Page:A letter on "Uncle Tom's cabin" (1852).djvu/33

29 don't know now; and, amongst them, will appreciate this endless punishment of letter-writing. Often I think what a jovial thing it must have been to have been as ignorant as a baron in the Middle Ages, and to have been capable of nothing but a rude cross in the way of signature.

Such an avowal as the above is rather inconsistent with the length of this letter; but we human beings from our weakness have at least the privilege of being inconsistent sometimes. However, I must not linger any more with you; but must now turn to labors which I am rather weary of, but which I work on at, not without the hope that they may be of some use in showing the difficulties which former nations have experienced in this subject of slavery, and the splendid efforts made by good men of other days to overcome these difficulties.

Live and prosper. In all your writings, try to make your people think as kindly of us as you can. The seriousness of these times forbids those small-town disputes, and that miserable interchange of snarlings, which have hitherto so often existed between two great and closely related nations.

I remain Ever sincerely yours.