UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

_
for
,
,
ingsandmurmurings
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY.
79
"
Tom and Adolph assisted to get him composed have an extraordinary talent fcr command, and
for the night țhe latterin highspirits, evidently tact in educating Ṣuch are enabled,with
regarding goodjoke, and apparent
laughing
ease, and without severity, to subjec to
heartily rusticity of Tom's horror,who their will,and bring into harmonious and systematic
really simpleenough to lie awake most of order,the -arious members of their small
the rest of the night,praying for his young master.
estate, to regulate' their peculiarities, and so
balance and compensate the deficienciesof one by
"
Well,Tom, what are
you waiting for V said the excess of another,as to produce a harmonious
St. Clare,the next day, as he sat in his library, and orderlysystem.
in dressing-gown and a Shelby, whom we
just been intrusting Tom some money, ; and such our readers
various commissions. "Isn't all rightthere, may remember to have met with. If they are
Tom7" he added, as Tom stillstood waiting. not common at the South,it is because theyare
slippers Ṣt.
with
Clare had
and
Such
have alreadydescribed
housekeeper "
I 'm "fraid not, Mas'r," said Tom, with a
grave face.
St. Clare laid down his paper, and set down
his coffee-cup, and looked at Tom.
"Why, Tom, what's the case? You look as
Bolemn as a coffin."
"
1 feel very bad,Mas'r. I allays have thoughtunsystematicand
that Mas'r would be good to everybody."
'"Well,Tom, haven't I been? Come, now,
what do you want? There 's somethingyou
have n't got, I suppose, and this is the preface."
"Mas'r allaysbeen good tome. I haven't
nothing to complainof,on that head. But there
is one that Mas'r isn't good to."
"Why, Tom, what's got into you* Speak
out ; what do you
mean ?"
"
Last night,between one and two, I thought
so. I studied upon the matter then. Mas'r
"
isn't good to himself.
Tom sail this with his back to his master,and
his hand on- the door-knob. St. Clare felt his
face flush crimson,but he laughed.
n
0, that 's all,is it?" he said,gayly.
"
All ! " said Tom, turningsuddenly round and
falling "
0, my dear young Mas'r !
I'm 'fraid it will be lossofall" all" body and
soul. The good Book says, ' it biteth like a
serpent and stingethlike an adder!' my dear
Mas'r !"
Tom's voice choked,and the tears ran down his
cheeks.
"You poor, sillyfool!" said St, Clare,with
in the kitchen department,was
.filledwith wrath at what she considered an invasion
of privilege. No feudal baron in Magna
tears in his
" own eyes. Get up, Tom. I 'm not Charta times could have more thoroughly resented
worth cryingover."
some incursion of the crown.
But Tom would n't rise,and looked imploring. Dinah was a character in her own way. and it
"\Vr|| [ won't go to any
more of their cursed would be injustice to her memory
not to "give the
nonsense. Tom," said St. Clare; " on
my honor, reader a littleidea of her. She was a native and
I won't I don't know why I haven't stopped essentialcook,as much "
as AuntChloe, cooking
longago I "ve alwaysdespised it,and myselfbeingan indigenous talentof the African race
( ;
for it," so now. Tom, wipe up your eyes, and go
but Chloe was a trained and methodical one, who
about your errands. Come, come," he added, moved in an orderly domestic harness,while Dinah
"no blessings Ị'm not so wonderfully good, was a self-taught genius,and, like geniuses
'
now, he sail,as he gentlypushedTom to the in general,was positive,
and erratic,
door. "There, I'll pledgemy honor to you,
Tom, you don't see me so again,'-' he said ; and
Tom went off,wipinghis eyes, with great satisfaction.
Dinah
scorned logic and reason in every
shape,and always took refugein intuitivecertainty
"
1 11 keep my faith with him, too,"said St.
; and here she was perfectly
Clare, as he cl ised the door.
And St Clare did so,
"
gross sensualism, explanation, could ever make her believe that any
other way was better than her own, or that the
in any form,was uot the peculiartemptationof
bis nature.
But, all thistime,who
shall detail the tribulations
m .-unfold of our friend Miss Ophelia,who
had begunthe labors of a Southern
There is all the differencein the world in the !
not common in the world. They are to be found
there as often as anywhere ; and,when existing,
find in that peculiarstate of society a brilliant
opportunityto exhibit theirdomestic talent.
Such a housekeeperMarie St. Clare was not,
nor her mother before her. Indolentand childish,
improvident, it was not to be
expectedthat servants trained under her care
should not be so likewise ; and she had very
justlydescribed to Miss Opheliathe state of confusion
she would find in the family,thoughshe"
had not ascribed it to the proper cause.
The firstmorning of her regency, Miss Ophelia
was
up at four o'clock ; and havingattended to
all the adjustmentsof her own chamber,as she
had done ever since she came there,to the great
amazement of the chamber-maid,she prepared
for a vigorousonslaught on the cupboardsand
closets of the establishment of which she had the
keys.
The store-room,the linen-presses, the chinaclosetțhe
kitchen and cellarțhat day, all went
under an awful -review. Hidden things of dark-
Jness
were brought to lightto an extent that
alarmed all the principalities and powers of
kitchen and chamber,and caused many woncler-
about " dese ycr northern
ladies "
from the domestic cabinet.
Old Dinah,the head cook,and principal
rule and
I
authority
of all
opinionated
to the last degree.
Like a certain class of modern philosophers,
perfectly
impregnable.
No possibleamount of talent,or authority, jr
course she had pursued in the smallest matter
could be in the least modified. This had been a
conceded point with her old mistress,Marie 'a
housekeeper? mother; and "Miss Marie," as Dinah always
called her young mis'tress, even after her marriage,
servants of Southern establishments, accordingto \
the character and capacity of tfok found it easier to submit than contend ;
mistresses who
have brought chem
"
up.
. easier,in that she was perfectmistress of that
South us well as north there ire women who diplomatic
and so Dinah had ruled supreme. This was this
art which un'tes the utmost subserv-