UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

" I
some
and
away
indignantheart ; but, with habitual prudence
and self-control, she mastered herself, and, crushing
tht paper firmly in her hand, she merelysaid
to Rosa
"
Sit down,child,while I go to your mistress."
her feet.
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY. 121
"
How do you
findyourself, to-day ?" said Miss
Ophelia.
A deep sigh, and a closing of the eyes, was the
onlyrepiy, for a moment ; and then Mario an-
"0, I don't know, cousin; I suppose
swered,
gone, he had moved about in dailydread and
I 'in as wed as I ever shall be !" and Marie wiped trembling, not knowing what might befall him
her eyes with a cambric handkerchief, brdered
with an inch deep of black.
with a short,
" I came," said Miss Ophelia, brother, it was determined to sell the place, and
dry cough șuch as commonly introduces a difficult all the servants,except her own personal property,
subject, "I came to speak with you about poor
Rosa."
and go back to her father's plantation.
Marie's eyes
were
open wide enoughnow, and
to lo
a flush rose to her sallow cheeks, as she answered,
sharply,
"
Well,what about her?"
"
She is very sorry
for her fault."
"
She is,is she ? She '11be sorrier, before I 've
lone with her ? I 've endured that child's impudence
longenough; and now I '11 bring her down,
"
'11make her lie in the dust !"
" But could not you punishher some other
way, way that would be less shameful?"
"
I mean to shame her ; that 's just what I hope of liberty, the thoughtof distant who and
want. She has all her lifepresumedon her delicacy,
children, up before his patientsoul, ad to
and her goodlooks,and her lady-like airsțill the mariner shipwrecked ahnost in portrises the
she forgets ; I '11 giveher one visionof the church-spire and lovingroofs of his
lesson that will bring her down, I fancy !"' native village, over the top of some black
"
But, cousin,consider that, if you destroyAvave onlyfor one last farewell. He drew his
delicacy and a sense of shame in a young girl, arms tightly his bosom,and choked back the
you deprave her very fast."
bitter tears,and tried to pray.
The poor old soul
"Delicacy!" said Marie, with a scornful had such a singular, unaccountable prejudice laugh, "a fine Avord for such as she! I'll favor of liberty, that it was a hard wrench for
teach her,with all her airsțhat she 's no better him ; and the more he said " Thy will be done,"
than the raggedest black wench that walks' the the worst he felt.
streets ! She "11take no more airswith me !" He sought Miss Ophelia,who, ever since Eva'"
"
You will answer to God for such cruelty death,had treated him with marked and respect
said Miss Ophelia,with energy.
fid kindness.
"
Cruelty, I 'd like to know what the cruelty "Miss Feely,"he said, " Mas'r St. Clare
is ! I wrote orders for onlyfifteenlashes,and promised me my freedom. He told me that he
told him to put them on lightly. I 'm sure there 's had begun to take it out for me ; and now, per
no crueltythere !"
haps, if Miss Feely would be good enough to
"
No cruelty!" said Miss Ophelia. " I 'insure speak about it to Missis șhe would feellike goin'
any girlmight rather be killed outright!"
on with it,as it was Mas'r St. Clare's wish."
"
It might seem so to anybodywith your feeling
"
I'll speak for you, Tom, and do my best,"
; but all these creatures get used to it ; it 's said Miss Ophelia; " but,if it depends on Mrs,
the only way theycan be keptin order. Once let St. Clare,I can't hope much for you ; nevertheless,
them feel that they are to take any airs about I will try."
delicacy,and all that,and they '11 run all over This incident occurred a few days after thai
you, just as my sonants alwayshave. I 've begun
of Rosa,while Miss Ophelia was busied in pre-
now to bringthem under ; and I '11 have
them all to know that I '11 send one out to be
whipped as soon as another,if theydon't mind
themselves!" said Marie, lookingaround her
decidedly.
Jane hung her head and cowered at this, for
she felt as if it was particularly directed to her.
Miss Ophelia sat for a moment, as if she had
swallowed some explosivemixture,and were
readyto burst. Then,recollecting
the utter useof
contention with such a nature, she
shut her lipsresolutely, gather"-' 1 herself up, and
walked out of the room.
It was hard to go back and tell Rosa that she
could do nothing for her ; and, shortlyafUsr,one
of the man-servants came to say that her mistress
had ordered him to take Rosa with him to the '
1 ' Shai aeful ! monstrous ! outrageous ' she
!'
said to hsrself, as she was crossing the parlor. whipping-house, whither she was hurried, in
She found Marie sittingup in her easy-chair, spite of her tears and entreaties.
with Mammy standingby her,combing her hair ; A few days after Țom was standingmusingby
Jane sat on the ground before her,busy in chafingthe
balconies, when he was joinedby Adolph,
who, since the death of his master, had been
entirely crest-fallen and disconsolate. Adolph
knew that he had always been an objectof dislike
to Marie ; but while his master lived he had
paidbut littleattention to it. Now that he was
next. Marie had held several consultationswith
her lawyer;aftercommunicatingwith St. Clare's
and these she intended to take with her,
" Do ye know, Tom, that we 've all got
sold?" said Adolph.
"
How did you hear that?" said Tom.
"I hid myself behind the curtainswhen Missis
was talking with the lawyer. In a few days we
shall all be sent off to auction,Tom
"
"
The Lord's will liedone !" said Tom, folding
his arms and sighingheavily.
"
We '11 never get another such a master," said
Adolph,apprehensively ; " but t 'd rather b" sold
than take my chance under Missis."
Tom turned
.
to return
; his heart was full The
north.
within
Seriouslyreflecting herself, she con
sidered that perhap she had shown too hasty a
warmth of languagein her former interview with
Marie ; and she resolved that she would now
parations
endeavor to moderate her zeal,and to be as conciliatory
as possible Ṣo the t^oodsoul gathered
herself up, and taking her knitting, resolved to go
into Marie's room, be as agreeable
as possible,
and negotiate Tom's case with all the diplomatio
skill of which she was mistress.