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Show 128 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN : OR, disconsolately into the skirts of their mother's gown, where they were sobbing, and wiping their eyes and noses, to their hearts' content;- Mrs. Bird had her face £1irly hidden in her pocket-handkerchief; and old Dinah, with tears streaming down her black, honest f.'lcc, was ejaculating, " Lord have mercy on us ! " with all the fervor of a camp-meeting; - while old Cudjoe, rubbing his eyes very hard with his cuffs, and making a most uncommon variety of wry faces, OCC..'lsionally responded in the same key, with great fervor. Our senator was a statesman, and of course could not be expected to cry, like other mortals; and so he turned his back to the company, and looked out of the window, and seemed llllrticularly busy in clearing his throat and wiping his spectacleglasses, occasionally blowing his nose in a manner that was calculated to excite suspicion, had any one been in a state to observe critically. "How came you to tell me you had a kind master?" he suddenly exclaimed, gulping down very resolutely some kind of rising in his throat, and turning suddenly round upon the woman. "Because he was a kind master; I 'II say that of him, any way; -and my mistress was kind; but they couldn't help themselves. They were owing money; and there was some way, I can't tell how, that a man had a hold on them, and they were obliged to give him his will. I listened, and heard him telling mistress that, and she begging and pleading for me,-and he told her he couldn't help himself, ancl that the papers wero all drawn ; -and then it was I took him and left my home, and came away. I knew 'twas no use of my trying to live, if they did it; for 't 'pears like this child is all I have." ''Have you no husband 1 '' LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY. 129 " Yes, but he belongs to another mn.n. His master is real hard to him, and won't let him come to sec me, hardly ever; :md he 's grown harder n.nd harder upon us, and he threatens to sell him down south; - it 's like I '11 never sec !tim, again ! '' 'fhc quiet tone in which the woman pronounced thc5c words might have led a superficial observer to think that she was entirely apathetic; but there was a calm, settled depth of anguish in her largo, dark eye, that spoke of something far otherwise. "And where do you mean to go, my poor ·woman 1" said Mrs. Bird. "'fo Canada, if I only knew whore that was. Is it very fur otT, is Canada 1" said she, looking up, with a simple, confiding air, to ~Irs. Bird's face. "Poor thing!" said ~Irs. Bird, involuntarily. ''Is 't a very great way off, think? '' said the woman, earnestly. "Much further than you think, poor child 1 " said Mrs. Bird; " but we will try to think what can bo dono for you. 1-ICI·e, Dinah, make her up a. bed in your own room, ~lose by the kitchen, and I 'll think what to do for her in the morning. :Meanwhile, never fear, poor woman; put your trust in God; he will protect you." Mrs. Bird and her husband reentered tho parlor. She sat down in her little rocking-chair before the fire, swaying thoughtfully to and fro. Mr. Bird strode up ancl down tho room, grumbling to himself, "Pish! pshaw! confounded awkward business!" At length, striding up to his wife, he said, ''I s.-.y, wife, sho '11 have to get away from here, this very night. That fellow will be down on the scent bright and early to-morrow morning; if 'twas only the woman, she could |
