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Show 144 UNCLE T0~1' S CADIN: OR, some preserves that were never produced except on extreme occasions. " Lor, Pete," said ~:lose, triumphantly, " han't we got n. buster of n. brcnkfltst! " at the S..'1mc time catching nt a fragment of the chicken. Aunt Chloe gave him a. sudden box on tho ear. "Thar now! crowing over the last breakfast ycr poor daddy's gwinc to have to honw ! " "0, Chloe ! " said Tom, gently. " WaJ, I can't help it," said Aunt Chloe, hiding her face in her apron; " I 's so tossed about, it mn.kcs me act ugly." The boys stood quite still, looking first at their father and then at their mother, while the baby, climbing up her clothes, began an imperious, commanding cry. " Thar! " sn.id Aunt Chloe, wiping her eyes and taking up the baby; " now I 's done, I hope,- now do ca.t something. This yer 's my nicest chicken. Thar, boys, yo shall have some, poor critturs! Yer mammy's been cross toyer." The hoys needed no second invitation, and went in with great zeal for the eatables; and it was well they did so, ns othcr";sc there would have been very little performed to any purpose by the party. "Now," said Aunt Chloe, bustling about after breakfast, " I must put up yer clothes. Jest like as not, he 'll take 'em all away. I know thar ways- mean as dirt, they is! 'Val, now, ycr flannels for rhumatis is in this corner; so bo earful, 'cn.usc there won't nobody make yo no more. Then here's ycr old shirts, and these yer is new ones. I toed off these ycr stockings last night, and put de ball in 'em to mend with. But Lor! who '11 ever mend for yc?" and Aunt Chloe, again overcome, laid her head on the box side, and LIFE AIIIONO THE LOWLY. 145 sobbed. :' ~£.1o think on 't! no crittur to do for yo, sick or well ! I don't r:tilly think I ought ter be good now ! " The boys, having eaton everything there was on tho brcakfast- ta.blo, hcgan now to ta.ke some thought of the case; and, seeing their mother crying, and their fi~thcr looking Yery sad: began to whimper and put their h:inds to their eyes. Uncle ~rom had the baby on his knee, and was letting her enjoy herself to the utmost extent, scratching his face and pulling his hair, and occasionaUy breaking out into cla.morous explosions of delight, evidently arising out of her own internal reflections. '' Ay, crow away, poor crittur! '' said Aunt Chloe; '' yc 'll have to come to it, too! ye 'lllivc to sec ycr husband sold, or mcbbo be solu ycrself; and these ycr boys, they 's to bo sold, I s'posc, too, jest liko as not, when dey gets good for somethin'; an't no use in niggers havin' nothin' ! " Here one of the boys called out, " Thar 's Missis a-comin' in! " " She can't do no good; what's she coming for?" said Aunt Chloe. Mrs. Shelby entered. Aunt Chloe set a chair for her in a manner decidedly gruff and crusty. She did not seem to notice either the action or the manner. She looked pale and anxious. " Tom,". she said, " I come to-" and stopping suddenly, and rcgardmg tho silent group, she sat down in the chair and, covering her face with her handkerchief, began to sob. ' "Lor, now, Missis, don't- don't! " said Aunt Chloe bursting out in her t11rn; and for a few moments they all wept m company. And in those tears they all shed together iho high and the lowly, melted away all the heart-burnin~ and anger of the oppressed. 0, yo who visit the distressed 13 ' |