Part 46 (1/2)
I was silent a little bit, and then I ventured to say, -
”Papa, the Lord Jesus loved them well enough to die for them.”
”Well,” said papa, rather growlingly, ”what then?”
”I am thinking, what will He say to us for handling them so.”
”What would you do for them, Daisy?”
”All I could, papa,” I said softly.
”How much could you, do you suppose?”
”Papa, I would not stop as long as there was anything more to be done.”
”I suppose you would begin by setting them all free?”
”Wouldn't you wish it, papa, for yourself and me, if we were two of them? - and for mamma and Ransom, if they were two more?”
”You are mistaken in thinking it is a parallel case. They do not wish for liberty as we should.”
”Then it only shows how much harm the want of liberty has done them already. But they wish for it quite enough, papa; quite enough. It breaks my heart to think how much they do wish for it.”
”My child, you do not know what you are talking about!” papa answered; half worried, I thought, and half impatient. ”In the first place, they would not be better off if they were set free; though you think they would; and in the second place, do you know how it would affect our own condition?”
”Papa,” I said low, - ”it has nothing to do with the question.
I do not care.”
”You would care.”
”I care for this other more, papa.”
”Daisy, understand. Instead of being well off, you would be poor; you would be poor. The Southern estates would be worth nothing without hands to cultivate them; and my Northern estates will go to your brother.”
”I should never be rich in the way you think, papa.”
”How so?”
”I would never be rich in that way.”
”What would you do?”
”I would be poor.”
”It is not so easy to do as to talk about,” said my father.
”At the present time, Daisy, - I suppose, if you had your will, you would set at liberty at once all the people on the Magnolia plantations?”
”Indeed I would, papa.”