By Laura Chase Smith, Dutton Press, 1903 Chapter X FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ABBREVIATED VERSION One incident occurred during Mr. Chase's six years residence in New Orleans which cannot be passed over, as in itself it is interesting, and in the later life of the Bishop it proved a providential help to him in a crisis. To quote directly from the " Reminiscences": "While living below the city of New Orleans, two gentlemen, Messrs. Leonard, the one a druggist, the other a commission merchant, were residents of that city. The former came to me and told me that his brother had received a consignment of a large cargo of Negroes from the slave coast of Africa, and felt it his duty to take the best care of them in his power, now that the business, against his will and expectation, had been thrown upon his hands. Some of then were even now in a perishing state, and two of them must die unless removed immediately and carefully nursed; and his object in coming to me was to ask me to allow those poor creatures to find a shelter in my kitchen. <This it is presumed was an outside building, as is customary during the summer in hot climates> This proposal was immediately assented to, and one end of the servants' quarters became a hospital. Being carefully and kindly nursed by the family, one of these poor fellow-beings was saved from death; the other after much lingering long, died. A coffin was made for him by the hired servant Jim; a grave was dug in the land adjoining; and my family saw the poor exile buried, believing that his soul was as precious in God's sight as that of any other human being." How these events could be represented as a sin and urged as an objection to the consecration of Mr. Chase as a Christian Bishop will hereafter be shown. The school, which Mr. Chase had founded under the stress of strong necessity, had by this time become an important feature for good in the lives of youths of that important Southern city. Few at this day can estimate the value of such instructions as this earnest man could give, in these days of his youth and strength. He says, apropos of this subject: "after the school removed to the city and commenced under very favorable circumstances, many from town pressed into it and not a few from the country and towns up the river, --- the Dunbars, Geraults from the Natchez, the Sterlings and the Barrows from Bayou Sara, and the Percys and the Evanses from Pinkneyvillle and fort Adams, all of the best. ............... ............... The school still increasing, Mr. Chase was obliged to find larger quarters in the buildings of M. La Branch, Tchoupitoulas (yes, that is correct) Street, then the Levee in the Fausbourg St. Mary. While he was conducting this school he spent someone the most laborious years of his life, and probably some of the most useful. He says in his "Reminiscences.............. ............... ...............Should any of his pupils ever chance to cast their eyes on this little book, let them be assured that although these words are written with a trembling age, his heart still beats for them with warm affection, and his prayers ............. ............. .............. In these days one can scarcely imagine the magnitude of the work accomplished by this one man in those six years of unremitting toil in such a city as New Orleans then was. It was not that New Orleans was then or is now an unhealthful city. Statistics prove quite to the contrary, but also then as now, the yellow fever at certain periods found its victims there as in other Southern cities, and that time even in New York. In one of these years it found and reaped great harvest in New Orleans. Mr. Chase fell ill and became convinced that upon the fatal eleventh day the use of porter at the critical hour saved his life. (this is not entirely making sense to me, but am typing it as is) ................ .................. But imperious duty, in regard to the education of his young sons left with their uncle in Vermont, called him back to the North. Mrs. Chase had found the Southern climate of great benefit to her health, and now, with a mother's longing, desired to return to her children, who were growing to manhood, --- fourteen and thirteen years of age. In his last address to his pupils upon his departure, Mr. Chase, used the following tender words: "Sweet have been the hours I have passed with you, and grateful is my remembrance of them.. Many of you have waxed strong and come from childhood to youth and from youth to maturity under my care. During this period I call you to witness how often and how earnestly I have exhorted you to do your duty to God. Let memories of these instructions come often to your minds; so far as you find them to accord with the sacred Word of God; let them be imprinted upon your hearts, bear company in your walks by day and follow to your pillow at night. Remember the sum and substance of your instruction, --- ......... ....................... "It now remains for me to say to the congregation what I may never have the opportunity again to say: My brethren, farewell! I go from you, but wherever I am I shall remember to my dying day your many instances of kindness to me. ........... .............. ............... There is no record of the journey to the North. It may be taken for granted that it was accomplished as before, by means of some sailing vessel from New Orleans to New York, as steamboats were not then in use on the Mississippi or elsewhere. Mr. Chase says that the sons so long separated from their parents were reunited with them at the home of their uncle Deadly in Randolph, Vermont. and they had great pleasure in seeing their growth in stature and improvement in mind. They were handsome, interesting and intelligent lads, and already well advanced in their studies. It was a subject of great regret to Mr. and Mrs. Chase that there was no church in Randolph or in Bethel, where many of the kindred resided. Here it was that in Mr. Chase's early youth he had taught school, read prayers, and after his ordination preached to the faithful few of his relatives, and here he was married to his young wife, the mother of his children. He would gladly have remained, but wishing to give these promising sons the benefit of the best education possible, he went with his family to Cheshire, Connecticut, where he meet the Rev. Dr. Tillotson Bronson, even then eminent as an educator. Here he immediately began housekeeping; the boys were placed at school, the family was settled, and the lads were safely cared for by a "teacher ............ Such a picture painted in Bishop Chase's own vivid words gives to the modern mind almost an impossible being. ........... . This was the Rev. Dr. James De Koven, of Racine College. The home in Cheshire seemed to be a haven of rest for Mr. Chase. He spent his Sundays in Hartford, where he eventually removed as rector of Christ Church. In that city for a brief period he seemed to taste the genial pleasure of such society as pleased his taste and encouraged his hopes for his sons, with their mother in the sweet home life now made possible for them to enjoy. Mr. Chase always described this period of his life as his "day of sunshine." In the "Reminiscences, " he thus speaks of these years: "In the fall of 1811, I was with uncommon felicity to myself fixed as rector of Christ Church, Hartford. My residence in this city continued until 1817. During this time the number of faithful greatly increased. The attendance at the Lord's Table ........... ............................. In the bosom of an enlightened society, softened by the hand of urbanity and kindness, my enjoyments, crowned with abundance and temporal blessings, were as numerous and refined as belong to the lot of man. Of the time I spent in this lovely city I can never speak in ordinary terms. It is to my remembrance as a dream of more than terrestrial delight. Of its sweets I tasted for a while and thought myself happy, ......... .............. During the time of the rectorship of Christ Church, Hartford, occurred the death of Dudley Chase and his wife Allace, the father and mother of Mr. Chase, the former the parents of fifteen children, fourteen of who had grown to mature years. From the moment of the death of the wife and mother in the year 1814, the father who survived eight months after his wife's death, conceived himself away from home and would frequently entreat his children to carry him home to his dear wife, and yet would go to her grave and with perfect calmness speak of her with tender words of affection. When asked what he would have inscribed upon her tombstone, he replied, "this is the way to Immortality"; Mr. Chase further says of this place, which he visited last in the summer of 1840: "There they both lie in the church yard at Cornish. the evergreen pine trees grown round the enclosure............ .............. .............. End Chapter X Harriet M. Chase hatchase@uswest.net