hou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember
that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God
redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to-day.

"'And if it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from
thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well
with thee,

"'Then thou shalt take an awl and thrust it through his ear unto the
door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also with thy
maid-servant thou shalt do likewise.

"'It shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away free
from thee: for he hath been worth a doubled hired servant to thee,
in serving thee six years; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in
all that thou doest.'

"Is not this very beautiful and touching, Mrs. North?"

She said nothing, but hid her face in her little babe's neck,
pretending to kiss it. But Mr. North wiped his eyes. "There is not much
barbarism in that," said he.

"The golden rule," said I; "for this is the law and the prophets.

"The people to whom these touching precepts were given by the Most High,
and who were susceptible to these finest appeals, are, as we have said,
sometimes represented as a semi-barbarous people, so gross that God was
obliged to let them hold slaves! Now, could anything be more civilizing,
refining, elevating, than such relationships as this limited servitude
of poor Hebrews created? What scenes there must have been oftentimes,
when the six years were out, and the servant was about to depart, laden
with gifts! And what a scene when, with strong attachment to the family,
the servant declined to be free, and went to the door-post to have his
ear pierced with the awl, to be a servant, and not only so, but to be an
inheritance forever!

"Is this 'the sum of all villanies,' Mr. North?" said I. "Yet it is
'slavery.' 'Auction-blocks,' 'whippings,' 'roastings,' 'separations of
families,' are not 'slavery.' They are its abuses; slavery can exist
when they cease. I pray you, is such slavery as the God of the Hebrews
appointed, in such cases as these, 'forever,' an unmitigated curse?

"Now," said I, "go through our Southern country, and you will find in
every city, town, and village just such relationships between the whites
and the blacks as must have existed where these Hebrew laws had effect.
Think of the little slave-babe, and the Southern lady's letter, which
have given occasion to all ou