UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

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rightbehind
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34 UNCLE TOM S CABIN .' OR,
trine. If I had slaves (as I hope I never shall A temporary bed was providedfor her on the set
have) ,
I 'd risk their wanting to run away from tie,near the fire ; and, after a short time,she fell
me, or you either,John. I tell you folksdon't into a heavyslumber, with the child,who seemed
run
away when they are happy ; and when they no less weary, soundlysleeping on her arm
do run, poor creatures ! they suffer ; for
enough with the mother resisted, with nervous anxiety țhe
cold and hunger and fear,without everybody's kindest attempts to take him from her ; and, even
turningagains them ; and, law or no law, I
never will șo helpmo God !"
"Mary! Mary! My dear,let me reason with
you."
"I hate John,"
reasoning, especially reasoning
on such subjects.There 's a
way you political
plainrightthing; and you don't believe it your-
folks have of cominground and round a
; but Mrs. Bird busied herselfwith her knitting-work,
when it comes
selves,
and Mr. Bird pretendedto
to practice.I know you the paper.
be reading
"
I wonder who and what she is!" said Mr
well enough, John. You don't believe it 's right
any more than I do ; and you would n't do it any
sooner than I."
At this criticaljuncture,old Cudjoe țhe black
man-of-all-work, put his head in at the door,and
wished " Missis would come into the kitchen;" silence over his newspaper.
and our "
senator,tolerablyrelieved, looked afterhis Well,dear !"
littlewife with a whimsical mixture of amusement
and vexation,and,seatinghimself in the armchair,
beganto read the
papers.
After a moment, his wife's voice was heard at
the door,in a quick, earnest tone," "John!
John ! I do wisii you 'd come here a moment."
He laid down his paper, and went into the
kitchen,and started,quiteamazed .at the sight
that presenteditself:" A young and slender
in sleep, her arm encircledhim with an unrelaxing
clasp,as if she could not even then be beguiled of
her vigilant hold.
Mr. and Mrs. Bird had gone back to the parlor,
where,strange as it may appear, no reference waa
made, on either side,to the preceding conversation
Bird,at last,as
he laid it down.
"
When she wakes up and feels a littlerested
we will see," said Mrs. Bird.
"
I say, wife !" said Mr. Bird,after musingin
"
She could n't wear one of your gowns, could
she,by any letting down, or such matter? She
seems to be rather larger than you are."
woman, with garments torn and frozen, with one
shoe gone, and the stocking torn away from the
my afternoon's nap ; you might as well give her
cut and bleedingfoot,was laid back in a deadly
she needs clothes."
that,"
swoon upon two chairs. There was the impress At this instant, Dinah looked in to say that the
of the despised race on her face,yet none could woman was awake, and wanted to'see Missis.
helpfeeling itsmournful andpatheticbeauty, while Mr. and Mrs. Bird went into the kitchen,followed
"
Sure,now, ifshe an't a sigh to behold !" said
old Dinah, compassionately;
"pearslike 'twas woman ! ' '
the heat that made her faint. She was tol'able A long-drawn,shivering sigh was the onlyanswer;
peart when she cum in, and asked if she could n't
but she lifted her dark eyes,
and fixed them
warm herself here a spell ; and I was justa askin' on her with such a forlorn and imploring expression,
her where she cum from, and she fainted right that the tears came into the littlewoman's
down. Never done much hard work, guess, by eyes.
the looks of her hands."
"You needn't be afraid of anything;we are
"
Poor creature !" said Mrs. Bird,compassionately,
friends here, poor woman ! Tell me where
as the woman slowly unclosed her large, came from, and what you want," said she.
you
dark eyes, and looked vacantlyat her. Suddenly
from Kentucky," said the woman.
"
I came
an expression of agony crossed her face,and she
the interrogatory.
"
When?" said Mr. Bird,takingup
sprang up, sayiug, " 0, my Harry ! Have they
gothim ?"
"
To-night."
The boy.at this,jumped from Cudjoe'sknee,
"
How did you come ?"
and, runningto her side,put up
his arms. "0,
"
I crossed on the ice."
he 's here ! he 's here !" she exclaimed.
"
Crossed on the ice !" said every
one present.
"
Yes,"said the woman, slowly, " I did. God
"
0, ma'am !" said she,wildlyțo Mrs. Bird,
''
do protect us ! don't let them gethim !" helpingme, I crossed on the ice ; for theywere
"
Nobody shall hurt you lijree, poor woman," behind me there was no
said Mrs.
"
Bird,encouragingly. You other way ! ' '
are safe ;
don't be afraid."
"
Law, Missis," said Cudjoe, " the ice is all
"
God bless you!" said the woman, coveringin broken-upblocks,a swinging and a tetering up
her face and sobbing; while the littleboy,seeingand down in the water !"
her crying, get into her lap.
know it!" saidshe,wildly ,
"
I know it was
With many gentle and womanly offices, which
"
but I did it ! I would n't have thought I could,
none knew better how to render than Mrs. Bird, did n't think I should get over, but I didn't
""he poor woman was, in time,rendered more calm. care ! I could but die,if I did n't. The Lord
A
quiteperceptible smile glimmeredon Mrs
Bird's face,as she answered, " We '11see."
Another pause, and Mr. Bird ag.m broke out,
"
I say, wife !"
"Well! What now?"
"
Why, there 's that old bonibazin cloak,that
you keep on purpose to put over me when I take
itsstonysharpness, cold,fixed,deathlyaspect, by the two eldest boys, the smaller fry
struck a solemn chill over him. He drew his having,by this time,been safelydisposedof in
breath short,and stood in silence. His Avife, and bed.
theironlycolored domestic,old Aunt- Dinah, were The woman was now sitting up
on the settle, by
busilyengagedin restorativemeasures ; while old the fire. She was lookingsteadily into the blaze,
Cudjoehad got the boy on his knee, and was busy with a calm,heart-broken expression, very different
pullingoffhis shoes and stockings, and chafing his from her former agitated wildness.
littlecold feet.
"
Did you want me?" said Mrs. Bird,in gentle
"
tones. I hope you feel better now, poor