repeatedly, that it was weeks before I felt myself well again.
All the excitement of the fire was soon forgotten, and the gayety resumed; and I had then to comb at the Verandah, and the St. Louis also. The first and second time I went to the St. Louis, I found every thing pretty much like the St. Charles—every thing conducted with a great deal of order. It was but a short time till there was a fuss raised between the two sets of boarders—the St. Charles boarders thought themselves superior to those at the St. Louis, and the St. Louis boarders thought the St. Charles' presuming.
While combing two ladies, from Bigbury, who were in the habit of stopping at the St. Charles, I found them very angry, and, on inquiry, they said they owned hundreds of slaves, but would not sit at the table with negro-drivers and negro-traders. I said, "Neither would I, madam, sit at the table with any such persons; even the Old Boy himself would not allow them a seat at his table; as I know well, neither in heaven nor on earth, nor yet in that unmentionable place, will soul-drivers or soul-traders ever have a comfortable place. She immediately exclaimed, "Oh, there is a necessity for such men, but I do not wish to associate with them." I told her I did not see any necessity for such people at all, as, if every man was honest, and earned his bread by the sweat of his brow—as you, madam, will see in your Bible—there would not be occasion for such terror at night, as there is no slave-holder, no matter how good he be, if he has any conscience at all, can go to bed at night without fear and terror." I felt my dignity more aroused at this moment than at any time during my seven
