When I have been travelling up and down on our boats, or about on my collecting tours, and reflected that every brutal, disgusting, mean, low-lived fellow I met, was allowed by our laws to become absolute despot of as many men, women and children, as he could cheat, steal, or gamble money enough to buy,--when I have seen such men in actual ownership of helpless children, of young girls and women,--I have been ready to curse my country, to curse the human race!" "Augustine! Augustine!" said Miss Ophelia, "I'm sure you've said enough.
I never, in my life, heard anything like this, even at the North." "At the North!" said St.Clare, with a sudden change of expression, and resuming something of his habitual careless tone.

"Pooh! your northern folks are cold-blooded; you are cool in everything! You can't begin to curse up hill and down as we can, when we get fairly at it." "Well, but the question is," said Miss Ophelia.
"O, yes, to be sure, the _question is_,--and a deuce of a question it is! How came _you_ in this state of sin and misery?
Well, I shall answer in the good old words you used to teach me, Sundays.

I came so by ordinary generation.

My servants were my father's, and, what is more, my mother's; and now they are mine, they and their increase, which bids fair to be a pretty considerable item.

My father, you know, came first from New England; and he was just such another man as your father,--a regular old Roman,--upright, energetic, noble-minded, with an iron will.
Your father settled down in New England, to rule over rocks and stones, and to force an existence out of Nature; and mine settled in Louisiana, to rule over men and women, and force existence out of them.