UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

-each
"
a
so
no
12 UNCLE TOM S CABIN : OR,
sided over
its preparation as head cook, has left
it was that she was alwaysmeditating on
stuffing and roasting țo a degree
to inferiorofficersin the kitchen the business of
clearing away and washingdishes,and come out a cloth,displaying cups and saucers of a decidedly
into her own snug territories, to "
gether ole man's brilliant pattern, with other symptoms of an
supper ; " therefore,doubt not that it is she you approaching meal. At this table was seated
3ee by the fire,presiding with anxious interest Uncle Tom, Mr. Shelby'sbest hand,who, as he
over certain frizzling items in a stew-pan, and is to be the hero of our story, we must daguerreotype
anon with grave
consideration lifting the cover
for our readers. He was a large, broadchested,powerfully-made
man, of a full glossy
of a bake-kettle, from whence steam forth indubitable
intimations of " somethingood." A black,and a face whose trulyAfrican features
round, black,shining face is hers,so glossyas to were characterized by an expression of grave
suggest the idea that she might have been and steadygoodsense, united with much kindliness
washed over with white of eggs, like one of her and benevolence. There was something
own tea rusks. Her whole plump countenance about his whole ah- self-respecting and dignified,
beams with satisfactionand contentment from yet united with a confiding and humble simplio
under her well-starched checked turban,bearingity.
on it,however, if we must confess it,a little He was very busily intent at this moment on a
of that tingeof self-consciousnesswhich becomes slatelying before him, on which he was carefully
the firstcook of the neighborhood, as Aunt Chloe and slowlyendeavoring to accomplish a copy of
was universally held and acknowledgedto be. some letters, in which operation he was overlooked
A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and by. young Mas'r George, a smart, bright
centre of her soul.* Not a chicken or turkeyor boy of thirteen, who appearedfully to realizethe
duck in the barn-yardbut looked grave when dignity of his position as instructor.
they saw her approaching, and seemed "
evidently Not that way, Uncle not that Tom," way,"
to be reflecting on their latter end ; and certain said he,briskly, as Uncle Tom laboriously brought
trussing,
that was
calculated to inspire terror in any
corn-cake,in all itsvarietiesof hoecake,dodgers,muffins,and
other species too
-living. Her
reflecting fowl
numerous to mention,was a sublime mystery to
all less practised compounders; and she would
shake her fat sides with honest prideand merriment,
as she would narrate the fruitlessefforts
that one and another of her compeers had made
to attain to her elevation.
The arrival of company at the house, the
regardingyoung Master George Avith pride.
"
in style," "The way he can write,now! and read,too'
all the energies soul ; and no sightand then to come out here evenings and read his
was more welcome to her than a pileof travelling
"
arrangingof dinners and suppers
awoke
lessons to us, it"s mightyinterestin'!"
trunks launched on the veranda, for then "But, Aunt Chloe,I'm gettingmighty hun
she foresaw fresh eflbrtsand fresh triumphs. gry," said George. "Isn't that cake in the
Just at present,however, Aunt Chloe is looking
skillet almost done ?"
into the bake-pan; in which congenial operation
we shall leave her till we finishour picturelifting
the lid and peepingin," browning beautiful
"
of the cottage.
real lovelybrown. Ah! let me alone
In one corner of it stood a bed,covered neatlyfor dat. Missis let Sallytry
with a
snowy spread; and %bythe side of it was t'other day,jes to lam her, she said.
'
0, go
a
of some considerable size. way,
piece of carpeting,
On this pieceof carpetingAunt Chloe took her
stand,as beingdecidedlyin the upper walks of
life ; and it and the bed by which it lay,and the
whole corner, in fact,were treated with distinguished
consideration,and made, so far",s possible,
sacred from the marauding inroads and
desecrationsof littlefolks. In fact,that corner baked pound-cake, of which no cityconfectioner
was the drawing-roomof the establishment. In need to have been ashamed. This being evidently
the other corner was a bed of much humbler pretensions,
the central point of the entertainment, Aunt
and evidentlydesignedfor use. The Chloe began now to bustle about earnestly in the
wall over the fireplace was adorned with some
very brilliant supper department.
scriptural prints, and a portrait of "Here you, Mose and Pete! get out de way,
(ieneral Washington,drawn and colored in a you niggers ! Get mammy
Polly,honey," away,
manner which would certainlyhave astonished '11 give her baby somefin,by and by. Now,
to meet with Mas'r George, you jesttake -offdem books,and
that hero,if ever he had happened
its like.
On a rough bench in the corner, a couple of
woolly-headedboys, with glistening black eyes
A tableșomewhat rheumatic in itslimbs,was
drawn out in front of the fire,and covered with
up the tail of his g the wrong side out ; " that
makes a
q, you see."
"La sakes,now, does it?" said Uncle Tom,
looking with a respectful, admiringair,as his
young teacher flourishingly scrawled "?'s and g-'s
innumerable for his edification ; and then,taking
the pencil in his big,heavyfingers,
patiently
re-commenced.
"How easy white folks al'us does things!"
said Aunt Chloe,pausing while she was greasing
a griddlewith a scrap of bacon on her fork,and
"
Mose done, Mas'r George," said Aunt Chloe,
to make some cake,
feelin's,
Missis,' says I ; 'it really hurts my
now, to see good vittles spile dat ar way ! Cake
ris all to one side
"
than my shoe ;
"
go way
shape at all ;
no more
and fat shiningcheeks,were busy in ' '
superintending
They wanted me to come to supper
in the
the firstwalkingoperationsof the baby, house," said George; "but I knew what waa
which, as is usuallythe case, consisted in getting
what too well for that,Avnt Chloe."
upon its feet,balancing a moment, "
and then So you
did "
you did,honey," said Aunt
"
tumblingdown, successive failure beingChloe,heaping the smoking batter-cakes on his
violently cheered,as somethingdecidedly clever. plate; " you know'd your old aunty 'd keep the
!'
'
And with this filialexpression of contemptfor
Sally's greenness, Aunt Chloe whippedthe cover
offthe bake-kettle,and disclosed to view a neatly-
set down now with my old man, and I '11take up
de sausages,
and have de firstgriddle full of cakes
on your plates in less dan no time."