ad, and stuck him faster than ever."

When he disappeared, I was in hopes it was all over; but a very
mild-tempered looking man, with a broad intelligent forehead, got up,
and, approaching me in the most friendly manner, said, "Sir, I both
admit and deplore the evil of the institution you have been discussing,
but its stupendous difficulties require a much longer residence than
yours has been to fathom them; and until they are fully fathomed, the
remedies proposed must be in many cases very unsuitable, uncalled for,
and insufficient. However, sir, I accept your remarks in the same
friendly spirit as, I am sure, you have offered them. Permit me, at the
same time, as one many years your senior, to say that, in considering
your proposals, I shall separate the chaff--of which there is a good
deal--from the wheat--of which there is some little; the latter I shall
gather into my mind's garner, and I trust it will fall on good soil." I
took the old gentleman's hand and shook it warmly, and, as he retired, I
made up my mind he was the sensible slave-owner.

I was about to leave the scene, quite delighted that the ordeal was
over, when, to my horror, I heard a strong Northern voice calling out
lustily, "Stranger, I guess I have a word for you." On turning round I
beheld a man with a keen Hebrew eye, an Alleghany ridge nose, and a chin
like the rounded half of a French roll. I was evidently alone with a
'cute man of dollars and cents. On my fronting him, he said, with
Spartan brevity, "Who's to pay?" Conceive, O reader! my consternation at
being called upon to explain who was to make compensation for the
sweeping away--to a considerable extent, at all events--of what
represented, in human flesh, 250,000,000l., and in the produce of its
labour 80,000,000l. annually!

Answer I must; so, putting on an Exchequery expression, I said, "Sir, if
a national stain is to be washed out, the nation are in honour bound to
pay for the soap. England has set you a noble example under similar
circumstances, and the zeal of the abolitionists will, no doubt, make
them tax themselves double; but as for suggesting to you by what tax the
money is to be raised, you must excuse me, sir. I am a Britisher, and
remembering how skittish you were some years ago about a little stamp
and tea affair, I think I may fairly decline answering your question
more in detail; a burnt child dreads the fire."--The 'cute man
disappeared and took the vision with him; in i