dren, no law against custom and tradition would have
been violated, and no one would suggest that he be punished for what he
had done. Knowing these facts as you do, you ought to rise to the
dignity of the occasion and protect this good and innocent man from the
cruel, unjust, and unreasonable demands that are now being made upon you
to dispense with his valuable services. This gentleman, to my personal
knowledge, is not only worthy of whatever you may do for him, but his
elegant and accomplished wife is one of the finest and most cultivated
ladies it has ever been my good fortune to know. She is not only
remarkably intelligent, but she is a woman of fine natural ability and
of superior attainments. She is such a brilliant conversationalist,--so
interesting, so instructive and so entertaining,--that it is a great
pleasure and satisfaction to have the opportunity of being in her
delightful presence, and of sitting within the sound of her sweet,
charming, and musical voice. In physical development she is as near
perfection as it is possible for a woman to be. I have had the good
fortune of knowing her well for a number of years, and I have always
admired her for her excellent traits and admirable qualities. She is a
woman that would ornament and grace the parlor and honor the home of the
finest and best man that ever lived, regardless of his race or
nationality or the station he may occupy in life, however exalted that
station may be. She married the man of her choice because she had
learned to love and honor him, and because, in her opinion, he possessed
everything, except wealth, that was calculated to contribute to her
comfort, pleasure and happiness. In a recent conversation I had with
her, her beautiful, large dark eyes sparkled with delight, and her sweet
and lovely face was suffused with a smile of satisfaction when she
informed me that she had never had occasion to regret her selection of a
husband. She was then the mother of several very handsome children, to
whom she pointed with pardonable pride. The products of such a union
could not possibly be otherwise than attractive, for the father was a
remarkably handsome man, while the mother was a personification of the
typical southern beauty. The man was devoted to his family. How could he
be otherwise? Husband and wife were so strongly attached to each other
that both were more than willing to make any sacrifice that cruel fate
might have in store for them.

"I the