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Show 280 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN: OR, ~ave n't forgot me. It warms my soul; it does my old heart good ! Now I shall die content! Bless the Lord, oh my soul!" "You shan't die! you 1nust n' t die, nor think of it! I ''•e como to buy you, and take you home," said George, with impetuous vehemence. " 0, Mas'r George, ye 're too late. The Lord 's bought me, and is going to take me home,- and I long to go. Heaven is better than Kintuek." « 0, don't die! It 'll kill me !-it'll break my heart to think what you've suffered,-and lying in this old shed, here! Poor, poor fellow!'' "Don't call roo poor fellow!" said Tom, solemnly. " I have been poor fellow; but that's all past and gone, now. I 'm right in tho door, going into glory! 0, ~Ias'r George ! Heaven has come! I 've got the victory!- the Lord Jesus has given it to me! Glory be to His name!" George was awe~struck at the force, the vehemence, the power, with which these broken sentences were uttered. He sat ga.zing in silence. Tom grasped his hand, nndcontinued,-" Ye mustn't, now, tell Chloe, poor soul! how ye found me;- 't would be so drolful to her. Only tell her yo found me going into glory; and that I couldn't stay for no one. And tell her tho Lord's stood by me everywhere :md nl'u,ys, and made everything light and easy. And oh, the poor chi!' en, and the baby!my oM heart 's been most broke for 'em, time and agin! 'roll 'em all to follow mo- follow me ! Give my love to i\Ias'r, and dear good 1\iissis, and everybody in tho place ! Ye don't know! 'Pears like I loves 'em all! I loves every creatur', cverywhar! - it's nothing but Jo,re ! 0, l'.fas'r George! what a. thing 'tis to be a Christian!" Llli.J<: Al\IONG TJJE LOWI,Y. 281 At this moment, Legree sauntered up to the door of the shed, looked in, with a dogged air of affected carelessness, and turned ;J.Wt\y. "The oltl satan!" said George, in his indignation. " It 's a comfort to think the devil will pay kim for this, some of these cbys! '' "0, don't!- oh, ye mustn't!" said Tom, grasping his hand ; "he 's a. poor mis'able critter! it's a.wful lo think on 't! 0, if he only could repent, the Lord would forgive him now; but I'm 'feared he never will!" ~l I hope he won't ! " said George; " I never want to see !tim in hca.\'en ! " 11 Hush, 1\fas'r George!- it worries me ! Don't feel so! Tic an't done me no real harm,-only opened the gate of the kingdom for me; that 's all ! " At this moment, the sudden flush of strength which the joy of meeting his young master had infused into the dying man gave way. A sudden sinking fell upon him; he closed his eyes ; and that mysterious and sublime change passed over his f<ICe, that told the approach of other worlds. He began to draw l1is breath with long, deep inspirations; and his broad chest rose and fell, heavily. The expression of his face was that of a conqueror. "Who,-who,- who shall separate us from the Jove of Christ"?'' he said, in a voice that contended with mortal weakness; ancl, with a smile, he fell asleep. George sat fixed with solemn awe. It seemed to him that the place was holy; and, as he closed the lifeless eyes, and rose up from the dead, only one thought possessed him,- that expressed by his simple old friend,- "What a thing it is to be ~ Christian ! " He turned: Legree was sl<~nding, sullenly, behind him. \'f\ 1.. II. 24* |