s what I want. It's a tiresome business, this
legislating!"

And the senator smiled, as if he rather liked the idea of considering
himself a sacrifice to his country.

"Well," said his wife, after the business of the tea-table was getting
rather slack, "and what have they been doing in the Senate?"

Now, it was a very unusual thing for gentle little Mrs. Bird ever to
trouble her head with what was going on in the house of the state, very
wisely considering that she had enough to do to mind her own. Mr. Bird,
therefore, opened his eyes in surprise, and said,

"Not very much of importance."

"Well; but is it true that they have been passing a law forbidding
people to give meat and drink to those poor colored folks that come
along? I heard they were talking of some such law, but I didn't think
any Christian legislature would pass it!"

"Why, Mary, you are getting to be a politician, all at once."

"No, nonsense! I wouldn't give a fip for all your politics, generally,
but I think this is something downright cruel and unchristian. I hope,
my dear, no such law has been passed."

"There has been a law passed forbidding people to help off the slaves
that come over from Kentucky, my dear; so much of that thing has been
done by these reckless Abolitionists, that our brethren in Kentucky
are very strongly excited, and it seems necessary, and no more than
Christian and kind, that something should be done by our state to quiet
the excitement."

"And what is the law? It don't forbid us to shelter those poor creatures
a night, does it, and to give 'em something comfortable to eat, and a
few old clothes, and send them quietly about their business?"

"Why, yes, my dear; that would be aiding and abetting, you know."

Mrs. Bird was a timid, blushing little woman, of about four feet in
height, and with mild blue eyes, and a peach-blow complexion, and the
gentlest, sweetest voice in the world;--as for courage, a moderate-sized
cock-turkey had been known to put her to rout at the very first gobble,
and a stout house-dog, of moderate capacity, would bring her into
subjection merely by a show of his teeth. Her husband and children were
her entire world, and in these she ruled more by entreaty and persuasion
than by command or argument. There was only one thing that was capable
of arousing her, and that provocation came in on the side of her
unusually gentle and sympathetic nature;--anything in the shape of
cruelty would throw her