"Suppose," said I, "that instead of sending back Onesimus, the epistle
had been a private letter from Archippus at Colosse to Paul at Rome,
clandestinely aiding Onesimus to escape from Philemon, and that Paul had
received Onesimus and had harbored him, and had sent him forth as a
missionary, and that not one word of comment had appeared in the Bible
discountenancing the act. What would have happened then?"

"Then," said Mrs. North, "one thing is certain; the business of running
off slaves to Canada would now have been more brisk even than it is at
present."

"Why?" said I.

"Simply because," said she, "the New Testament would have sanctioned the
practice of running off slaves."

"Why, then," said I, "does it not now equally countenance the 'running'
of slaves back to their masters?"

"Please answer that for me, husband," said Mrs. North.

He smiled, and rose to put some coal on the fire. We waited for his
words.

"Well," said he, "I do not know but it is all right, provided the master
be in each case a Philemon."

"That is a good word," said I. "You show that the Bible has an
ascendency in your mind. You will be safe in following the Bible
wherever it leads you, even into slave-holding, if it goes so far. But I
must now question you a little. You may answer me or not, as you please.

"One day a black man appears at your door, and says, 'I have just
escaped from the South. I was owned by Rev. Professor A.B. of New
Orleans. I preferred liberty to slavery, and here I am.' Would you
shelter him, and encourage his remaining here, and, if necessary, send
him to Canada?"

"What would you have me do?" said he.

"Take him in," said I, "if you please, and give him some breakfast. You
would not object to this. After breakfast you have family prayers. 'Can
you read, Nesimus?' you inquire. 'O yes, master; missis and the young
missises taught us all to read.' Your little boy hands him, with the
rest, a Testament, and names the place of reading. Strange to say,
yesterday you finished 'Titus,' and the portion to be read in course is
'Philemon!'"

"Almost a providence," said Mrs. North.

"How would you feel, Mr. North?" said I.

"Why, feel? How should I feel?" said he. "You will answer for me,
perhaps, and say, 'Read Philemon; pray; and then say, Come, Nesimus, I
am going to send you back to Professor A.B. I will write a letter to
him, and pay your passage.'"

"What objection would you make to this?" said I.

He