take place among men--among nations, and even among races; and that a
common man may then be called to devote himself for that nation, or for
that race. Father, I feel that the hour may be come for the negro race
to be redeemed; and that I, a common man, may so far devote myself as
not to stand in the way of their redemption. I feel that I must step
out from among those who have never admitted the negroes' claims to
manhood. If God should open to me a way to serve the blacks better, I
shall be found ready. Meantime, not for another day will I stand in the
light of their liberties. Father," he continued, with an eagerness
which grew as he spoke, "you know something of the souls of slaves. You
know how they are smothered in the lusts of the body, how they are
debased by the fear of man, how blind they are to the providence of God!
You know how oppression has put out the eyes of their souls, and
withered its sinews. If now, at length, a Saviour has once more for
them stretched out His healing hand, and bidden them see, and arise and
be strong, shall I resist the work? And you, father, will you not aid
it? I would not presume; but if I might say all--"

"Say on, my son."

"Having reproved and raised the souls of slaves, would it not henceforth
be a noble work for you to guide their souls as men? If you would come
among us as a soldier of Christ, who is bound to no side in earthly
quarrels--if you would come as to those who need you most, the lowest,
the poorest, the most endangered, what a work may lie between this hour
and your last! What may your last hour be, if, day by day, you have
trained our souls in the glorious liberty of the children of God! The
beginning must be lowly; but the kind heart of the Christian priest is
lowly: and you would humble yourself first to teach men thus,--`you were
wrong to steal'--`you were wrong to drink'--`you were wrong to take more
wives than one, and to strike your children in passion.' Thus humbly
must you begin; but among free men, how high may you not rise? Before
you die, you may have led them to rule their own spirits, and, from the
throne of that sovereignty, to look far into the depths of the heavens,
and over the history of the world; so that they may live in the light of
God's countenance, and praise Him almost like the angels--for, you know,
He has made us, even us, but a little lower than they."

"This would be a noble work," said Laxabon, much moved: "and if G