ndications of
Providence. A friend reminds him of what the apostle says, "Let every man
abide in the condition in which he is called," and he immediately uses this
simile: "I wonder, Mr. Wilson, if the Indians should come, and take you a
prisoner, away from your wife and children, and want to keep you all your
life hoeing corn for them, if you'd think it your duty to abide in that
condition in which you were called. I rather think, that you'd think the
first stray horse you could find an indication of Providence--shouldn't
you?"

This does not apply to slavery. A man born a slave, in a country where
slavery is allowed by law, should feel the obligation of doing his duty
while a slave; but Mr. Wilson, carried off by Indians, would feel as if he
had been called to a state of life previous to the one in which he was so
unfortunate to be doomed, while he was among savages.

George goes on to say--"Let any man take care that tries to stop me, for I
am desperate, and I'll fight for my liberty. You say your fathers did it:
if it was right for them, it is right for me."

Too fast, George! You are out in your history, too. Your master must be a
remarkably ignorant man if you know more than he. Our glorious ancestors
were never condemned to slavery, they nor their fathers, by God himself.
Neither have they ever been considered in the light of runaways; they came
off with full permission, and having _honestly_ and _honorably_ attained
their liberties, they fought for them.

Besides being of a prettier complexion, and coming of a better stock than
you, they were _prepared_ to be free. There is a great deal in that.

Then, those very ancestors of ours--ah! there's the rub--(and the ancestors
of the Abolitionists, too,) they got us and you into this difficulty--think
of it! They had your ancestors up there in New England, until they found
you were so lazy, and died off so in their cold climate, that it _did not
pay to keep you_. So I repeat to you the advice of Mr. Wilson, "Be careful,
my boy; don't shoot anybody, George, unless--well--you'd better not shoot,
I reckon; at least, I wouldn't hit anybody, you know."

As regards the practice of marking negroes in the hand, I look upon it as
one of the imaginary horrors of the times--delusion like spiritual
rappings, got up out of sheer timidity of disposition, though I have heard
of burning old women for witches in New England, and placing a scarlet
letter on the bosom of some unhap