UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

Eva
why,.child
it
ABIN
100 UNCLE TOM b
.
.
OR,
the ordinary words of children," hope not to
retain that child ; for the seal of heaven is.on
and the light of immortalitylooks out from its
eyes.
Even so, heloved Eva ! fair star of thy dwelling
! Thou art passingaway ; but theythat love
thee dearest know it not.
between Tom and Eva was interrupted
read ? "
it
" "
her thoughts were afar.
"
Mamma," she said,suddenly, mother,
one day, " why don't we teach our servants to
The colloquy
by a hasty call from Miss "
Ophelia.
What a question, Peoplenever do."
"Eva țhe
"
dew is falling
Why don't they?" said Eva.
; you must n't be out there !"
"
Because it is no use for them to read. It
Eva and Tom hastened in.
don't help them to work any better,and
Miss Opheliawas old and skilled in the tactics
not made for anythingelse."
they are
of nursing. She was from New England, and "But theyought to read the Bible,mamma,
well the firstguileful footsteps of that soft, to learn God's will."
knew
"
insidious disease,which
sweeps away so
many 0 ! they can get that read to them all they
of the fairest and loveliest, and, before one fibre need."
of life seems
"
broken,seals them irrevocably for It seems to me, mamma, the Bible is foi
death.
every one to read themselves. Theyneed it a
She had noted the slight, dry cough,the dailygreatmany times when there is nobodyto road
brightening cheek ; nor could the lustre of the it,"
eye, and the airybuoyancy, born of "
fever,deceive Eva, you
are an odd child,"said her mother.
her.
"Miss Opheliahas taught Topsy to read,"
She tried to communicate her fears to St. Clare ; continued Eva.
but
"
he threw back her suggestionswith a restless
Yes,and
petulance, unlike his usual you see how much good it does.
careless good-Topsy is the worst creature I ever saw !"
humor.
"Don't
be croaking,
I hate it!" he
cousin,"
would say ; " don't you
see that the child is only
growing? Children
theygrow fast."
"
But she has that cough !"
alwayslose strengthwhen
"
0 ! nonsense of that cough ! "
She has taken a littlecold,perhaps."
"
Well, that was justthe way Eliza Jane was
taken,and Ellen and Maria Sanders."
"
0 ! stop these hobgoblin nurse legendsỴou
old hands get so wise, that a child cannot cough,
or sneeze, but you
see desperation and ruin at
hand. Only take care of the child,keepher from
the nightair,and don't let her play too hard,and
she '11do well enough."
So St. Clare said ; but he grew nervous and
restless. He watched Eva feverishly dayby day,
as might he told by the frequency with which he
repeated over that " the child was
"
quitewell,
that there wasn't anything in that it
cough,"
drawer,as she answered,
"
's not anything.
Well,of coiu-se, by and by,Eva, you will
was only some little stomach affection, such as
children often had. But he keptby her more
than before,took her oftener to ride with him,
brought home every few days some receipt or
"
mixture,"
strengthening
not," he said, " that
the child needed it, but then it would not do her
any harm."
If it must be toldțhe thing that struck a deeper
states, -and take all our peoplethere,and hire
pang to his heart than anythingelse was the teachers, to teach them to read and write."
dailyincreasing maturityof the child's mind and Eva was cub short by her mother's laughing.
feelings Ẉhile still retaining all a child'sfanciful
"Set
graces, yet she often up a boarding-school! Wouldn't you
dropped,unconsciously, teach them to play on the piano, and paint on
words of such a reach of thought, and strangevelvet?"
unworldlywisdom, that theyseemed to be an inspiration.
"
I 'd teach them to read their own Bible,and
At such times Șt. Clare would feel a write their own letters, and read letters that -are
sudden thrill, and clasp her in his arms, as if written to them," said Eva,steadily. " I know,
that fond claspcould save her ; and his heart mamma, it does come very hard on them, that
rose up with wild determination to keep her, they can't do these things. Tom fe-ds it,"
to let her go.
The child's whole heart and soul seemed absorbed
think it 's wrong."
in works of love and kindness. Impulsively
"
Oome, come, Eva; you
are only a child!
but there
never
than an actor of their plays, and she would sit
for half an hour at.a time,laughingat the odd
tricks of Topsy," and then a shadow \\ ould seem
to pass across her face,her eyes grew misty, and
"Here's poor Mammy!" said Eva. "She
does love the Bible so much, and wishes so she
could read ! And what will she do when I can't
read to her?"
Marie was busy,turning over the contents of a
have other things to think of,besides reading the
Bible round to servants. Not but that is very
proper ; I 've done it myself,when I had health.
But when you come to be dressing and goinginto
company, you won't have time. See here !" she
added, " these jewels I "m going to give you whea
you come out. I wore them to my firstball. I
can tell you, Eva, I made a sensation."
Eva took the jewel-case, and lifted from it o
diamond necklace, Her large,thoughtfuleyes
rested on them, but it was plain her thoughts
were
elsewhere.
"
How sober you look,child !"" said Marie.
"Are these worth a great deal of money,,
mamma?"
" To be sure, theyare. Father sent to France
for them. They are worth a small fortune."
"
I wish I had them," said Eva, " to do what
I pleased with !"
"
What would you
do with them?"
"I'd sell them, and buy a place in the free
Mammy does," a great many of them do. I
generous she had always been ; You don't know anything about these things,"
was a touching and womanly thoughtfulness said Marie; "besides,your talking makes my
about her now, that every one noticed. She still head ache "
loved to play with Topsy,and the various colored Marie always had a head-ache on hand for any
children ; but she now soemad rather a spectatorconversation that did not exactlysuit her.