lecture on Toussaint L'Ouverture.

"Well, there is a pretty fair infusion of Anglo Saxon blood among our
slaves, now," said Augustine. "There are plenty among them who have only
enough of the African to give a sort of tropical warmth and fervor to
our calculating firmness and foresight. If ever the San Domingo hour
comes, Anglo Saxon blood will lead on the day. Sons of white fathers,
with all our haughty feelings burning in their veins, will not always
be bought and sold and traded. They will rise, and raise with them their
mother's race."

"Stuff!--nonsense!"

"Well," said Augustine, "there goes an old saying to this effect, 'As
it was in the days of Noah so shall it be;--they ate, they drank, they
planted, they builded, and knew not till the flood came and took them.'"

"On the whole, Augustine, I think your talents might do for a circuit
rider," said Alfred, laughing. "Never you fear for us; possession is our
nine points. We've got the power. This subject race," said he, stamping
firmly, "is down and shall _stay_ down! We have energy enough to manage
our own powder."

"Sons trained like your Henrique will be grand guardians of your
powder-magazines," said Augustine,--"so cool and self-possessed!
The proverb says, 'They that cannot govern themselves cannot govern
others.'"

"There is a trouble there" said Alfred, thoughtfully; "there's no doubt
that our system is a difficult one to train children under. It gives too
free scope to the passions, altogether, which, in our climate, are
hot enough. I find trouble with Henrique. The boy is generous and
warm-hearted, but a perfect fire-cracker when excited. I believe I shall
send him North for his education, where obedience is more fashionable,
and where he will associate more with equals, and less with dependents."

"Since training children is the staple work of the human race," said
Augustine, "I should think it something of a consideration that our
system does not work well there."

"It does not for some things," said Alfred; "for others, again, it does.
It makes boys manly and courageous; and the very vices of an abject race
tend to strengthen in them the opposite virtues. I think Henrique,
now, has a keener sense of the beauty of truth, from seeing lying and
deception the universal badge of slavery."

"A Christian-like view of the subject, certainly!" said Augustine.

"It's true, Christian-like or not; and is about as Christian-like as
most other things