UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

" and
you
"
these
an't
"
84 UNCLE TOM S CABIN I OR,
Tom turned,and walked sorrowfully back
the house. In the court he met littleEva," a
crown of tuberoses on her head,and her eyes
radiant with delight.
"
0, Tom ! here you are. I 'm gladI 've found
you. Papa says you may get out the ponies, take me in my
little new carriage," to
"
"
Prue to death!" said Miss Ophelia,goingon,
catching his hand. " But what 's the matter, with greatstrength detail,into the stv.-y, and
Tom ? look sober."
enlarging shockingparticulars.
I thought itwould come to that șome time,"
" "
I feel bad, Miss Eva," said Tom, sorrowfully.
"
But I '11 get the horses for you."
said St. Clare,going on with his paper.
"
Thought so ! " But do tell me, Tom, what is the matter. I
you going to do anything
saw you talking to cross old Prue."
about it?" said Miss Ophelia. "Haven't you
Tom, in simple,earnest phrase țold Eva the got any selectmen, or anybody țo interfere and
woman's history Ṣhe did not exclaim,or wonder,
look after such matters?"
or weep,
as other children do. Her cheeks "It 's commonly supposed that the property
grew pale, and a deep, earnest shadow passedinterestis a sufficient guard in thesa cases. If
over her eyes. She laid both hands on her '
peoplechoose to ruin their own possessions, I
and sighedheavily.
"
overcast ; he looked annoyed,but suddenlycalling
form of Evange-
up a gay smile,he said,
her large,mysticeyes dilated with "
horror, Come, cousin,don't stand there looking like
and every drop of blood driven from her lips and one of the Fates ; you 've only seen a
peep
jheeks.
through the curtain, a specimenof what is
"Lor bles3 us! Miss Eva's gwine to faint goingon, the world over, in some shape or other.
away ! What got us all țo let her har such If we are to be prying and spyinginto all the
talk ? Her pa '11be rail mad."
dismals of life,we should have no heart to any
" I shan't faint,Dinah," said the child,firmly; thing. 'T is like lookingtoo close into the details
of Dinah's kitchen;" and St. Clare lay
back on the sofa,and busied himself with his
'em saying that the flieshad got to her," and
she 's dead ! ' '
Dinah held up
her hands, and, turning, close by her side the spirit-like line,
" and why should n't I hear it? It an't so much
for me to hear it,as for poor Prue to suffer it."
jmt sokes ! it is n't for sweet, delicate young
{
ladies,like you,
yer storiesisn't;it's
kill 'em !'1
paper.
Miss Ophelia sat down, and pulledout her
enough to
knitting-work, and sat there grim with indignation.
Eva sighedagain, and walked up stairswith a
She knit and knit,but while she mused
slow and melancholystep.
the fireburned ;
"
at last she broke out
Miss Opheliaanxiously inquired the woman's
" I tell you, Augustine, I can't get over things
story. Dinah gave a very garrulousversion of it, so, if you can. It 's a perfect abomination for
to which Tom added the particulars which he had you to defend such a that 's system," my
drawn from her that morning.
mind!"
"An abominable business," peifectly hcrri
ble!" she exclaimed,as she entered the room
where St. Clare layreadinghis paper.
"Pray, what iniquity has turned up now?"
said he.
"
What now? why, those folks have whipped
don't know what 's to be done. It seems the
poor creature was a thief and a drunkard ; and
so there won't be much hope to getup sympathy
for her."
"
"
"
"
"
CHAPTER XIX.
perfectly outrageous, it ishorrid,Augustine
" It is
miss Ophelia's experiences and opinions, continued.
! It will certainly bringdown
upon you."
vengeance
"
My dear cousin,I didn't do it,and I can't
"
Tom, you need n't getme the horses. I don't help it ; I would, if I could. If low-minded,
want to go," she said.
brutal people will act like themselves,what ami
"
Why not, Miss Eva?"
to do? They have absolute control ; theyare irresponsib
"
These thingssink into my heart Țom," said
despots. There would be no use in
Eva,"
repeated, interfering ; there is no law that amounts to anything
"
they sink int"" my heart,"she
earnestly.
I practically, for such a case. The best we
don't want to go ;" and she turned
from Tom, and went into the house.
can do is to shut our
eyes and ears, and let it
A few daysafter,another woman came, in old alone. It 's the onlyresource left us."
Prue's place țo bring the rusks ; Miss Ophelia
your eyes and ears? How
"
How can you shut
was in the kitchen.
can you let such thingsalone?"
My dear child,what do you
"
Lor !" said Dinah, " what 's gotPrue !"
" Here
expect?
"
Prue isn't comingany more," said the woman,
is a whole class, debased,uneducated, indolent,
mysteriously.
provoking, put, without any sort of terms
" not?" " said Dinah. She an'tdead,is or conditions,entirely into the hands of such
she?"
" We does n't exactlyknow. She 's down cellar,"
who have neither consideration nor self-control,
Why
people majority in people
said the woman, glancing at Miss Ophelia. who haven't even an enlightened regard to their
After Miss Ophelia had taken the rusks,Dinah own interest, for tnat 's the case with the
followed the woman to the door.
largesthalf of mankind. Of course, in a community
"
What has gotPrue, anyhow ?" she said.
so organized, what can a man of honorable
The woman seemed desirous, yetreluctant, to and humane feelingsdo,but shut his eyes all he
speak, and answered, in a can, and harden his heart? I can't
"
Well, you
mustn't she poor wretch I see. I can't turn
low, mysterioustone.
tell nobody..Prue,
buy every
knight-errant,
got drunk agin, and theyhad her down cellar, and undertake to redress every individual case of
thar they left her all day," and I hearn
wrong in such a cityas this. The most I can do
is to try and keep out of the way of it."
St. Clare's fine countenance was for a moment