happy in the presence of God and The uncle opened one of the other coffins in the Christ.” crypt, showing the four year old the body of one of his decaying relatives, assuring him that body would wither, but his soul would live in heaven. That night, young the ceiling of Edward’s young room opened and, bright, glorious light burst in, and from the midst of it came May’s “a down my The young boy was dreaming of his inherited glory. lay lost brother.” brother’s “He by me as he used The next night, and for several nights afterwards, I enjoyed the presence to…. of my May concluded with the simple belief that this small event, the greatest brother.” “had influence in awakening and fixing in [his] soul the full which guided his principles for the faith,” rest of his life. Like his religious inspiration, abolition inspiration came at a relatively young age, May’s through two separate events. The first was his schooling in the area. May had been sent, for two years, to a school, kept by a good old This school, run by a Mrs. Wallcut, “Ma’am lady.” was particular in that the students were integrated. Young children, black and white, from “some the richest and others from the poorer families in the together in the same neighborhood,” studied classes and sat upon the same school benches to learn the basic knowledge of the age. May shared a bench with one boy who he grew to respect greatly, noticing that he was witty, if “more not more than any of the other children in the class. His skill was comparable in all wise,” subjects, from mathematics to recitation of the Catechism. The boy was also a prodigious actor, and in their class plays, were his The sole peculiarity? bench mate “few equal.” boy’s May’s was boy whose skin was as dark as a starless But, as May had grown to know him as “a night.” an equal, it only mattered to him that his, was as bright and joyous as a cloudless “spirit Young May trusted the boy, and felt him to be just as human as any other boy in the class, in spite of his color.
happy in the presence of God and Christ.” The uncle opened one of the other coffins in the crypt, showing the four year old the body of one of his decaying relatives, assuring him that Edward’s body would wither, but his soul would live in heaven. That night, young the ceiling of young May’s room opened and, “a bright, glorious light burst in, and from the midst of it came down my lost brother.” The young boy was dreaming of his brother’s inherited glory. “He lay by me as he used to…. The next night, and for several nights afterwards, I enjoyed the presence of my brother.” May concluded with the simple belief that this small event, “had the greatest influence in awakening and fixing in [his] soul the full faith,” which guided his principles for the rest of his life. Like his religious inspiration, May’s abolition inspiration came at a relatively young age, through two separate events. The first was his schooling in the area. May had been sent, for two years, to a “Ma’am school, kept by a good old lady.” This school, run by a Mrs. Wallcut, was particular in that the students were integrated. Young children, black and white, “some from the richest and others from the poorer families in the neighborhood,” studied together in the same classes and sat upon the same school benches to learn the basic knowledge of the age. May shared a bench with one boy who he grew to respect greatly, noticing that he was “more witty, if not more wise,” than any of the other children in the class. His skill was comparable in all subjects, from mathematics to recitation of the Catechism. The boy was also a prodigious actor, and in their class plays, “few were his equal.” The boy’s sole peculiarity? May’s bench mate was “a boy whose skin was as dark as a starless night.” But, as May had grown to know him as an equal, it only mattered to him that his, “spirit was as bright and joyous as a cloudless Young May trusted the boy, and felt him to be just as human as any other boy in the class, in spite of his color.