are subjected. They are not, as a general thing, taught by their
masters about God, the salvation of Jesus Christ or the way to heaven.
The SOUL is starved. To be sure, they pick up, here and there, a few
crumbs of religious truth, and make the most of their scanty supply.
Many of them truly love the Lord; and his unseen presence and joyful
anticipations of heaven make them submissive to their hardships,
and cheerful and faithful in their duties. But they can not thank
their masters for what religious light and knowledge they get.

And who are these that hold their fellow-creatures in such cruel bondage,
starving body, mind, and soul with such indifference and inhumanity?
We blush to tell you. Many of them are of the number of those
who profess to love the Lord their God with all the heart,
and their neighbor as themselves. Can it be possible that God's own
children can participate in such a wickedness; can buy and sell,
beat and kill, their fellow-creatures? Can those who have humbly
repented of sin, and by faith accepted of the salvation of Jesus Christ,
turn from his holy cross to abuse others who are redeemed by the same
precious blood, and are heirs to the same glorious immortality?
CAN such be Christians?

And, children, you probably all understand that slavery is the sole
cause of the sad war which is now ravaging our beloved country;
and Christian people are praying, not only that the war may cease,
but that the sin which has caused it may cease also. We believe
that God is overruling all things to bring about this happy result,
and before this little story shall meet your eyes, there may be no
more slaves within our borders. Still we shall not have written it
in vain, if it help you to realize, more clearly than you have done,
the sufferings and degradation to which this unfortunate class have