would think it a very hard case, Charles, if you were walking by the sea
shore, and two or three men were to come and carry you away by force to
a distant land, and sell you to somebody who would make you work hard
for him all the rest of your life, and consider you as much his
property, as if he had bought a horse or a dog."

"But they would have no right to sell me," said Charles, "I do not
belong to them."

"Neither do those poor Africans belong to the men who sell them; they
have as much right to be free and happy, as you or I have."

"Then how is it, papa, that Peter's father has slaves? he is an
Englishman."

"Yes, Charles, I am sorry to say, that Englishmen, as well as Spaniards,
have traded in slaves, for when some of the West-India islands came into
the possession of the English, they found the negroes so useful, and
made so much money by their labour, that they forgot how unjust it was
to keep them in slavery. However, I am happy to say, that a law is now
in operation which will soon set all the slaves free. In a very short
time, the negroes will be at liberty like other working men; and the
masters, instead of buying them, must hire them like servants, and pay
them wages; and they will be able to leave their master if he does not
treat them well, and get another place, as our servants do."

"Ah, how glad I am," said Charles, "that will be a good thing for the
poor blacks. I do not wish to have a slave now, papa; I would not have
one for the world. But Peter's father's slaves do not work in the gold
mines, they make sugar: why is that?"