e amount again for negroes, and some _et ceteras_. You are the
very people to make a fuss about your neighbours, having been so
excessively righteous yourselves. No wonder that the author left it out in
a succeeding edition. I am surprised he ever put it in at all."
"It seems more like peddling with the poor devils than any thing else,"
said Abel. "But you must remember the _spirit of the age_, Arthur, as Mr.
Hubbard calls it?"
"Yes," said Arthur, "I forgot that; but I wonder if Mr. Hubbard excuses the
conduct of England to her colonies in consideration of the spirit of the
age--_that_ allowed taxation and all of her other forms of oppression, I
suppose. It is a kind of charity that covers a multitude of sins. But I was
saying," continued Arthur, "that I could not make you out. While they were
carrying on two kinds of slave trade, they were discussing in Boston the
propriety of women's wearing veils, having lectures about it. Let me read
to you. 'Mr. Cotton, though while in England of an opposite opinion on this
subject, maintained that in countries where veils were to be a sign of
submission, they might be properly disused. But Mr. Endicott took different
ground, and endeavored to retain it by general argument from St. Paul. Mr.
Williams sided with his parishioner. Through his and others' influence,
veils were worn abundantly. At the time they were the most fashionable, Mr.
Cotton came to preach for Mr. Skelton. His subject was upon wearing veils.
He endeavored to prove that this was a custom not to be tolerated. The
consequence was, that the ladies became converts to his faith in this
particular, and for a long time left off an article of dress, which
indicated too great a degree of submission to the lords of creation.' Did
you ever hear of such a set of old meddlers, lecturing and preaching about
women's dressing. I suppose the men wore petticoats at that time
themselves."
"If they did," said Abel, "I am very glad they have turned them over to
the other sex since, as they are worn in the number which the present
fashion requires. I should think they would be very uncomfortable. But,
Arthur, I heard such a good story the other day, about Lawyer Page. He
fights bravely with his tongue for other people's rights, but he daren't
say his soul's his own before his wife. Well, when that affair came out
about Morton's whipping his wife, as he was going to the Courthouse, Page
said to old Captain Caldwell, 'Do you know, ca
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