k manner of expressing himself, and feared
lest the famous name of the chivalry should suffer from his unconscious
disclosures.

"Provisions! George, you know my feelings concerning that vice which is
so universally practised in our community. If you know of any provision,
it's more than I do. Perhaps you are older and have had more experience.
'Tis the want of such a provision that is just destroying our
institution of slavery!"

At this juncture the Captain interrupted them, and begging that the
Colonel would finish the story about Jones, said he had a few questions
to ask them after it was through.

"Well," said the Colonel, "Jones died, I believe; but his family are as
industrious as ever, and have made money enough to live comfortable; but
the scamps have turned out perfect helpmates of the abolitionists, and
make their intelligence figure at the bottom of many an escape. But
Lee's case is as hard as Jones's. His son went to New York to see his
grandfather, and was debarred by the same statute of limitations. Lee,
however, was a very capable fellow, and after trying for two years, and
finding it would be impossible to return to his father, very shrewdly
set about some kind of business, and is now largely engaged in the
preserve and pickle business. Lee's celebrated pickle and preserve
establishment, New York. The father is now in this city, making a living
for his family at something or other. He has made several efforts to
sell out his little property, but there's some trouble about the
title; and if he leaves it to go and see his son, he knows what the
consequences will be; and to leave it for settlement would be to abandon
it, to the same fate that swallowed up Jones's. Thus the son cannot come
to visit his father, nor the father go to visit the son. This, in my
opinion, is carrying a prohibition to an extreme point; and although
I believe the law should be maintained, I cannot believe that any good
arises from it upon such people as the Jones's and Lee's, from the very
fact that they never associated with niggers. Hence, where there is
no grounds for fear there can be no cause for action," continued the
Colonel.

"Just what I wanted to know," said the Captain. "As I informed you, I am
driven into your port in distress. Charleston, as you are aware, is in
an advantageous latitude for vessels to refit that have met with those
disasters which, are frequent in the gulf and among the Bahamas. Thus I
expected to