a stature, for nearly a minute, which on account of our anxiety seemed like an hour. At last he broke silence. But how unprepared we were for what followed. Instead of cursings and blustcrings, he addressed the colored woman in tones of the greatest kindness with "Madam, I fear that your babe will tak~ cold, set· ting, as you do, in the draft of that door-Shan 't I wait up· on you into the Ladies Saloon where there is a stove.'' To t11i~ our friend assented, thanked him for his kindness, and followed him into a beautiful long car, fitted up in the first style with sofas, &c &c. To this, there was no murmuring. Now we should like to understand why" Public Opin· ion" requires such barbarou~ and inhuman treatment in one or two parts of the state, and in all other parts allows such developements of kindness and humanity? Let the legislature put a stop to such proceedings. The petition relating to this question is placed on the cover of the" OjJeri11g." Copy it, sign it yourself, and then circulate it among your friends. Let every man and woman in your town have an opportunity to sign it, and when you have circulated it, please forward it to J. A. Collins, 25 Cornhill, Boston, free of passage, who will see that it is |