world; and how will she believe me when she sees
us turn round and sell her child?--sell him, perhaps, to certain ruin of
body and soul!"

"I'm sorry you feel so about it,--indeed I am," said Mr. Shelby; "and
I respect your feelings, too, though I don't pretend to share them to
their full extent; but I tell you now, solemnly, it's of no use--I can't
help myself. I didn't mean to tell you this Emily; but, in plain words,
there is no choice between selling these two and selling everything.
Either they must go, or _all_ must. Haley has come into possession of
a mortgage, which, if I don't clear off with him directly, will take
everything before it. I've raked, and scraped, and borrowed, and all but
begged,--and the price of these two was needed to make up the balance,
and I had to give them up. Haley fancied the child; he agreed to settle
the matter that way, and no other. I was in his power, and _had_ to do
it. If you feel so to have them sold, would it be any better to have
_all_ sold?"

Mrs. Shelby stood like one stricken. Finally, turning to her toilet, she
rested her face in her hands, and gave a sort of groan.

"This is God's curse on slavery!--a bitter, bitter, most accursed
thing!--a curse to the master and a curse to the slave! I was a fool to
think I could make anything good out of such a deadly evil. It is a sin
to hold a slave under laws like ours,--I always felt it was,--I always
thought so when I was a girl,--I thought so still more after I joined
the church; but I thought I could gild it over,--I thought, by kindness,
and care, and instruction, I could make the condition of mine better
than freedom--fool that I was!"

"Why, wife, you are getting to be an abolitionist, quite."

"Abolitionist! if they knew all I know about slavery, they _might_ talk!
We don't need them to tell us; you know I never thought that slavery was
right--never felt willing to own slaves."

"Well, therein you differ from many wise and pious men," said Mr.
Shelby. "You remember Mr. B.'s sermon, the other Sunday?"

"I don't want to hear such sermons; I never wish to hear Mr. B. in our
church again. Ministers can't help the evil, perhaps,--can't cure it,
any more than we can,--but defend it!--it always went against my common
sense. And I think you didn't think much of that sermon, either."

"Well," said Shelby, "I must say these ministers sometimes carry matters
further than we poor sinners would exactly dare to do. We men of the