ly
grateful to have had thee a longer time with us, and we hope thy next
visit may be less brief. By the way, dear, as I love frankness, I am
going to tell thee what I have thought in reading thy note. It seemed
to me thy proposal 'to spend a day' with us was made under a little
feeling something like this: 'Well, after all, I am not quite certain
I shall be an acceptable visitor.' I can only say that it is no
surprise to me that thou shouldst be beset with such a temptation, but
set a strong guard against this entrance to thy heart, lest the
adversary poison all the springs of comfort. I want thee to rise above
the suspicions which are so naturally aroused. They are among the
subtle devices of Satan, by which he alienates us from Jesus, and
makes us go mourning on our way with the language in our hearts: 'Is
there not a cause?'"

Angelina adds:--

"MY DEAR SARAH,--I can fully unite with my precious sister in all she
has said relative to thy late visit to us. Theodore and I both felt
surprised and disappointed that thou proposedst spending but one day
with us when we had expected a visit of a week. It was indeed a
comfort to receive such a letter from thee, dear, and yet there was
much of pain mingled in the feeling. Thou thankest us for our
'Christian conduct.' In what did it consist? In receiving and treating
thee as an equal, a sister beloved in the Lord? Oh, how humbling to
receive such thanks! What a crowd of reflections throng the mind as we
inquire, _Why_ does her full heart thus overflow with gratitude? Yes,
how irresistibly are we led to contemplate the woes which iron-hearted
prejudice inflicts on the oppressed of our land, the hidden sorrows
they endure--the full cup of bitterness which is wrung out to them by
the hands of professed followers of Him who is no respecter of
persons. And oh, how these reflections ought to lead us to labor and
to pray that the time may soon come when thou canst no longer write
_such_ a letter! The Lord in his mercy has made our little household
_one_ in sentiment on this subject, and we know we have been blessed
in the exercise of those Christian feelings which He hath taught us to
cherish, not only towards the outraged people of color, but towards
that large class of individuals who serve in families, and are, at the
same time, almost completely separated from human society and sympathy
so far as their employers are concerned.

"Let me tell thee, dear Sarah, how much good it