UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

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Paul
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she
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a
KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
167
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also a son, twenty-oneyears of age, still a
j One was sitting mother,holding
slave on a neighboring plantation. The infirm
her hand ; and the air of pride and filial
woman in whose name the estate was affectionwith which theypresented her was
held was supposedto be drawingnear to touching behold. After beingpresented
death,and the poor parents were distressed to the writer, she againsat down between
with the fear that, in case of thisevent,their them,took a hand of each,and looked very
two remainingchildrenwould be sold for earnestly first on one and then on the other ;
the purpose of dividing the estate, and thus and then,lookingup, said,with a smile,
thrown into the dreaded southern market. "0, thesechildren, how theydo lieround
No one can realizewhat a constant horror our hearts! "
the slave-prisons and the slave-tradersare She then explainedto the writer all her
to allthe unfortunate familiesin thevicinity sorrows and anxietiesfor the younger children.
Everything for which other parents look "Now, madam," she says, "that
on theirchildren with pleasure and prideis man that keepsthe greattrading-house
to these poor soulsa source of anxiety and Alexandria, that man" she said,with a
dismay,because it rendersthe childso much strong,indignantexpression, "has sent to
more a merchantable article.
know if there 's any
more of my childrento
It is no wonder,therefore, that the lightbe sold. That man said he wanted to see
in Paul and Milly'scottagewas overshadowed
me ! Yes,ma'am,he said he 'd givetwenty
by this terribleidea.
dollarsto see me. I would n't see him,if
The guardians of thesechildrenhad givenhe 'd giveme a hundred ! He sent for me
theirfathera written promiseto sell them to come and see him,when he had my daughters
to him for a certain sum, and by hard begging
in his prison. I would n't go to see
he had acquired hundred dollarstowards
I did n't want to him," see them there! "
the twelve hundred which were necessary.
The two daughters, Emily and Mary,
But he was now confined to his bed here became very much excited, and broke
with sickness. After pouringout earnest out in some
very natural but bitter language
prayers to the Helperof the helpless, Millyagainst
Hush,children!
says, one day she said to Paul, " I tell ye, you must forgive your enemies,"she said.
Paul. I'm goingup to New York myself, "But they're so wicked ! " said the girls.'
to see if I can't get that "
money."
Ah, children, you must hate the sin,but
says to me, ' Why,Millydear,how love the sinner." "Well," said one of
can yon? Ye an't fitto be off the bed, and the girls,
mother,if I was taken again
ye 's never in the cars in your life.' and made a slaveof,I 'd killmyself." " I
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Never you fear,Paul,'says I; ' I shall trust
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not,child, that would be wicked."
go trustingin the Lord ; and the Lord, But,mother,I should ; I know I never
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He '11take me, and He '11bringme, I could
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bear it." Bear it, my child?" she
know.'
answered,
it's theythat bears the sorrow
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So I went to the cars and got a white here is they that has the glories there."
man to put me aboard ; and, sure enough, There was a deep, indescribable pathosof
there I found two Bethel ministers ; and voice and manner as she said thesewords,
one set one sideo' me, and one set the other, solemnity force,and yet a sweetness,
all the way ; and theygot me my tickets, that can never be forgotten.
and looked after my things, every This poor slave-mother, whose whole life
thing for me. There did n't anythinghappen
had been one longoutrage on her holiest
to me all the way. Sometimes,when I feelings, who had been kept from the
went to set down in the sitting-rooms, people
power to read God's Word, whose whole
looked at me and moved off so scornful ! pilgrimage day of sorrow
Well, I thought, give by the injustice of a Christiannation,
you a better mind."
had yetlearned to solve the highest
Emilyand Mary,who had been at school problem of Christian ethics, and to do what
in New York State, came to the cityto so few reformers can hate the do," sin,but
meet their mother,and theybroughther love the sinner !
directly to the Rev. HenryW. Beecher's A great deal of interest was excited
house,where the writer then was.
among the ladies in Brooklynby thishistory.
The writer remembers now the scene
Several largemeetings were held in
when she firstmet this mother and daughters.
differentparlors, in which the old mother related
It must be recollectedthatthey had her history greatsimplicity and
pathos, and a subscription the re-
not seen each other before for four years. |