"How many have you in all?"
"The number of head, I suppose? Well, there's about thirty sick, and
ten well ones what I sent to market last week. Did-n-'t-make-a-good
market, though," he drawls out.
"You are alone in the business?"
"Well, no; I've a partner-Jones; there's a good many phases in the
business, you see, and one can't get along. Jones was a
nigger-broker, and Jones and me went into partnership to do the
thing smooth up, on joint account. I does the curing, and he does
the selling, and we both turns a dollar or two-"
"Oh, horrors!" interrupts the lady, looking at Mr. Praiseworthy
sarcastically. "Murder will out, men's sentiments will betray them,
selfishness will get above them all; ornament them as you will,
their ornaments will drop,--naked self will uncover herself and be
the deceiver."
"Not at all!" the Elder exclaims, in his confidence. "The Lord's
will is in everything; without it we could not battle with the
devil; we relieve suffering humanity, and the end justifies the
means."
"You should have left out the means: it is only the end you aim at."
"That's like accusing Deacon Seabury of impious motives, because he
shaves notes at an illegal interest. It's worse-because what the law
makes legal the church should not make sinful." This is
Praiseworthy's philosophy, which he proclaims while forgetting the
existence of a law of conscience having higher claims than the
technicalities of statutes. We must look to that to modify our
selfishness, to strengthen our love for human laws when founded in
justice.
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