UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

.
"I'm
carrying
she
"
Uncle
Master
"
he
"
I
" be
" it
18 UNCLE TOM S CABIN : OR,
ingfor her boy, whicn she tied with a handkerchief
firmly round her waist ; and,so fond is a
mother's remembrance,that,even in the terrors
of that hour, she did not forgetto put in the
little package one or two of his favorite toys,
reserving a gaylypaintedparrotto amuse him,
my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both,to a trader ;
when she should be called on to awaken him. It and that he was going off this morningon his
was some trouble to arouse the littlesleeper ; but,
after some effort, he sat up, and was playing with to-day."
nis bird,while his mother was puttingon her Tom had stood,during this speech, with his
bonnet and shawl.
" Where are you going, mother? "
said he, as
she chew near the bed,with his little coat and
came over him, he collapsed,
himself,on his old chair,
His mother drew near, and looked so earnestly his knees.
cap.
into his eyes, that he at once divined that something
unusual was the matter.
"
"
"
"Hush, Harry," she said; "mustn't speak What has he done,that Mas'r should sell him?"
loud,or theywill hear us. A wicked man was
it isn't for that
"
He has n't done anything,
coming to take little Harry away from his mother, Master don't want to sell; and Missis she's
and carry him 'way off in the dark ; but mother alwaysgood. I heard her plead and beg for us ;
won't let him 's going to put on her little but he told her 't was no use ; that lie was in this
boy's cap and coat,and run off with him, so the man's debt,and that this man had got the power
ugly man can't catch him."
over him ; and that if he did n't pay him offclear,
Saying these words, she had tied and buttoned it would end in his having to sell the placeand
on the child's simple outfit,and,takinghim in all the people, and move off Yes, I heard him
the mother wrappedthe shawl close round her
child,as, perfectly quietwith vague terror,he
clung round her neck.
can't help it. She said,herself,one soul was
Old Bruno, a greatNewfoundland,who sleptworth more than the world ; and this boy has a
at the end of the porch,rose, with a low growl, soul,and if I let him be carried off,who knows
as she came near. She gentlyspoke his name, what '11become of it? It must be right : but, if
and the animal,an old pet and playmateof hers, it an't rightțhe Lord forgive
instantly, wagging his tail,preparedto follow doing it!"
"
her,though apparentlyrevolvingmuch, in his Well, old man!" said Aunt Chloe, " why
simpledog'shead,what such an indiscreet midnight
don't you go, too? Will
you
wait to be toted
promenade might mean. Some dim ideas down river,where they kill niggerswitli hard
of imprudence or improprietyin the measure work and starving? I'da heap rather die than
seemed to embarrass him considerably ; for he go there, any day ! There 's time for ye, off
often stopped,as Eliza glidedforward,and looked with Lizy," you 've got a pa ;s to come and go
wistfully, firstat her and then at the house,and any time. Come, bustle up, and I '11 get your
then,as if reassured byreflection, he patteredalong thingstogether."
after her again. A few minutes broughtthem to Tom slowly raised his head,and loosed sorrowfully
the window of Uncle Tom's cottage, and Eliza
but quietlyaround, and said,
stoppingțappedlightly on the "
"
window-pane. No, no an't going. Let Eliza go 's
The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom's had, in the her right! I wouldn't be the one to say no "
order of hymn-singing, been protractedto a
very
'tan't in natur for her to stay; but you heard
late hour ; and, as Uncle Tom had indulged himself
what she said ! If I must be sold or all the people
in a few lengthy solos afterwardsțhe conyequence
was, that,althoughit was now between let me be sold. I s'pose I can b'ar it as well
on the place, and everythin go to rack,why,
as
twelve and one o'clock,he and his worthyhelpmeet
any on 'em," he added,while somethinglike a
were not yetasleep.
sob and a sigh shook his broad,rough
"
Good Lord! what 's that?" said
"
Aunt Chloe,
Mas'r always found me on the spot
startingup and hastilydrawing the curtain. always will. I never have broke trust,nor
"My sakes alive, if it an't Lizy! Get on your
used wz pass
no
ways contrary to my word,and I
clothes,old man, there's old Bruno never will. It 's better for
quick!" me alone to go, than
too,a pawin' round ; what on airth ! I 'in gwine
to open the door."
And, suiting the action to the word,the door
flew open, and the lightof the tallow candle,
"
Lord bless you
"
! I
'm skeered to look at ye,
" "
Lizy ! Are ye tuck sick,or what 's come over
ye?"
runningaway
Tom and Aunt
Chloe off my child
him
"
sold
"Sold him.'?" echoed both,liftingup theit
hands in dismay.
"Yes, sold him!" said Eliza,firmly; "I
crept into the closet by Mistress' door to-night,
and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold
horse,and that the man was to take possession
hands raised,and his eyes dilated, like a man in
a dream. Slowly and gradually, as its meaning
rather than seated
and sunk his head down
upon
' ' The good Lord have pity on us !" said Aunfc
Chloe.
"
0 ! it don't seem as if it was true !
say there was no choice between selling these two
and sellingall țhe man was drivinghim so hard.
her arms, she whispered to him to be very still ;
and,openinga door in her room which led into
the outer veranda,she glidednoiselessly out.
It was a spaikling, frosty,star-light night, and
Christian and an angel
Master said he was sorry; but 0, Missis "
you
ought to have heard her talk ! If she an't a
țhere never was one*
I 'm a wicked girl to leave her so ; but, then,I
me, fori can't help
chest convulsively.
to break up the placeand sell all. Mas'r an't to
blame,Chloe, and he '11take care of you
and the
' '
poor
Here he turned to the rough
trundle-bed full of
which Tom had hastilylighted, fell on the haggard
little woollyheads,and broke fairlydown. He
face,and dark,wild eyes of the fugitive. leaned over the back of the chair, and covered his
face with his largehands. Sobs,heavy, hoarse and
loud,shook the chair, and grea tears fell through
his fingers on the floor : just such tears șir,as you
dropped into the coffinwhere lay your first-born
son ; such tears,woman, as you shed when you
heard the criesof your dying babe. For,sir, ho