UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

" that
I
why
we
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY. 71
"
Nothing,"said Miss Opheliașignificantly. religion, that he 's alwaysrunning
out m. this
Eva looked sorry and disconcerted for a moment
way he 's been doing "
; but children,luckily, keep to one "Religion!" said St. Clare,in a tone that
impression long, and in a few moments she j
was made both ladies look at him. "Religion!la
merrilylaughing at various things which she saw what you hear at church religion ? Is that which
from the coach-windows,as it rattled along. can bend and turn, and descend and ascend,to fit
every crooked phraseof selfish,worldlysociety,
# * # * * #
"Well, ladies,"said St. Clare,as theywere religion religion is less scrupulous,
"
comfortably seated at the dinner-table, and what
less generous, less just, less consider;!te for
was the billof fare at church to-day?"
man, than even my
own ungodly,worldly,blinded
"
0, Dr. G preached a splendidsermon," nature ? No ! When I look for a religion, 1 must
said Marie.
"
It was just such a sermon as you
above look for something me, and not something
ought to hear ; it expressed all my
views exactly."
beneath."
"
Then don't believe that the Bible justifies
"
It must have been very improving," said St.
you
slavery?"said Miss Ophelia.
"
Clare The subject must have been an extensive
"
The Bible was my mother's
"
one."
Clare. By it she lived and bonk,"said
died,and
St.
I would
"
Well, I mean all my views about society, and be very sorry to think it did. 1 'd as soon desire
such things," said Marie. " '
The text was, He to have it proved that my mother could drink
hath made everything beautiful in its season;' brandy, chew tobacco,and swear, by way of satisfying
and he showed how all the orders and distinctions
me that I did right in doing* the same. It
in society came from God ; and that it was so would n't make me at all more satisfiedwith
appropriate, you know, and beautiful, that some these things in myself, and it would take from
should be highand some low,and that some were me the comfort of respecting her; and it reallyis
born to rule and some to serve, and all that, you
a comfort,in this world, to have anythingone
know ; and he applied it so well to all this ridiculous
can respect. In short, you see," said he, suddenly
fuss that is made about slavery,and he
proveddistinctlythat the Bible was on our side,
and supported
'd heard him."
prettygenerallyunderstood
differentthings be kept in different boxes. The
all our institutions so convincingly. whole frame-work of society, both in Europe and
I only wish
"
0, I did
you
n't
America,is made up of various thingswhich will
not stand the scrutinyof any very
ideal standard
need it,"said St.Clare. " I can
learn what does me as much good as that from of morality. It 's
the Picayune,any time,and smoke a cigar besides
; which I can't do, you know, in a
church."
"Why," said Miss Ophelia, "don't you beiievein
these views ?"
getalongwithout it,we should be beggared if
"
"
Who, ? You know I 'insuch a graceless we give it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on
dogthat these religious aspects of such subjectsto this is it," strong,clear,well-defined language
don't edify me much. If I was to say anything ; it has the respectability of truth to it ;
on this slaverymatter, I would say out, fair and and if we may judgeby țheir practice, the majority
square, ' AVe 're in for it ; we 've got 'em, and of the world will bear us out in it. But when
mean to 'em," keep it 's for our convenience and he begins to put on a longface, and snuffle,and
our interest ;' for that 's the long and short of it, quote scripture, I incline to think he is n't much
's justthe whole of what all this sanctified
better than he should be."
stuff amounts to, after all ; and I think
uncharitable," said Marie.
"
You are very
"
AYell,"said St. Clare,"suppose
that will be intelligible to everybody,everywhere."
"I do are so think,Augustine,you irreverent!"
and forever, and make the whole slave ]roperty
a
said Marie. "I think it's shocking to drug in the market, don't you
think we should
hear you
talk."
soon have another version of the scripture doctrine
"
Shocking ! it 's the truth. This religious, talk ? AVhat a floodof light would pour into the
on such "
matters, don't theycarry it a little
church,all at once, and how immediately itwould
further,and show the beauty, in its season, be discovered that everything
the Bible and
of a fellow'staking a glass too much, and sitting reason went the other way
!"
a littletoo late over his cards,and various
"
providential
AYell,at any rate," said Marie,as a\it reclined
arrangements of that sort, which are
herself on a lounge, "I'm thankful I'm
frequent
f"retty among
"
us young
men ; 'd born where slavery exists ; and I believe it 'a
ike to hear that those are rightand godly țoo."
"
right, indeed,I feel it must be; and, at any
"
AYell,"said Miss Ophelia, "do you think rate, I 'm sure I could n't get alongwithout
slaveryright or wrong?"
it."
" I 'm not goingt6 have any of your horrid
' I say, what do you think,Pussy?" siid her
New Englanddirectness, cousin,"said St. Clare, father to Eva, who came in at this moment, with
gayly. " If I answer that question, I know you '11 a flower in her hand.
be at ire with half a dozen others,each one harder
" What about, papa ?"
than tho last ; and I 'm not a going to define "
my Why, which do you like the to live
best,"
position Ị am one of the sort that lives by as they do at your uncle's, up
in Vermont, or to
throwing stones at other people'sglasshouses, have a house-fullof servants, as we do?"
"
said Marie ; you can't get any satisfaction out
of him 1 believei: 's justbecause he don't- like
resuming his gay tone, "all I want is that
that men "don't aspire after the absolute right,
but onlyto do about as well as the rest of the
world. Now, when any one speaksup, like a
"man, and says slavery is necessary
to us, we can't
that something
should bring down the priceof c" tton race
but I never mean to put up -one for them to
"
0, of course, our way is the pleasantest,
'
stone."
"That's just the way he's said Eva.
"
always talking," AVhy so?" said St. Clare,stroking her head
"
AVhy, it makes so many
more round you to
love, you know," said Eva,lookingup earnestly