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Show 266 UNCLE TOM'S CA niN; Ott, as the rest of the world. Now, when any one speaks up, like a. man, and says sln.vcry is necessary to us, we can't get along without it, we should be beggared if we gh·c it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on to it,-this is strong, clear, well-defined language; it bas the respectability of truth to it; and, if we may judge by their practice, tho majority of the world will bear us out ln it. But when he begins to put on a long face, and snuffle, and quote Scripture, I incline to think he isn't much better than he should be." "You arc very uncbaritaLlc," said ~Iaric. "Well," said St. Clare, "suppose that something should bring down tho price of cotton once and forever, and make the whole slave property a drug in the market, don't you think we should soon have another version of the Scripture doctrine? What a flood of light would pour into the church, all at once, and how immediately it would be discovered that everything in the Bible and reason went the other way ! " "Well, at any rate," said :Marie, as she reclined herself on a lounge, " I 'rn thankful I 'm born where slavery exists; and I believe it's right,- indeed, I feel it must be; and, at any rate, I 'm sure I couldn't get along without it." " I say, what do you think, Pussy? " said her father to Eva, who came in at this moment, with a flower in her hand. ''What about, papa?'' "Why, which do you like the best,- to live as they do at your uncle's, up in Vermont, or to have a bouse-full of servants, as we do ? '' "0, of course, our way is the plcasantest," said Eva. " Why so?" said St. Claro, stroking her head. "Why, it makes so many more round you to love, you know," said Eva, looking up earnestly. LH'i-.; AMONG 'rlH.: LOWLY. 267 "Now, that 's j11st like Eva," said :Mario; "just one of her odd speeches." ''Is it an odd speech, papa?" said Eva., whisperingly, as she got upon his knee. "Rather, as this world goes, Pussy," said St. Clare. " But where has my little Eva been, all dinner-time?" " 0, I've been up in ~l1om's room, hearing him sing, and Aunt Dinah gave me my dinner." "Hearing rrom sing, hey? " " 0, yes! he sings such beautiful things about the New Jerusalem, and bright angels, and tho land of Canaan." ''I dare say; it's better than the opera, isn't it?'~ " Yes, :111d he 's going to teach them to me." ''Singing lessons, hoy? -you are coming on.'' " Yes, he sings for me, and I read to him in my Bible; and he explains what it means, you know." " On my word," said :Marie, laughing, " that is the latest joke of the season." "Tom isn't a bad hand, now, at explaining Scrjpture, I '11 dare swear," said St. Chu·o. "Tom has a natural genius for religion. I wanted the horses out early, this morning, and I stole up to Tom's cubieulum there, over tho stables, and there I heard him holding a meeting by himself; and, in fact, I haven't hc:u·d anything quite so savory as Tom's prayer, this some tune. He put in for me, with a zeal that was quit-Q apostolic.'' " Perhaps he guessed you were listening. I 'vo heard of that trick before." " If he did, be was n't very politic; for he gsvo the Lord his opinion of me, pretty freely. ~rom seemed to think there was decidedly room for improvement in me, and seemed very earnest that I should be converted." |
