Most of the slaves, who were thus unconditionally freed, returned without any solicitation to their former masters, to serve them, at stated wages; as free men. The work, which they now did, was found to better done than before.
Bio: Kenneth Grahame was a British writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows, one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films.