life. Both spirituality and ideals of equality among races can be traced to his early May’s childhood. Spiritual inspiration came due to tragedy in his early development when, near the age of four, one of his elder brothers died of a terrible accident. Samuel, who had been named for two of his previously deceased brothers, and his brother Edward were miracles to their parents. After having experienced such grief over losing two sons, the Mays were protective of their remaining children and covetous of their safety. Edward, however, was a mischievous six year old, and was, according to own account, of One day, upon returning from May’s “full glee.” school, Edward summoned Sam the yard to partake of his The boy mounted the fence “to sport.” against the barn, and proceeded to play at chimney sweep, little Sam watching from the ground. But, as Edward swung his legs over the edge to descend, and rested upon the slender “his weight post of a chair, the top of which was broken the boy lost his balance, and impaled himself off,” on the splintered wooden rods of the chair splintered point penetrated his body, back. “Its several inches, under the May recalled vividly in his Memoirs. arm,” The father, Joseph May, a leader in the nascent Unitarian community movement at boys’ quickly rushed to the scene, but to no avail: dear, beautiful boy Boston’s King’s Chapel, “the was The young Samuel Joseph had a profound problem comprehending the death of his dead.” brother. He could not understand why the boy remained cold and still, no replies to the “giving tender things that were said to him, taking no notice of all that was being done to him or about May began to mimic his and without truly understanding the death him.” parents’ siblings’ grief, of his brother, but only a change in Edward’s demeanor. faith experience came with the realization of true state. During his May’s Edward’s funeral at the cemetery, one of brought him into the family crypt, and brother’s Sam’s uncles explained that Edward was not dead, but had to heaven, to dwell with the good and the “gone
life. Both May’s spirituality and ideals of equality among races can be traced to his early childhood. Spiritual inspiration came due to tragedy in his early development when, near the age of four, one of his elder brothers died of a terrible accident. Samuel, who had been named for two of his previously deceased brothers, and his brother Edward were miracles to their parents. After having experienced such grief over losing two sons, the Mays were protective of their remaining children and covetous of their safety. Edward, however, was a mischievous six year old, and was, according to May’s own account, “full of glee.” One day, upon returning from school, Edward summoned Sam “to the yard to partake of his sport.” The boy mounted the fence against the barn, and proceeded to play at chimney sweep, little Sam watching from the ground. But, as Edward swung his legs over the edge to descend, and rested “his weight upon the slender post of a chair, the top of which was broken off,” the boy lost his balance, and impaled himself on the splintered wooden rods of the chair back. “Its splintered point penetrated his body, several inches, under the arm,” May recalled vividly in his Memoirs. The boys’ father, Joseph May, a leader in the nascent Unitarian community movement at Boston’s King’s Chapel, quickly rushed to the scene, but to no avail: “the dear, beautiful boy was dead.” The young Samuel Joseph had a profound problem comprehending the death of his brother. He could not understand why the boy remained cold and still, “giving no replies to the tender things that were said to him, taking no notice of all that was being done to him or about him.” May began to mimic his parents’ and siblings’ grief, without truly understanding the death of his brother, but only a change in Edward’s demeanor. May’s faith experience came with the realization of Edward’s true state. During his brother’s funeral at the cemetery, one of Sam’s uncles brought him into the family crypt, and explained that Edward was not dead, but had “gone to heaven, to dwell with the good and the