Just as I was about to enter my lodging house on my return from the depot, whom should I espy but my friend Porter turning the corner and approaching me.  Of course I was glad to see him; and our conversation, at once, turned upon Fulton and the events of the two preceeding days.  He informed me, much to my surprise, for I had hardly supposed that tyranny would have gone so far, that on the night following the mob, the people of the village had risen up en masse, and in solemn meeting dismissed him from his school.  Glorious America!  Land of the Free!

Mr. Porter had committed no crime—­nothing was charged against him, save that he had entertained us, and was known to be favorable to our union, or rather unfavorable to any interference in a matter which was of sacred right our own.

Mr. P. gave me no information with regard to Miss King, except that she was at home, and that in consequence of the extraordinary excitement she would probably be unable to get out of Fulton for several days to come.

He returned to Fulton the next morning, and three or four days after, I received from him the following letter.  It is significant:—­

“Gilberts’ Mills, February 4th, 1853.

“Professor Allen,—­
“Dear Friend:—­

“I write you under very extraordinary circumstances.  I have been obliged to leave the vicinity of Fulton, for a while at least.  I am now stopping at A. Gilbert’s.  How long I shall stay here, I cannot tell.

“Mary (Miss King) I have not seen or heard from, for two days.  All communications between her and Julia, (her sister—­who was favorable to our union) and our family has been broken off—­strictly prohibited; and Hibbard’s house, on the hill, is the watch tower to guard Elder King’s house against such dangerous invaders as ourselves.

“When I came from Syracuse that morning, Hibbard was at the depot on the watch.  In the afternoon I went up to the Elder’s, and was met on the door-step and told not to deliver any messages or letters to Mary.  Of course, I had none with me to deliver, and so I told Elder King.  But I saw Mary in the presence of the family and Hibbard, and Mrs. Case and Mrs. Sherman, and such like—­for Elder King’s folks have a great many such sympathisers now.

“I wanted to say some things to her not in the presence of these strangers—­so to speak—­in the family; but she told me that she was permitted to say no word to any one but in the presence of such companions as were appointed for her.  I went away sad, for Mrs. King is trying to torment her soul out of her, by constant upbraidings and railings.