dvice."

"Well, master," said Bacchus, "I wish to de Lord we could take 'em all to
Virginny, and give 'em a good coat of tar and feathers; thar's all them
feathers poor Aunt Peggy had in them barrels. We aint got no call for 'em
at home. I wish we could put 'em to some use. I wouldn't like no better fun
than to spread de tar on neat, and den stick de feathers on close and
thick."

"Well, Bacchus," said Mr. Weston, "its near bedtime, and I am not well; so
I will retire."

"Certainly, master; you must 'scuse me, I'm afeard I've kep you up; I felt
mightily for them poor creaturs, thar. Lor', master, I aint nigh so weakly
as you, and think I nussed you, and used to toat you on my back when you
was a little boy. You was mighty fat, I tell you--I used to think my back
would bust, sometimes, but I'm pretty strong yet. 'Pears like I could toat
you now, if I was to try."

"Not to-night, thank you, Bacchus. Though if any thing should occur to make
it necessary, I will call you," said Mr. Weston.

Bacchus slept in a kind of closet bedroom off his master's, and he went in
accordingly, but after a few moments returned, finding Mr. Weston in bed.

"Will you have any thing, sir?"

"Nothing, to-night."

"Well, master, I was thinkin to say one thing more, and 'tis, if dese
Abolitioners, dat has so much larnin, if they only had some of the Bible
larnin my wife has, how much good 'twould do 'em. My wife says, 'God put
her here a slave, and she's a gwine to wait for Him to set her free; if he
aint ready to do so till he calls her to Heaven, she's willin to wait.'
Lord, sir, my wife, she sets at de feet of Jesus, and larns her Bible. I
reckon de Abolitioners aint willin to do that; they don't want to get so
low down; 'pears as if they aint willin to go about doin good like Jesus
did, but they must be puttin up poor slaves to sin and sorrow. Well,
they've got to go to their account, any how."

Bacchus finally retired, but it was with difficulty he composed himself to
sleep. He was still mentally discussing that great subject, Abolition,
which, like a mighty tempest, was shaking the whole country. All at once it
occurred to him "that it wouldn't do no good to worry about it," so he
settled himself to sleep. A bright idea crossed his mind as he closed his
eyes upon the embers that were fading on the hearth in his master's room;
in another moment he was reposing, in utter oblivion of all things, whether
concerning his own affairs or t