ON the same day Mr. and Mrs. Stephens walked over to Selma, to spend the day. The latter was in fine spirits, and looked upon the poor creatures, whom she had heretofore shunned, with as much calmness and composure as if she had been with them all her life. In the afternoon, she proposed to her daughter a walk to the cabin she had heard so much about; and, after admiring Uncle Robin's sanctum, their walk was continued through the whole line of Cabin Row. When she had completed the inspection of all the cabins, she declared she had never, before, any idea that slaves were made so comfortable. On their return, they passed through the garden where Uncle Robin was engaged in his afternoon work.

  "How are you to-day, Uncle Robin?" asked Mrs. Stephens.

  "Thank you, missis, Robin still spared, madam; he mighty glad to see you, missis, lookin' so well. How dem gals been behave deselves?"

  "Those girls have behaved themselves remarkably well, Uncle Robin, and have been a great comfort to me. The difference between them and the Crosbys is very great, to

  "Missis, if I bin de poor instrument, madam, in de hand of do Almighty, to brung you to see things right, you must give de praise to Him, madam, and not to dis poor cretur' Robin. Missis, when you did fus' com' here, I did pity you mightily, madam; I did see dat you was under great mistake 'bout we slaves. Is what I bin hear 'bout people in your country true, madam? dat dey car' picturs about, an' show 'em to eberybody wid niggers tied up by de heel, an' head down, an' oberseers whippin' dem wid ox yoke; an' some oder picturs, wid nagger tied down to de floor, an' der foot roastin' at de fire; an some more, too, wid niggers' hands sco'tched wid de brand? I s'pose dem picturs, madam, if der's any truth in what I bin hear, make you feel so bad when you fus' com' here; an' I did wan' tell you so bad, madam, dat I bin neber see sich things in Fugginney, an' I neber hear talk of sich things tell I hear 'bout de picturs way back North, madam. I bin hear, too, missis, dat der's some folks who tells de people, dar, dat massers in dis country, when der niggers runs away, puts out a noration, dat dey will give four hundred dollar' to anybody who will bring one o' der run-away niggers to um, dead or 'live, madam. Now, missis, does you thinks der's any such a foolish masser in dis worl' who gwine giv' four hundred dollar' for de 'struction of he own property?"

  "Well, Uncle Robin, I have heard of pictures representing the cruel treatment of masters to their slaves, but I don't know that I ever have seen one. I have heard,

  "Dat's jus' what I s'posed, madam; de Lord will bring dem people to judgment, madam, for slanderin' der neighbers."

  "Uncle Robin, did you get the cake I sent you yesterday evening?" asked Mrs. Boswell.

  "Yes, missis, an' I thousand times 'blige' to you for recollectin' Robin, when you had so many gentlefolks to tend to, madam."

  "Good-bye, uncle Robin," said Mrs. Stephens; "you mustn't forget your promise to come to see me."

  "No, madam, I gwine try an' com' ober some o' dese times."

  On the following day old Mr. Preble and Mr. Hicks were in the parlour together, at the Cottage.

  "How do you think those negroes, advertised for sale on the 15th, will sell, Mr. Preble?"

  "I think Mr. Benson's, sir, will sell very well; but George will make a great sacrifice of his, by confining the sale to persons residing in the county. I don't think George ought to do it. The fact is, Mr. Hicks, when people sell slaves, they might as well get for them as much as they are worth. George is under no sort of obligation to let the people of this county have his property for less than its value. When slaves are sold, it's just one of the consequences of their being made property by law; and unless the law is altered, I don't see that it is incumbent on one single individual to be making an effort to

  "It was very liberal in Major Scott, sir, to divide his property into three equal lots, and give to his sons-in-law as great an amount in value as he retained for himself. I suppose it is not very common in Virginia, for a parent to divide his property before his death, and give it to his children?"

  "No, sir, by no means; parents generally spend large portions of their property in educating the children, and when that is done, they very wisely think that their children should not come in for the balance until their deaths. I have spent a good deal of my property upon the education of my children, and I am determined not to give them any more until my death. I shall leave George this plantation, and Evelina some negroes. As long as she remains single, she of course will be genteelly supported here, but she must look to it when she marries, and take care that she marries a man able to support her."

  Mr. Hicks was not anxious to conduct the conversation further, and took his final leave of the Cottage. He left so abruptly that old Mr. Preble was fearful he had been too explicit, but he could not bring himself to making any promise of property before his death. Although he would have been willing that Evelina should marry Mr. Hicks on account of his reputed large fortune, he had no great anxiety that she should marry at all, as George was about to leave him for five years. Had he known, therefore, that Mr. Hicks would not repeat his visits to the Cottage,