UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

we'll
Eccl.
filled
give
no
give
set
and
"
if
"
there
and
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I
a
134 (JNCLE TOM S CABIN : OR,
inside yer old cussed black shell ? An't yer mine,
now, body and soul ?" he said,givingTom a violent
kick with his heavy boot ; " tell me !"
In the very depthof physicalsuffering, bowed
by brutal oppression, this questionshot a gleam
of joyand triumphthroughTom's soul. He suddenly
stretched himself up, and,lookingearnestly
to heaven, while the tears and blood that
flowed down his face mingled, he exclaimed,
"
No ! no ! no ! my
soul an't yours, Mas'r !
You have n't boughtit,"
ye can't buy it ! It 's
been bought and paid for by
keep it ! "
me !"
one that is able to
matter, no matter, you can't harm
"
I can't !" said Legree,with a sneer ; " we '11 streams of black hair fellaround her singular and
"
see, see! Here, Sambo, Quimbo, givemelancholyface.
"
this dog such a breakin' in as he won't get over, It 's no use, my poor fellow !" she broke out,
this month !"
at last, " it 's of no use, this you 've been trying;
The two giganticnegroes that now laid hold of to do. You are a brave fellow," you had the
Tom, with fiendish exultation in their faces,might righton your side ; but it 's all in vain,and out
have formed no unapt personification of powers of of the question,for you to struggle.You are in
darkness. The poor woman screamed with apprehension,
the devil's hands ;
" is the strongest, and you
and all rose, as by a generalimpulse,
while theydragged him unresisting from the
place.
CHAPTER
TnE
XXXIV.
quadroon's story.
on the
"
And behold the tears of such as are oppressed
side of their oppressors there was power. Wherefore I praised
the dead that are already dead more than the livingthat are yet
alive." 4 : 1.
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
" "
It was late at night, and Tom laygroaning and
bleedingalone, in an old forsaken room of the ginhouse,
among pieces of broken machinery,pileshell. Why should n't we go?"
heaven and earth. Everything pushing into
of damaged cotton,and other rubbish which had Tom closed his eyes, and shuddered at the dark,
there accumulated.
atheistic words.
The nightwas damp and close, and the thick
"
You see," said the
"
woman, you
don't know
air swarmed with myriadsof mosquitos,which anythingabout it ; do. I 've been on this
increased the restless torture of his wounds ; placefive years, body and soul, under this man's
whilst a burningthirst" a torture beyond all foot ; and I hate him as I do the devil ! Here
others up the uttermost measure of physical
you are, on a lone plantation, ten miles from
anguish.
any other,in the swamps ; not a white
person
"
0, good Lord ! Do look down, me the here,who could testify,
you
were burned alive,
victory ! me the victory prayed you
were scalded,cut into inch-pieces, setup
poor Tom, in his anguish.
for the dogs to tear,or hung up and whipped to
A footstep room, behind him,and death. There 's no law here,of God or man, that
the lightof a lantern flashed on his eyes.
can do you, or any one of us, the least goad; and
"Who's there'? 0, for the Lord's massy, this man,
's no earthlytilingthat he 's too
pleasegiveme some water !"
good to do. I could make any one's hair rise,and
Ihe woman for it Cassy" was she down their teeth chatter,if I should onlytellwhat I 've
her lantern,and, pouringwater from a bottle, seen and been knowing to here," and it 's no
raised his head, and gave him drink. Another use resisting! Did I want to live witli him?
and another cup
were drained,with feverish eagerness.
Was n't I a woman delicately bred ; and he "
God in heaven ! what was he, and is he? And
" "
Drink all ye want," she said ; I knew how yet, I 've lived with him, these five years, and
it would be. It is n't the first time I 've been cursed moment of my life, night and day !
every
out in the night,carrying to such as you." And now he 's gota new one, young tiling,
"
Thank
you, Missis,"said Tom, when he had onlyfifteen,and she broughtup, she says, pious
done drinking.
ly. Her good mistress taughther to read the
"
Don't call me Missis ! I 'in a miserable Bible ; and she 's brought her Bible here to
slave,like yourself, a lower one than you
can hell with her!" the woman a laughed
ever be !" said she,bitterly ; "but now," said wild and doleful laugh țhat rung,
with a
strange,
she,going to the door,and dragging a small supernatural sound,throughthe old ruined shed.
pallaise, over which she had spreadlinen cloths Tom folded his hands; all was darkness and
wet with cold water, " try, my poor fellowțo horror.
roll yourselfon to this."
"0 Jesus! Lord Jesus! have you quiteforgot
Stiffwith wounds and bruisesȚom was a long us
poor critturs?" burst forth,at last;"
tini3 in accomplishingthis movement ; but,when
"
help,Lord,I perish!"
done, he felt a sensihle relief from the cooling
application to his wounds.
The woman, whom longpracticewith the vie
tims of brutalityhad made familiarwith many
healingarts, went on to make many applications
to Tom's wounds, by means of which he was soon
somewhat relieved.
"
Now," said the woman, when she had raised
his head on a roll of damaged cotton, which
served for a pillow,
" there 's the best I can do
foryou."
Tom thanked her ; and the woman, sitting
down on the floor, drew up her knees,and embracing
them with her arms, looked fixedlybefore
her,with a bitter and painfulexpressionof countenance.
Her bonnet fell back, and long wavy
must giveup !"
Give up
physical agony wrhisperedthat, before ? Tom
! and had not human weakness and
started ; for the bitter woman, with her wild eyes
and melancholyvoiceșeemed to him an embodiment
of
with which he had been
the temptation
wrestling.
"
0 Lord ! 0 Lord !" he groaned,
" how can I
giveup?"
"
There 's no use
"
callingon the Lord, he
never hears,"said the woman, steadily ; "there
isn't any God, I believe ; or, if there is,he 's
taken sides againstus. All goes againstus,
The woman sternlycontinued :
" And what ar" these miserable low dogs you