| OCR Text |
Show 308 UNCJ,E TOM'S C1\l.\IN : OH, llfrs. Shelby followed her softly, and took one of her hands, drew her down into a clmir, and sat down by her. "llfy poor, good Chloe ! " "''ill she. Chloe leaned her head on her mistress' shoulder, nnd sobbed out, "0 Missis ! 'souse me, my heart 's broke,dat 's all!" "I know it is," said Mrs. Shelby, as her tears fell fast; "and I cannot heal it, but J csus can. lie hcalcth the broken he..'lrted, nnd bindeth up their wounds." There was a silence for some time, and all wept together. At last, George, sitting down beside the mourner, took her hand, and, with simple pathos, repeated the triumphant scene of her husband's death, and his last messages of love. About a. month after this, one morning, all the servants of the Shelby estate were convened together in the great ball that ran through tho house, to hear a few words from their young master. To the surprise of all, he appeared among them with a bundle of papers in his hand, conk~ining a certificate of freedom to every one on the place, which he read successively, and presented, amiu the sobs and tears and shouts of all present. :Many, however, pressed around him, earnestly begging him not to send them awa.y; and, with anxious faces, tendering back their free papers. " We don't want to be no freer than wo arc. We 's aJiers had all we wanted. We don't want to leave de ole place, and J)fas'r and :Missis, ancl de rest ! " "My good friends," said George, as soon as he could get a silence, "there'll be no need for you to leave me. The place ''"nts as many hands oo work it as it did before. We need the same ahout the house that we did before. Tiut, LIFE AMON(} THE LOWLY. 300 you arc now free men a.ml f1·ee women. I shall pay you wages for your work, such as we shall agree on. The admntago is, that in case of my getting in debt, or dying,- things that might happen,- you cannot now be taken up and sold. I expect to carry on the estate, and to teach you what, perhaps, it will take you some time to learn,- how to usc the rights I give you as free men and women. I expect you oo be good, and willing to learn ; and I trust in God that I shall be fttithful, and wiJiing to teach. And now, my friends, look up, and thank God for the blessing of freedom.'' An aged, patriarchal negro, who had grown gray and blind on the estate, now rose, and, lifting his trembling hand said, "Let us give thanks unto the Lord ! " As all kneeled by one consent, a more touching and hearty Te Deum never ascended to heaven, though borne on the peal of organ, bell and cannon, than came from that honest old heart. On rising, another struck up a Methodist hymn, of which the burden was, "The year of Jubilee is comc,Return, yc ra.nsomod sinners, home." " One thing more," s.~id George, as he stopped the congratulations of the throng; "you all remember our good old Uncle 'fom? '' Gc01·gc hero gave a short narration of the scene of his death, and of his loving farewell to all on the place, and added, 1 ' It was on his grave, my friends, that I rcsoh,ed, before God, that I ·would never own another slave, while it was possible to free him; that nobody, through me, should ever run the risk of being parted from home and friends, and dying on a lonely plantation, as he died. So, when you |
