Arthur Weston is in his college-room in that far-famed city, New Haven.  He is in the act of replacing his cigar in his mouth, after having knocked the ashes off it, when we introduce to him the reader.  Though not well employed, his first appearance must be prepossessing; he inherited his mother’s clear brunette complexion, and her fine expressive eyes.  His very black hair he had thrown entirely off his forehead, and he is now reading an Abolition paper which had fallen into his hands.  There are two other young men in the room, one of them Arthur’s friend, Abel Johnson; and the other, a young man by the name of Hubbard.

“Who brought this paper into my room?” said Arthur, after laying it down on the table beside him.

“I was reading it,” said Mr. Hubbard, “and threw it aside.”

“Well, if it makes no difference to you, Mr. Hubbard, I’d prefer not seeing any more of these publications about me.  This number is a literary curiosity, and deserves to be preserved; but as I do not file papers at present, I will just return it, after expressing my thanks to you for affording me the means of obtaining valuable information about the Southern country.”

“What is it about, Arthur,” said Abel Johnson, “it is too hot to read this morning, so pray enlighten me?”

“Why, here,” said Arthur, opening the paper again, “here is an advertisement, said to be copied from a Southern paper, in which, after describing a runaway slave, it says:  ’I will give four hundred dollars for him alive, and the same sum for satisfactory proof that he has been killed.’  Then the editor goes on to say, ’that when a planter loses a slave, he becomes so impatient at not capturing him, and is so angry at the loss, that he then does what is equivalent to inducing some person to murder him by way of revenge.’  Now, is not this infamous?”

“But it is true, I believe,” said Mr. Hubbard.

“It is not true, sir,” said Arthur, “it is false, totally and entirely false.  Why, sir, do you mean to say, that the life of a slave is in the power of a master, and that he is not under the protection of our laws?”

“I am told that is the case,” said Mr. Hubbard.

“Then you are told what is not true; and it seems to me, you are remarkably ignorant of the laws of your country.”

“It is not my country,” said Mr. Hubbard, “I assure you.  I lay no claims to that part of the United States where slavery is allowed.”

“Then if it is not your country, for what reason do you concern yourself so much about its affairs?”

“Because,” replied Mr. Hubbard, “every individual has the right to judge for himself, of his own, and of other countries.”