G??preached a splendid sermon,? said Marie?It was just such a sermon as you ought to hear; it expressed all my views exactly ?It must have been very improving,? said St?The subject must have been an extensive one ?Well, I mean all my views about society, and such things,? said Marie?The text was, ?He hath made everything beautiful in its season;? and he showed how all the orders and distinctions in society came from God; and that it was so appropriate, you know, and beautiful, that some should be high and some low, and that some were born to rule and some to serve, and all that, you know; and he applied it so well to all this ridiculous fuss that is made about slavery, and he proved distinctly that the Bible was on our side, and supported all our institutions so convincinglyI only wish you?d heard him ?O, I didn?t need it,? said St?I can learn what does me as much good as that from the Picayune, any time, and smoke a cigar besides; which I can?t do, you know, in a church ?Why,? said Miss Ophelia, ?don?t you believe in these views?? ?Who,?I? You know I?m such a graceless dog that these religious aspects of such subjects don?t edify me muchIf I was to say anything on this slavery matter, I would say out, fair and square, ?We?re in for it; we?ve got ?em, and mean to keep ?em,?it?s for our convenience and our interest;? for that?s the long and short of it,?that?s just the whole of what all this sanctified stuff amounts to, after all; and I think that it will be intelligible to everybody, everywhere ?I do think, Augustine, you are so irreverent!? said Marie?I think it?s shocking to hear you talk ?Shocking! it?s the truthThis religious talk on such matters,?why don?t they carry it a little further, and show the beauty, in its season, of a fellow?s taking a glass too much, and sitting a little too late over his cards, and various providential arrangements of that sort, which are pretty frequent among us young men;?we?d like to hear that those are right and godly, too ?Well,? said Miss Ophelia, ?do you think slavery right or wrong?? I?m not going to have any of your horrid New England directness, cousin,? said St?If I answer that question, I know you?ll be at me with half a dozen others, each one harder than the last; and I?m not a going to define my positionI am one of the sort that lives by throwing stones at other people?s glass houses, but I never mean to put up one for them to stone ?That?s just the way he?s always talking,? said Marie; ?you can?t get any satisfaction out of himI believe it?s just because he don?t like religion, that he?s always running out in this way he?s been doing ?Religion!? said StClare, in a tone that made both ladies look at him?Religion! Is what you hear at church, religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? Is that religion which is less scrupulous, less generous, less just, less considerate for man, than even my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, and not something beneath ?Then you don?t believe that the Bible justifies slavery,? said Miss Ophelia ?The Bible was my mother?s book,? said St?By it she lived and died, and I would be very sorry to think it didI?d as soon desire to have it proved that my mother could drink brandy, chew tobacco, and swear, by way of satisfying me that I did right in doing the sameIt wouldn?t make me at all more satisfied with these things in myself, and it would take from me the comfort of respecting her; and it really is a comfort, in this world, to have anything one can respectIn short, you see,? said he, suddenly resuming his gay tone, ?all I want is that different things be kept in different boxesThe whole frame-work of society, both in Europe and America, is made up of various things which will not stand the scrutiny of any very ideal standard of moralityIt?s pretty generally understood that men don?t aspire after the absolute right, but only to do about as well as the rest of the worldNow, when any one speaks up, like a man, and says slavery is necessary to us, we can?t get along without it, we should be beggared if we give it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on to it,?this is strong, clear, well-defined language; it has the respectability of truth to it; and, if we may judge by their practice, the majority of the world will bear us out in itBut when he begins to put on a long face, and snuffle, and quote Scripture, I incline to think he isn?t much better than he should be ?You are very uncharitable,? said MarieClare, ?suppose that something should bring down the price of cotton once and forever, and make the whole slave property a drug in the market, don?t you think we should soon have another version of the Scripture doctrine? What a flood of light would pour into the church, all at once, and how immediately it would be discovered that everything in the Bible and reason went the other way!? ?Well, at any rate,? said Marie, as she reclined herself on a lounge, ?I?m thankful I?m born where slavery exists; and I believe it?s right,?indeed, I feel it must be; and, at any rate, I?m sure I couldn?t get along without it ?I say, what do you think, Pussy?? said her father to Eva, who came in at this moment, with a flower in her hand ?What about, papa?? ?Why, which do you like the best,?to live as they do at your uncle?s, up in Vermont, or to have a house-full of servants, as we do?? ?O, of course, our way is the pleasantest,? said EvaClare, stroking her head ?Why, it makes so many more round you to love, you know,? said Eva, looking up earnestly ?Now, that?s just like Eva,? said Marie; ?just one of her odd shop speeches

You want a wife to nurse and look after you a bit, that you do!" As she spoke, Lucy turned crimson, though it was only momentarily, for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long an unwonted drain to the headThe reaction came in excessive pallor as she turned imploring eyes on meI smiled and nodded, and laid my finger on my lipsWith a sigh, she sank back amid her pillows Van Helsing returned in a couple of hours, and presently said to me: "Now you go home, and eat much and drink enoughI stay here tonight, and I shall sit up with little miss myselfYou and I must watch the case, and we must have none other to knowDo not fear to think even the most not-improbable In the hall two of the maids came to me, and asked if they or either of them might not sit up with Miss LucyThey implored me to let them, and when I said it was DrVan Helsing's wish that either he or I should sit up, they asked me quite piteously to intercede with the 'foreign gentleman'I was much touched by their kindnessPerhaps it is because I am weak at present, and perhaps because it was on Lucy's account, that their devotion was manifestedFor over and over again have I seen similar instances of woman's kindnessI got back here in time for a late dinner, went my rounds, all well, and set this down whilst waiting for sleep-This afternoon I went over to HillinghamFound Van Helsing in excellent spirits, and Lucy much betterShortly after I had arrived, a big parcel from abroad came for the ProfessorHe opened it with much impressment, assumed, of course, and showed a great bundle of white flowers "These are for you, Miss Lucy," he saidVan Helsing!" "Yes, my dear, but not for you to play with Here Lucy made a wry face"Nay, but they are not to take in a decoction or in nauseous form, so you need not snub that so charming nose, or I shall point out to my friend Arthur what woes he may have to endure in seeing so much beauty that he so loves so much distortAha, my pretty miss, that bring the so nice nose all straight againThis is medicinal, but you do not know howI put him in your window, I make pretty wreath, and hang him round your neck, so you sleep wellOh, yes! They, like the lotus flower, make your trouble forgottenIt smell so like the waters of Lethe, and of that fountain of youth that the Conquistadores sought for in the Floridas, and find him all too late Whilst he was speaking, Lucy had been examining the flowers and smelling themNow she threw them down saying, with half laughter, and half disgust, "Oh, Professor, I believe you are only putting up a joke on meWhy, these flowers are only common garlic To my surprise, Van Helsing rose up and said with all his sternness, his iron jaw set and his bushy eyebrows meeting, "No trifling with me! I never jest! There is grim purpose in what I do, and I warn you that you do not thwart meTake care, for the sake of others if not for your own Then seeing poor Lucy scared, as she might well be, he went on more gently, "Oh, little miss, my dear, do not fear meI only do for your good, but there is much virtue to you in those so common flowersSee, I place them myself in your roomI make myself the wreath that you are to wearBut hush! No telling to others that make so inquisitive questionsWe must obey, and silence is a part of obedience, and obedience is to bring you strong and well into loving arms that wait for youNow sit still a shop while

You want a wife to nurse and look after you a bit, that you do!" As she spoke, Lucy turned crimson, though it was only momentarily, for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long an unwonted drain to the headThe reaction came in excessive pallor as she turned imploring eyes on meI smiled and nodded, and laid my finger on my lipsWith a sigh, she sank back amid her pillows Van Helsing returned in a couple of hours, and presently said to me: "Now you go home, and eat much and drink enoughI stay here tonight, and I shall sit up with little miss myselfYou and I must watch the case, and we must have none other to knowDo not fear to think even the most not-improbable In the hall two of the maids came to me, and asked if they or either of them might not sit up with Miss LucyThey implored me to let them, and when I said it was DrVan Helsing's wish that either he or I should sit up, they asked me quite piteously to intercede with the 'foreign gentleman'I was much touched by their kindnessPerhaps it is because I am weak at present, and perhaps because it was on Lucy's account, that their devotion was manifestedFor over and over again have I seen similar instances of woman's kindnessI got back here in time for a late dinner, went my rounds, all well, and set this down whilst waiting for sleep-This afternoon I went over to HillinghamFound Van Helsing in excellent spirits, and Lucy much betterShortly after I had arrived, a big parcel from abroad came for the ProfessorHe opened it with much impressment, assumed, of course, and showed a great bundle of white flowers "These are for you, Miss Lucy," he saidVan Helsing!" "Yes, my dear, but not for you to play with Here Lucy made a wry face"Nay, but they are not to take in a decoction or in nauseous form, so you need not snub that so charming nose, or I shall point out to my friend Arthur what woes he may have to endure in seeing so much beauty that he so loves so much distortAha, my pretty miss, that bring the so nice nose all straight againThis is medicinal, but you do not know howI put him in your window, I make pretty wreath, and hang him round your neck, so you sleep wellOh, yes! They, like the lotus flower, make your trouble forgottenIt smell so like the waters of Lethe, and of that fountain of youth that the Conquistadores sought for in the Floridas, and find him all too late Whilst he was speaking, Lucy had been examining the flowers and smelling themNow she threw them down saying, with half laughter, and half disgust, "Oh, Professor, I believe you are only putting up a joke on meWhy, these flowers are only common garlic To my surprise, Van Helsing rose up and said with all his sternness, his iron jaw set and his bushy eyebrows meeting, "No trifling with me! I never jest! There is grim purpose in what I do, and I warn you that you do not thwart meTake care, for the sake of others if not for your own Then seeing poor Lucy scared, as she might well be, he went on more gently, "Oh, little miss, my dear, do not fear meI only do for your good, but there is much virtue to you in those so common flowersSee, I place them myself in your roomI make myself the wreath that you are to wearBut hush! No telling to others that make so inquisitive questionsWe must obey, and silence is a part of obedience, and obedience is to bring you strong and well into loving arms that wait for youNow sit still a shop while

?Old Uncle Peter sung both de legs out of dat oldest cheer, last week,? suggested Mose ?You go long! I?ll boun? you pulled ?em out; some o? your shines,? said Aunt Chloe ?Well, it?ll stand, if it only keeps jam up agin de wall!? said Mose ?Den Uncle Peter mus?n?t sit in it, cause he al?ays hitches when he gets a singingHe hitched pretty nigh across de room, t? other night,? said Pete ?Good Lor! get him in it, then,? said Mose, ?and den he?d begin, ?Come saints?and sinners, hear me tell,? and den down he?d go,??and Mose imitated precisely the nasal tones of the old man, tumbling on the floor, to illustrate the supposed catastrophe ?Come now, be decent, can?t ye?? said Aunt Chloe; ?an?t yer shamed?? Mas?r George, however, joined the offender in the laugh, and declared decidedly that Mose was a ?buster So the maternal admonition seemed rather to fail of effect ?Well, ole man,? said Aunt Chloe, ?you?ll have to tote in them ar bar?ls ?Mother?s bar?ls is like dat ar widder?s, Mas?r George was reading ?bout, in de good book,?dey never fails,? said Mose, aside to Peter ?I?m sure one on ?em caved in last week,? said Pete, ?and let ?em all down in de middle of de singin?; dat ar was failin?, warnt it?? During this aside between Mose and Pete, two empty casks had been rolled into the cabin, and being secured from rolling, by stones on each side, boards were laid across them, which arrangement, together with the turning down of certain tubs and pails, and the disposing of the rickety chairs, at last completed the preparation ?Mas?r George is such a beautiful reader, now, I know he?ll stay to read for us,? said Aunt Chloe; ??pears like ?t will be so much more interestin? George very readily consented, for your boy is always ready for anything that makes him of importance The room was soon filled with a motley assemblage, from the old gray-headed patriarch of eighty, to the young girl and lad of fifteenA little harmless gossip ensued on various themes, such as where old Aunt Sally got her new red headkerchief, and how ?Missis was a going to give Lizzy that spotted muslin gown, when she?d got her new berage made up;? and how Mas?r Shelby was thinking of buying a new sorrel colt, that was going to prove an addition to the glories of the placeA few of the worshippers belonged to families hard by, who had got permission to attend, and who brought in various choice scraps of information, about the sayings and doings at the house and on the place, which circulated as freely as the same sort of small change does in higher circles After a while the singing commenced, to the evident delight of all presentNot even all the disadvantage of nasal intonation could prevent the effect of the naturally fine voices, in airs at once wild and spiritedThe words were sometimes the well-known and common hymns sung in the churches about, and sometimes of a wilder, more indefinite character, picked up at camp-meetings The chorus of one of them, which ran as follows, was sung with great energy and unction: ?Die on the field of battle, Die on the field of battle, Glory in my soul Another special favorite had oft repeated the words? ?O, I?m going to glory,?won?t you come along with me? Don?t you see the angels beck?ning, and a calling me away? Don?t you see the golden city and the everlasting day?? There were others, which made incessant mention of ?Jordan?s banks,? and ?Canaan?s fields,? and the ?New Jerusalem;? for the negro mind, impassioned and imaginative, always attaches itself to hymns and expressions of a vivid and pictorial nature; and, as they sung, some laughed, and some cried, and some clapped hands, or shook hands rejoicingly with each other, as if they had fairly gained the other side of the river Various exhortations, or relations of experience, followed, and intermingled with the singingOne old gray-headed woman, long past work, but much revered as a sort of chronicle of the past, rose, and leaning on her staff, said??Well, chil?en! Well, I?m mighty glad to hear ye all and see ye all once more, ?cause I don?t know when I?ll be gone to glory; but I?ve done got ready, chil?en; ?pears like I?d got my little bundle all tied up, and my bonnet on, jest a waitin? for the stage to come along and take me home; sometimes, in the night, I think I hear the wheels a rattlin?, and I?m lookin? out all the time; now, you jest be ready too, for I tell ye all, chil?en,? she said striking her staff hard on the floor, ?dat ar glory is a mighty thing! It?s a mighty thing, chil?en,?you don?no nothing about it,?it?s wonderful And the old creature sat down, with streaming tears, as wholly overcome, while the whole circle struck up? ?O Canaan, bright Canaan I?m bound for the land of Canaan Mas?r George, by request, read the last chapters of Revelation, often interrupted by such exclamations as ?The sakes now!? ?Only hear that!? ?Jest think on ?t!? ?Is all that a comin? sure enough?? George, who was a bright boy, and well trained in religious things by his mother, finding himself an object of general admiration, threw in expositions of his own, from time to time, with a commendable seriousness and gravity, for which he was admired by the young and blessed by the old; and it was agreed, on all hands, that ?a minister couldn?t lay it off better than he did; that ??t was reely ?mazin?!? Uncle Tom was a sort of patriarch in religious matters, in the neighborhoodHaving, naturally, an organization in which the morale was strongly predominant, together with a greater breadth and cultivation of mind than obtained among his companions, he was looked up to with great respect, as a sort of minister among them; and the simple, hearty, sincere style of his exhortations might have edified even better educated personsBut it was in prayer that he especially excelledNothing could exceed the touching simplicity, the childlike earnestness, of his prayer, enriched with the language of Scripture, which seemed so entirely to have wrought itself into his being, as to have become a part of himself, and to drop from his lips unconsciously; in the language of a pious old negro, he ?prayed right up And so much did his prayer always work on the devotional feelings of his audiences, that there seemed often a danger that it would be lost altogether in the abundance of the responses which broke out everywhere around him While this scene was passing in the cabin of the man, one quite otherwise passed in the halls of the masterShelby were seated together in the dining room afore-named, at a table covered with papers and writing utensilsShelby was busy in counting some bundles of bills, which, as they were counted, he pushed over to the trader, who counted them likewise ?All fair,? said the trader; ?and now for signing these yerShelby hastily drew the bills of sale towards him, and signed them, like a man that hurries over some disagreeable business, and then pushed them over with the moneyHaley produced, from a well-worn valise, a parchment, which, after looking over it a moment, he handed to MrShelby, who took it with a gesture of suppressed eagerness ?Wal, now, the thing?s done!? said the trader, getting up ?It?s done!? said MrShelby, in a musing tone; and, fetching a long breath, he repeated, ?It?s done!? ?Yer don?t seem to feel much pleased with it, ?pears to me,? said the traderShelby, ?I hope you?ll remember that you promised, on your honor, you wouldn?t sell Tom, without knowing what sort of hands he?s going shop into

THE ESCAPED WOLF PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF OUR INTERVIEWER INTERVIEW WITH THE KEEPER IN THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS After many inquiries and almost as many refusals, and perpetually using the words 'PALL MALL GAZETTE' as a sort of talisman, I managed to find the keeper of the section of the Zoological Gardens in which the wolf department is includedThomas Bilder lives in one of the cottages in the enclosure behind the elephant house, and was just sitting down to his tea when I found himThomas and his wife are hospitable folk, elderly, and without children, and if the specimen I enjoyed of their hospitality be of the average kind, their lives must be pretty comfortableThe keeper would not enter on what he called business until the supper was over, and we were all satisfiedThen when the table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said, "Now, Sir, you can go on and arsk me what you wantYou'll excoose me refoosin' to talk of perfeshunal subjucts afore mealsI gives the wolves and the jackals and the hyenas in all our section their tea afore I begins to arsk them questions "How do you mean, ask them questions?" I queried, wishful to get him into a talkative humor "'Ittin' of them over the 'ead with a pole is one wayScratchin' of their ears in another, when gents as is flush wants a bit of a show-orf to their galsI don't so much mind the fust, the 'ittin of the pole part afore I chucks in their dinner, but I waits till they've 'ad their sherry and kawffee, so to speak, afore I tries on with the ear scratchin'Mind you," he added philosophically, "there's a deal of the same nature in us as in them theer animilesHere's you a-comin' and arskin' of me questions about my business, and I that grump-like that only for your bloomin' 'arf-quid I'd 'a' seen you blowed fust 'fore I'd answerNot even when you arsked me sarcastic like if I'd like you to arsk the Superintendent if you might arsk me questionsWithout offence did I tell yer to go to 'ell?" "You did "An' when you said you'd report me for usin' obscene language that was 'ittin' me over the 'eadBut the 'arf-quid made that all rightI weren't a-goin' to fight, so I waited for the food, and did with my 'owl as the wolves and lions and tigers doesBut, lor' love yer 'art, now that the old 'ooman has stuck a chunk of her tea-cake in me, an' rinsed me out with her bloomin' old teapot, and I've lit hup, you may scratch my ears for all you're worth, and won't even get a growl out of meDrive along with your questionsI know what yer a-comin' at, that 'ere escaped wolfI want you to give me your view of itJust tell me how it happened, and when I know the facts I'll get you to say what you consider was the cause of it, and how you think the whole affair will end "All right, guv'norThis 'ere is about the 'ole storyThat 'ere wolf what we called Bersicker was one of three gray ones that came from Norway to Jamrach's, which we bought off him four years agoHe was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk ofI'm more surprised at 'im for wantin' to get out nor any other animile in the placeBut, there, you can't trust wolves no more nor women "Don't you mind him, Sir!" broke in MrsTom, with a cheery laugh"'E's got mindin' the animiles so long that blest if he ain't like a old wolf 'isself! But there ain't no 'arm in 'im "Well, Sir, it was about two hours after feedin' yesterday when I first hear my disturbanceI was makin' up a litter in the monkey house for a young puma which is illBut when I heard the yelpin' and 'owlin' I kem away straightThere was Bersicker a-tearin' like a mad thing at the bars as if he wanted to get outThere wasn't much people about that day, and close at hand was only one man, a tall, thin chap, with a 'ook nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs runnin' through itHe had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was 'im as they was hirritated atHe 'ad white kid gloves on 'is 'ands, and he pointed out the animiles to me and says, 'Keeper, these wolves seem upset at something' "'Maybe it's you,' says I, for I did not like the airs as he give shop 'isself