“The earth shall be dissolved like snow,
     The sun shall cease to shine;
     But God, who called me here below,
     Shall be forever mine.

     “And when this mortal life shall fail,
     And flesh and sense shall cease,
     I shall possess within the veil
     A life of joy and peace.

     “When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
     Bright shining like the sun,
     We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
     Than when we first begun.”

Those who have been familiar with the religious histories of the slave population know that relations like what we have narrated are very common among them.  We have heard some from their own lips, of a very touching and affecting character.  The psychologist tells us of a state, in which the affections and images of the mind become so dominant and overpowering, that they press into their service the outward imagining.  Who shall measure what an all-pervading Spirit may do with these capabilities of our mortality, or the ways in which He may encourage the desponding souls of the desolate?  If the poor forgotten slave believes that Jesus hath appeared and spoken to him, who shall contradict him?  Did He not say that his, mission, in all ages, was to bind up the broken-hearted, and set at liberty them that are bruised?

When the dim gray of dawn woke the slumberers to go forth to the field, there was among those tattered and shivering wretches one who walked with an exultant tread; for firmer than the ground he trod on was his strong faith in Almighty, eternal love.  Ah, Legree, try all your forces now!  Utmost agony, woe, degradation, want, and loss of all things, shall only hasten on the process by which he shall be made a king and a priest unto God!

From this time, an inviolable sphere of peace encompassed the lowly heart of the oppressed one,—­an ever-present Saviour hallowed it as a temple.  Past now the bleeding of earthly regrets; past its fluctuations of hope, and fear, and desire; the human will, bent, and bleeding, and struggling long, was now entirely merged in the Divine.  So short now seemed the remaining voyage of life,—­so near, so vivid, seemed eternal blessedness,—­that life’s uttermost woes fell from him unharming.

All noticed the change in his appearance.  Cheerfulness and alertness seemed to return to him, and a quietness which no insult or injury could ruffle seemed to possess him.

“What the devil’s got into Tom?” Legree said to Sambo.  “A while ago he was all down in the mouth, and now he’s peart as a cricket.”

“Dunno, Mas’r; gwine to run off, mebbe.”

“Like to see him try that,” said Legree, with a savage grin, “wouldn’t we, Sambo?”

“Guess we would!  Haw! haw! ho!” said the sooty gnome, laughing obsequiously.  “Lord, de fun!  To see him stickin’ in de mud,—­chasin’ and tarin’ through de bushes, dogs a holdin’ on to him!  Lord, I laughed fit to split, dat ar time we cotched Molly.  I thought they’d a had her all stripped up afore I could get ’em off.  She car’s de marks o’ dat ar spree yet.”