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Show 26 THE MONTHLY OFFERING. Abraham gave evidence, in all his re111arks, of sound sense and right feeling. Aware that his own case differed from that of his wife, he being a fugitive, and she protected by the law in the enjoyment of her freedom, he laid his plans for safety with acuteness, and followed them out wllh steadiness. He keenly realized,though the fair and the wealthy find it difficult to do so,that the freest state of the twenty six has so much to do with slavery that there is not a foot of ground in all its fair territory where the fugitive may feel secure. Not a hamlet where he can be assured. that men will let the outcast dwell with them and bewray not him that wandereth. Both the husband and wife were perfectly aware of the cares and duties of freedom-of its responsibilities, as well as of its delights. "No," snid Pinda, "in reply to one who querie<! whether slavery were not as easy to be borne as the disadvantages and possible privation~ of their new condition,-" a crust here, with only cold water, is better than the greatest plenty in slavery. All my youth I have suffered under different mistresses with no enjoyment of my family. Now, Abraham is with me. I will take care of him-he will take care of me. We may suffer with the cold-we may suffer from want, but our last days will be our best days, .for we are FREE." CH-APTER Vlli.-THE WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION. Two ways opened to Abraham, either of which would ensure his safety from pursuit. One was the way to Canada- the other to Guiana. While making up his mind respecting them, his thoughts often reverted to the condition of his afflicted people at the South ; and he felt, what every human soul ougltt deeply to feel,-" that Freedom itself is not sweet to a man, while a brother is suffering in bondage." Many a midnight found him in discussion with Pinda upon the "principles 'W.d measures of Anti-Slavery Societies." It wae surprtsino- how little difficulty they found in comprehendin!l" ]Jrobl;ms that had puzzled Theological institutions, and whole bodies of clergymen. They PINDA :-A TRUE TALE. 27 saw, as by intuition, how their former Master's north ern friends and associates might bring him to understand, if they would, that slavery was an intolerable abomination. It was no riddle to them " 'Vhat the North had to do with it." It was to them as clear as the sun at noon-day, that the n oston man who manufactured "negro-cloths" for the Savannah man, and took his pay in cotton, had precisely the same interest in the continuance of slavery as the latter. It was no marvel to them that the members of Park St. Bowdoin St. Federal St. and Berry St. &c. who perchance held mortgages of Southern property, or deeds of Alabama lands, should give their respective ministers to understand that it was disagreeable to them to hear notices read on Sunday of an anti-slavery~eeting. They had had opportunities to know how many"· northern conscience is killed with kindness al the South,-and how many a southern conscience, strengthened in iniquity by the conduct of professors of religion at the North. It looked as clear as day to them, that the more members there were in a church, the easier the minister's salary was raised :-and they saw that as matters stood, the richest men would be the first to quit a church whose discipline forbade participation in slaveholding. They saw why it should be as much as a minister's living was worth to be an abolitionist, and what made it so difficult to" work with Mr. Garrison." That enigma, "immediate emancipation," was not too much for tlteir philosophy: that dark saying" slavery is a sin in all circumstances," looked luminous to their ethics. Anti-Slavery Societies of men and women, helping each other to put a stop to slavery, looked to them as natural as life, and as beautiful as religion. If a man hated slavery, they saw that he would just as surely call" all hands to the work," as he would breathe. But then they had had those actual illuminations on the subject, before which the fashionable mental difficulties flee away like fog before the sun of a summer morning. Thirty- nine lashes, well laid on, or the severing of the first-born, |