'With a hundred hands in those thick woods, Joe will turn out a vast amount of produce. His ambition is excited with the idea of being his own master, and he will coin money for you; but you need to be prudent. You owe a mortgage of twenty thousand dollars--and mortgage debts are the worst in the world. Your plantation and negroes may be worth three times the amount, but they are in jeopardy so long as it exists. If it were called in on you suddenly, you couldn't pay it--your property would be sacrificed--everything might be lost. Now, I would suggest that you sell, at once, your three hundred acres of swamp land, all your surplus live stock and materials, and appropriate the proceeds to paying your floating debt, and reducing the mortgage.' 'And we might reduce our family expenses, Robert,' said his wife; 'we have too many house-servants. We could hire out five or six of them in Newbern. And Joseph's schooling costs us five hundred dollars a year; he might come home--_I_ could teach him.' 'You would take too much on yourself, Lucy,' replied her husband. 'You are not strong, and you can't spare a single servant.' 'How many have you?' I asked. 'Nine,' said Preston. 'For a family of two adults and three children?' 'It strikes you as too many, Mr. Kirke,' said the lady, 'and it _is_. It is our Southern way; but every additional servant makes additional work for the mistress.' 'I think you are right, madam,' I replied; 'a Northern lady that you know of, takes care of me, Frank, the two young children, and a large house, with only two servants and an errand boy; and she never has anything to do after two o'clock in the day.' 'But you have the Irish; they are better house-servants than our blacks; and you can discharge them if they won't work,' said Preston. 'I would rather have Phyllis than any servant I ever saw at the North. With her, the cook, and one more, I will promise to get on beautifully,' remarked his wife. Preston gave her a look of indescribable tenderness and affection. What the negro trader had said to me, gave me a key to the thoughts that were passing in his mind. His wife's trust in him was so great, that she was willing to again admit into her family the woman who had made him forget, through long years, the promises he made her in their youth! Truly, the angel of perfect love and forgiveness makes its earthly home in the breast of woman. Preston's voice quivered as he replied: 'I--I appreciate what you say--Lucy. Do as you think best.' 'But, madam,' I said, 'I think you are really taking too much on yourself--the care of the children will be a great tax on your strength. Would it not be better to employ a governess to instruct them? What is now expended on Joe would pay a competent person.' 'What do you say to that, Joe?' asked his father; 'would you like to come home, and have a woman teacher?' 'I'd like to do what mother wants me to,' said the lad, putting his arms about her neck, and kissing her.