He had more respect for the day than for the man, for whom the day was mercifully given; for while he would cut and slash my body during the week, he would not hesitate, on Sunday, to teach me the value of my soul, or the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ.
Douglass observes the stark contradiction in his enslaver's behavior, who brutalized him during the week but preached salvation on Sunday.
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More from Frederick Douglass
We (the people of the North) are a charitable people, and in the excess of this feeling we were disposed to put the very best construction upon the strange behavior of our southern brethren.
The friendless and hungry boy, in his extremest need, found himself in the strong protecting arms of his mother.
It had no interest in recognizing or preserving any of the ties that bind families together or to their homes.