ow surprised she would be," said I, "to see it in print, or to know
that it had wandered here, and was taking part in the discussions about
slavery."

"The letter," said Mrs. North, "would, just now, seem like Noah's poor
little dove, wandering over wrecks and desolations."

"True," said I, "and to finish the illusion, it might come back to her
after many days, and lo! in its mouth an olive-leaf plucked off!"

"Give my love to her," said Mrs. North; "her letter has made me a better
and happier woman. Now I love my whole country. I do justice in my
feelings to hundreds of thousands whom I have hitherto regarded as
perverse. I now see God's wonder-working providence in connection with
the slave. It seems plain to me in what way the Union can be saved, and
that is, by the general prevalence at the North of such views about
slavery as the very best people at the South declare to be just and
right."

"You would be deemed simple for saying that, Mrs. North," said I. "But
you are right."

"Three things," she continued, after a moment's pause, "are more
strongly impressed on my mind; please see if I am right:--That the
relation of master and slave is not in itself sinful; That good people
at the South feel toward injustice and cruelty precisely like us; and,
That Southern Christians can correct all the evils in slavery, or
abolish it, if necessary, better without our aid than with it."

"Mrs. North," said I, "unless we accept those propositions, the North
and South never can live together in peace; and if we separate, the
Northern conscience will be in a worse condition than ever, and we shall
have long wars."

"It is a marvellous thing to me," said she, "as I now view it, that our
good Christian people here are not willing to confide in that which good
Southern Christian people say about slavery. We should trust their
judgments, their moral sentiments, their consciences, on any other
subject. How is it that when men and women, who are the excellent of the
earth, tell us the results of their observation, experience, and
reflections, with regard to slavery, we treat them as we do? When
ill-mannered people, who must be vituperative and saucy to every body
and in every thing, behave thus, it is not surprising; but I cannot
explain why truly good men should not either adopt the deliberate
sentiments of good people at the South, or at least consent to leave the
subject, if beyond their faith or discernment, to the responsibi