d to our readers in the
Kentucky tavern, sat down, and began smoking, with a curious smile on
his long, dry face.

A tall, slender young man, with a face expressive of great feeling
and intelligence, here broke in, and repeated the words, "'All things
whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto
them.' I suppose," he added, "_that_ is scripture, as much as 'Cursed be
Canaan.'"

"Wal, it seems quite _as_ plain a text, stranger," said John the drover,
"to poor fellows like us, now;" and John smoked on like a volcano.

The young man paused, looked as if he was going to say more, when
suddenly the boat stopped, and the company made the usual steamboat
rush, to see where they were landing.

"Both them ar chaps parsons?" said John to one of the men, as they were
going out.

The man nodded.

As the boat stopped, a black woman came running wildly up the plank,
darted into the crowd, flew up to where the slave gang sat, and
threw her arms round that unfortunate piece of merchandise before
enumerate--"John, aged thirty," and with sobs and tears bemoaned him as
her husband.

But what needs tell the story, told too oft,--every day told,--of
heart-strings rent and broken,--the weak broken and torn for the profit
and convenience of the strong! It needs not to be told;--every day is
telling it,--telling it, too, in the ear of One who is not deaf, though
he be long silent.

The young man who had spoken for the cause of humanity and God before
stood with folded arms, looking on this scene. He turned, and Haley
was standing at his side. "My friend," he said, speaking with thick
utterance, "how can you, how dare you, carry on a trade like this? Look
at those poor creatures! Here I am, rejoicing in my heart that I am
going home to my wife and child; and the same bell which is a signal
to carry me onward towards them will part this poor man and his wife
forever. Depend upon it, God will bring you into judgment for this."

The trader turned away in silence.

"I say, now," said the drover, touching his elbow, "there's differences
in parsons, an't there? 'Cussed be Canaan' don't seem to go down with
this 'un, does it?"

Haley gave an uneasy growl.

"And that ar an't the worst on 't," said John; "mabbee it won't go down
with the Lord, neither, when ye come to settle with Him, one o' these
days, as all on us must, I reckon."

Haley walked reflectively to the other end of the boat.

"If I make pretty han