of August, 1834.

Many may remember that day; what a soft, grey, summer morning it was,
and how it broke out into brightness; how everywhere bells were
ringing, club fraternities walking with bands and banners,
school-children having feasts and work-people holidays; how, in town
and country, there was spread abroad a general sense of benevolent
rejoicing--because honest old England had lifted up her generous voice,
nay, had paid down cheerfully her twenty millions, and in all her
colonies the negro was free.

Many may still find, in some forgotten drawer, the medal bought by
thousands and tens of thousands, of all classes, in copper, silver, or
gold--distributed in charity-schools, and given by old people to their
grandchildren. I saw Mrs. Halifax tying one with a piece of blue
ribbon round little Louise's neck, in remembrance of this day. The
pretty medal, with the slave standing upright, stretching out to Heaven
free hands, from which the fetters are dropping--as I overheard John
say to his wife, he could fancy the freeman Paul would stand in the
Roman prison, when he answered to those that loved him, "I HAVE FOUGHT
THE GOOD FIGHT. I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE. I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH."

Now, with my quickened ears, I often heard John talking quietly to his
wife on this wise.

He remained by her side the whole forenoon--wheeling her about in her
garden-chair; taking her to see her school-children in their glory on
our lawn--to hear the shouts rising up from the people at the mill-yard
below. For all Enderley, following the master's example, took an
interest, hearty even among hearty hard-working England, in the
Emancipation of the Slaves.

We had our own young people round us, and the day was a glorious day,
they declared one and all.

John was happy too--infinitely happy. After dinner he carried his wife
to her chair beside the weeping ash, where she could smell the late hay
in the meadow, and hear the ripple of the stream in the
beech-wood--faint, for it was almost dried up now, but pleasant still.
Her husband sat on the grass, making her laugh with his quaint
sayings--admiring her in her new bonnet, and in the lovely white
shawl--Guy's shawl--which Mr. Guy himself had really no time for
admiring. He had gone off to the school tea-drinking, escorting his
sister and sister-in-law, and another lady, whose eyes brightened with
most "sisterly" joy whenever she glanced at her old playfellow. Guy's
"sister" s