“Don’t believe you could be tested,” said Arthur, “you are such a slippery set.  Now here is a book I have been looking over, called Annals of Salem, by Joseph B. Felt, published in 1827.  On the 109th page it says:  ’Captain Pierce, of the ship Desire, belonging to this port, was commissioned to transport fifteen boys and one hundred women, of the captive Pequods, to Bermuda, and sell them as slaves.  He was obliged, however, to make for Providence Island.  There he disposed of the Indians.  He returned from Tortugas the 26th of February following, with a cargo of cotton, tobacco, salt, and negroes.’  In the edition of 1849, this interesting fact is omitted.  Now, was not that trading in human bodies and souls in earnest?  First they got all they could for those poor captive Pequods, and they traded the amount again for negroes, and some et ceteras.  You are the very people to make a fuss about your neighbours, having been so excessively righteous yourselves.  No wonder that the author left it out in a succeeding edition.  I am surprised he ever put it in at all.”

“It seems more like peddling with the poor devils than any thing else,” said Abel.  “But you must remember the spirit of the age, Arthur, as Mr. Hubbard calls it?”

“Yes,” said Arthur, “I forgot that; but I wonder if Mr. Hubbard excuses the conduct of England to her colonies in consideration of the spirit of the age—­that allowed taxation and all of her other forms of oppression, I suppose.  It is a kind of charity that covers a multitude of sins.  But I was saying,” continued Arthur, “that I could not make you out.  While they were carrying on two kinds of slave trade, they were discussing in Boston the propriety of women’s wearing veils, having lectures about it.  Let me read to you.  ’Mr. Cotton, though while in England of an opposite opinion on this subject, maintained that in countries where veils were to be a sign of submission, they might be properly disused.  But Mr. Endicott took different ground, and endeavored to retain it by general argument from St. Paul.  Mr. Williams sided with his parishioner.  Through his and others’ influence, veils were worn abundantly.  At the time they were the most fashionable, Mr. Cotton came to preach for Mr. Skelton.  His subject was upon wearing veils.  He endeavored to prove that this was a custom not to be tolerated.  The consequence was, that the ladies became converts to his faith in this particular, and for a long time left off an article of dress, which indicated too great a degree of submission to the lords of creation.’  Did you ever hear of such a set of old meddlers, lecturing and preaching about women’s dressing.  I suppose the men wore petticoats at that time themselves.”