he mixed bloods rose
from one-ninth to one-eighth of the population, and that as early as
1663 a law was passed in Maryland to prevent English women from
intermarrying with slaves; and, even now, your laws against
miscegenation presuppose that you apprehend danger from that source."

"Doctor, it is no use talking," replied Dr. Latrobe, wearily. "There
are niggers who are as white as I am, but the taint of blood is there
and we always exclude it."

"How do you know it is there?" asked Dr. Gresham.

"Oh, there are tricks of blood which always betray them. My eyes are
more practiced than yours. I can always tell them. Now, that Johnson is
as white as any man; but I knew he was a nigger the moment I saw him. I
saw it in his eye."

Dr. Latimer smiled at Dr. Latrobe's assertion, but did not attempt to
refute it; and bade him good-night.

"I think," said Dr. Latrobe, "that our war was the great mistake of the
nineteenth century. It has left us very serious complications. We cannot
amalgamate with the negroes. We cannot expatriate them. Now, what are we
to do with them?"

"Deal justly with them," said Dr. Gresham, "and let them alone. Try to
create a moral sentiment in the nation, which will consider a wrong done
to the weakest of them as a wrong done to the whole community. Whenever
you find ministers too righteous to be faithless, cowardly, and time
serving; women too Christly to be scornful; and public men too noble to
be tricky and too honest to pander to the prejudices of the people,
stand by them and give them your moral support."

"Doctor," said Latrobe, "with your views you ought to be a preacher
striving to usher in the millennium."

"It can't come too soon," replied Dr. Gresham.

CHAPTER XXVII.

DIVERGING PATHS.

On the eve of his departure from the city of P----, Dr. Gresham called
on Iola, and found her alone. They talked awhile of reminiscences of the
war and hospital life, when Dr. Gresham, approaching Iola, said:--

"Miss Leroy, I am glad the great object of your life is accomplished,
and that you have found all your relatives. Years have passed since we
parted, years in which I have vainly tried to get a trace of you and
have been baffled, but I have found you at last!" Clasping her hand in
his, he continued, "I would it were so that I should never lose you
again! Iola, will you not grant me the privilege of holding this hand as
mine all through the future of our lives? Your search for you