eplied Mr. Lane.

"You have thought proper to ask me a number of very pointed questions,
and I have merely answered them according to my views of truth."

"You make a very sweeping declaration," said one of the friends of
Rowley. "Suppose you give some proof of your assertion?"

"That I can readily do if it is desired."

"I desire it, then," said Rowley.

"Do you remember the five bales of cotton you sold to Peterson?"
inquired Mr. Lane.

Rowley replied that he did, but evinced some uneasiness of manner at
the question.

"They were damaged," said Lane.

"I sold them as I bought them," returned Rowley.

"Did you buy them as damaged?"

"No, I bought the cotton as a good article."

"And sold it as good?"

Mr. Rowley seemed a little confused.

"I sold the cotton at twelve cents a pound," was the reply. "Nothing
was said about the quality."

"Twelve cents is the price of a prime article. If you had been asked by
Peterson if the cotton were in good condition, would you have answered
affirmatively?"

"Do you think I would tell a lie?" asked Mr. Rowley, indignantly.

"Our acts are the most perfect expressions of our intentions," replied
Mr. Lane. "You were deceived in your purchase of the cotton; the
article proved so near valueless, as not to be really worth three cents
a pound. You discovered this, as I have the best reasons for knowing,
almost as soon as it came into your possession; and yet you offered it
to Peterson, who, not suspecting for a moment that any thing was wrong,
bought it at the regular market-rate as good. You saved yourself; but
Peterson, though not a professor of religion, was too honest to put his
bad bargain off upon another. Now, if that act, on your part, was
loving your neighbour as yourself, I must own to a very perverted
understanding of the sacred precept. I, though no church member, would
have put my head into the fire rather than do such an act."

Mr. Rowley, much confused by so direct a charge, attempted to explain
the matter away, alleging that he did not think that the article was so
badly damaged--that he sold as he bought--that it wasn't right that he
should bear all the loss, with much more to the same purpose; to all of
which Lane opposed but little. He had presented the case already strong
enough for all to see how far it comported with Christian morality. But
he had more to say:--

"Beyond this, which I bring forward as a specimen of the character of
your dealings