UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

" she
" while
large,brightdrops
.
it
-
, lounges
"
but
LIFE AMONG .THE LOWLY'. 107
the corner of the veranda,which St. Clare used as child; " I will try, I will try; I never aid care
a sort of reading-room ; and Eva and Topsydisappeared
nothin' about it before-"
into this place.
St. Clare,at this instant,dr ppedthe curtain.
"
"What's Eva goingabout,now?'' said St. It puts me in mind of mother," liesaid to Miss
"
Clare. I mean to see."
Ophelia. " It is true what she told me ; if we
And, advancingon tiptoe, he lifted up a curtain
want to givesigh to the blind,we must be willing
that covered the glass-door, and looked in. to do as Christ call them to did," us, and
In a moment, laying his finger on his lips, he put our hands on them."'
made a silent gesture to Miss "
Opheliato come
I 've always had a prejudice againstnegroes,"
and look. There sat the two children on the said Miss Ophelia,
" and it 's a fact,I never could
floor, with their side faces towards them. Topsy, bear to have that child touch me ; but I did n't
with her usual
air of careless drollery and
unconcern
; but,opposite to her,Eva, her whole face
fervent with feeling, and tears in her largeeyes.
"
What does make so
you bad,Topsy? Why
won't you try and be good 1 Don't you love anybody,
Topsj ?n
"
Donno nothing'bout love ; I loves candy and
sich. that 's all,"said Topsy.
"
But you love your father and mother'!"
" Never had none, ye know. I telled ye that,
Miss
Eva."
"
0, I know," said Eva,sadly; " but hadn't
"
you any brother,or sister, or aunt, or "
"
No, none on never had 'em," nothing nor
nobody."
"
But,Topsy, if you 'd onlytry to be good,you
might"
"
"
Couldn't never be nothin' but a nigger, if I
was ever so good," said Topsy. " If I could be
skinned,and come white,I 'd try then."
had been used to instruct an old disciple,
"
But people can love you, if you
are black, were so," said St. Clare.
Topsy. Miss Ophelia would
good."
love you, if you were
Topsygave the short,blunt laughthat was her
common mode of expressing incredulity.
CHAPTER XXVI.
"
Don't you think so ?" said Eva.
"
No ; she can't bar me, 'cause I 'm a nigger !
'd 's soon have a toad touch her ! There
can't nobodylove niggers, and niggerscan't do
I don't care,"said Topsy,beginning to
think she knew it."
"Trust any child to find that out," said St.
"
Clare ; there's no keepingit from them. But
I believe that all the tryingin the world to
benefit a child,and all the substantial favors you
can do them,will never excite one emotion of
gratitude,
while that feelingof repugnance
remains
in the heart
;"
it's a queer kind of a fact,
so it is."
"
I don't know how I can help it,"said Miss
this
Ophelia; " they are "
disagreeable to me,
"
child in particular, how
so?"
can I help feeling
"
Eva does,it seems."
"Well, she's so loving! After all, though,
she 's no more than Christ-like,"said Miss
Ophelia; " I wish I were like her. She might
teach me a lesson."
"It would n't be the first time a little child
if it
Weep not for those whom the veil of the tomb,
In life's earlymorning, hath hid from our eyes.
"
"
"
"
nothin' !
Eva's bed-room was a spaciousapartment,
whistle.
which, like all the other rooms in the house,
"
0, Topsy,poor child,/love you !" said Eva, openedon to the broad veranda. The room communicated,
with a sudden burst of feeling, layingher
on one side,with jer father and
littlethin,white hand on Topsy 's shoulder ; "I mother's apartment;
love you, because other,with that
you have'n't had any father,or appropriated Ophelia. St. Clare had
mother, or friends; because you've been a gratified his own
eye and taste, in furnishing this
poor abused child ! I love you, and I want room
you
in a style that had a peculiarkeeping with
to be good. I am very unwell, Topsy, and I the character of her for whom it was intended.
think I shan't live a
great while ; and it reallyThe windows were hung with curtains of rosecolored
and white muslin ; the floor was spread
grieves me, to have you be so naughty. I wish
you would try to be good,for my sake ; "s with a mattingwhich had been ordered in Paris,
only a littlewhile I shall be with you."
to a patternof his own device,havinground it a
The round,keen eyes of the black child were border of rose-buds and leaves,and a centre-piece
overcast with tears ; rolled with full-blown roses. The bedstead,chairs and
heavilydown, one by one, and fell on the littlelounges,
of bamboo,wrought in peculiarly
white hand. Yes,in that moment, a
ray of real graceful arid fanciful patterns. Over the head
belief, a
ray of heavenlylove,had penetrated of the bed was an alabaster bracket,on which a
darkness of her heathen soul ! She laid her head beautiful sculptured angelstood,with drooping
down between her knees,and wept and sobbed, wings,holdingout a crown of myrtle-leaves.
the beautiful child,bending over her, From this depended, bed,light curtains
looked like the pictureof some brightangelof rose-coloredgauze, striped with silver,supplying
stooping
a sinner.
that protection from mosnuitos which is an
"Poor Topsy!" said Eva, "don't you know indispensable addition to all sleeping
that Jesus loves allalike1 He isjustas willing J aecommo-
gracefulK"amboo
to love you,
as me. He loves you justas I do,"
were amply suppliedwith cushions of
onlymore, because he is better. He will help rose-coloreddamask, while over them, depending
frou
good; and you can
go to heaven at from the hands of sculptured figures, gauze
ast,and be an angelforever, justas much as if j curtains similar to those of the bed. A light,
you were white. Only think of it,Topsy ! you fanciful bamboo table stood in the middle of tho
can be one of those spirit-, bright, Unci :
room, where a Parian vase, wrought in the shape
skiersabout. ;s about."
of a white lily, its buds,stood,over filled
0, dear Miss Eva,dear Miss Eva !" said the
Eva's books and
v/ithflowers. On this table lay