r mother is
ended. She is well cared for. Are you not free at last to share with me
my Northern home, free to be mine as nothing else on earth is mine." Dr.
Gresham looked eagerly on Iola's face, and tried to read its varying
expression. "Iola, I learned to love you in the hospital. I have tried
to forget you, but it has been all in vain. Your image is just as deeply
engraven on my heart as it was the day we parted."

"Doctor," she replied, sadly, but firmly, as she withdrew her hand from
his, "I feel now as I felt then, that there is an insurmountable barrier
between us."

"What is it, Iola?" asked Dr. Gresham, anxiously.

"It is the public opinion which assigns me a place with the colored
people."

"But what right has public opinion to interfere with our marriage
relations? Why should we yield to its behests?"

"Because it is stronger than we are, and we cannot run counter to it
without suffering its penalties."

"And what are they, Iola? Shadows that you merely dread?"

"No! no! the penalties of social ostracism North and South, except here
and there some grand and noble exceptions. I do not think that you fully
realize how much prejudice against colored people permeates society,
lowers the tone of our religion, and reacts upon the life of the nation.
After freedom came, mamma was living in the city of A----, and wanted to
unite with a Christian church there. She made application for
membership. She passed her examination as a candidate, and was received
as a church member. When she was about to make her first communion, she
unintentionally took her seat at the head of the column. The elder who
was administering the communion gave her the bread in the order in which
she sat, but before he gave her the wine some one touched him on the
shoulder and whispered a word in his ear. He then passed mamma by, gave
the cup to others, and then returned to her. From that rite connected
with the holiest memories of earth, my poor mother returned humiliated
and depressed."

"What a shame!" exclaimed Dr. Gresham, indignantly.

"I have seen," continued Iola, "the same spirit manifested in the North.
Mamma once attempted to do missionary work in this city. One day she
found an outcast colored girl, whom she wished to rescue. She took her
to an asylum for fallen women and made an application for her, but was
refused. Colored girls were not received there. Soon after mamma found
among the colored people an outcast white girl.