' Arter all,
though, perhaps we ought not to mind wicked laws."
"Musha bad luck to your raysoning! Sure I'm no docthor, to blarney over
the matther. Will yous kape the sacret?" asked Pat, a little excited,
and somewhat disappointed to find his auditor lukewarm in "the cause."
"Sartain; tell your story, and, if I can't do you any good, I won't do
you any harm."
"That's the mon for me!" replied Pat, slapping Uncle Nathan familiarly
on the back. "Now, do you see, there's a naiger on this boat, that wants
a frind."
"A friend!" said Uncle Nathan, with some doubt, as he reflected on the
conflict between the claims of humanity and the stringent laws of the
slave states.
"To be sure, a _frind_!" replied Pat, with emphasis.
"I _will_ befriend him," replied Uncle Nathan, his natural inclination
triumphing over his fear of the law.
"Spoken like a Christian! Sure, that's jist what St. Patrick would say,
if the saint--long life to him!--were here," replied Pat, rejoicing
that the difficulty was overcome.
"Now, dhraw near till I tells yous all about it; and, if iver you
mintion a word of it, may your sowl never lave purgatory till it is
burnt to a cindther! Now, do you mind, there's a naiger concayled in the
hould of the boat, that wants to correspond with a faymale in the
cabin.
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