"Yes," replied his master; "he has been taking great pains to learn to read for some time past, and can make out a chapter in the Bible pretty well, as my maid-servant informs me. He speaks English better than many of his countrymen, but you will find it a little broken. When will it be convenient that I should send him over to you?" "To-morrow afternoon, sir, if you please." "He shall come to you about four o'clock, and you shall see what you can make of him." With this promise he took his leave. I felt glad of an opportunity of instructing a native of that land whose wrongs and injuries had often caused me to sigh and mourn; the more so, when I reflected _who_ had been the aggressors. At the appointed hour my Negro disciple arrived. He was a very young- looking man, with a sensible, lively, and pleasing countenance. I desired him to sit down, and said, "Your master informs me that you wish to have some conversation with me respecting Christian baptism." "Yes, sir; me very much wish to be a Christian," said he. "Why do you wish so?" "Because me know that Christian go to heaven when he die." "How long have you had that wish?" I said. "Ever since me heard one goot minister preach in America, two years ago." "Where were you born?" "In Africa. Me was very little boy when me was made slave by the white men." "How was that?" "Me left father and mother one day at home to go get shells by de sea- shore, and as me was stooping down to gather them up, some white sailors came out of a boat and took me away. Me never see father nor mother again." "And what became of you then?" "Me was put into ship, and brought to Jamaica and sold to a master, who kept me in his house to serve him some years; when, about three years ago, Captain W---, my master, dat spoke to you, bought me to be his servant on board his ship. And he be goot master; he gave me my liberty, and made me free, and me live with him ever since." "And what thoughts had you about your soul all that time before you went to America?" I asked him. "Me no care for my soul at all before den. No man teach me one word about my soul." "Well, now tell me further about what happened to you in America. How came you there?" "My master take me dere in his ship, and he stop dere one month, and den me hear de goot minister." "And what did the minister say?" "He said me was a great sinner." "What! did he speak to you in particular?" "Yes, me tink so; for dere was great many to hear him, but he tell dem all about me." "What did he say?" "He say about all de tings dat were in my heart." "What things?" "My sin, my ignorance, my know noting, my believe noting. De goot minister make me see dat me _tink_ noting goot, me _do_ noting goot." "And what else did he tell you?" "He sometime look me in de face, and say dat Jesus Christ came to die for sinners, poor black sinners as well as white sinners. Me tought dis was very goot, very goot, indeed, to do so for a wicked sinner."