The writings of John Greenleaf Whittier, Volume 6.
John Greenleaf Whittier, Ed.

‘Then let us try him,’ said his guest.

The slave was at work in an adjoining field, and at the call of his master came promptly to receive his commands.

‘Have you a good master?’ inquired Hopkins.

‘O yes; massa, he berry good.’

‘But are you happy in your present condition?’ queried the Doctor.

‘O yes, massa; berry happy.’

Dr. Bellamy here could scarcely suppress his exultation at what he supposed was a complete triumph over his anti-slavery brother. But the pertinacious guest continued his queries.

‘Would you not be more happy if you were free?’

‘O yes, massa,’ exclaimed the negro, his dark face glowing with new life; ‘berry much more happy!’

To the honor of Dr. Bellamy, he did not hesitate.

‘You have your wish,’ he said to his servant. ‘From this moment you are free.’

Dr. Hopkins was a poor man, but one of his first acts, after becoming convinced of the wrongfulness of slavery, was to appropriate the very sum which, in the days of his ignorance, he had obtained as the price of his slave to the benevolent purpose of educating some pious colored men in the town of Newport, who were desirous of returning to their native country as missionaries. In one instance he borrowed, on his own responsibility, the sum requisite to secure the freedom of a slave in whom he became interested. One of his theological pupils was Newport Gardner, who, twenty years after