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Show 212 UNCLE TOM's CABIN: On, peculiarly noble, ami the long golden-brown hair that floated like a cloud around it, the deep spiritual gravity of her violet blue eyes, shaded by heavy fringes of golden brown,- all marked her out from other children, and m::ulo cvm·y one turn and look after her, as she glided hither and thither on the boat. Nevertheless, the little one was not what you would have called either a grave child or a sad one. On the contrary, an airy and innocent playfulness seemed to flicker like the shadow of summer leaves over her childish face, anU around her buoyant figure. She was always in motion, always with n. half smile on her rosy mouth, flying hither and thither, with an undulating and cloud-like tread, singing to herself as sho moved as in a happy dream. ller father and female guardian were incessantly busy in pursuit of her,- but, when caught, she melted from them again like a summer cloud; and as no word of chiding or reproof ever fell on her ear for whatever sho chose to do, she pursued her own way all over the boat. Always dressed in white, she seemed to move like a shadow through all sorts of places, without contracting spot or stain; anrl there was not a corner or nook, above or below, where those fairy footsteps had not glided, and that visionary golden head, with its deep blue eyes, fleeted along. Tho fireman, as he looked up from his sweaty toil, sometimes found those eyes looking wonderingly into the raging depths of the furnace, and fearfully and pityingly at him, as if she thought him in some dreadful danger. Anon the steersman at the v~·hccl paused and smiled, as the picture-like head gleamed through the window of the round house, and in a. moment was gone again. A thousand times a day rough voices blessed her, and smiles of unwonted softness stole over hard faces, as she passed; and when she tripped fearlessly UFE AMONG TliE LOWLY. 213 over dangerous places, rough, sooty hands were stretched involuntarily out to save her, and smooth her path. ~1om, who had the soft, impressible natura of his kindly race, o\·cr yearning toward the simple and childlike, watched the little creature with daily increasing interest. 'l1o him site seemed something a.lmost divino; and whenever her golden head nnd tleep blue eyes peered out upon him from behind some dusky cotton-bale, or looked down upon him over some 1·iuge of packages, he half believed that he saw one of the angels stepped out of his New 'l'cst.,ment. Often and often she walked mournfully round the place where Haley's gang of men and women sat in their chains. She would glille in among them, nnd look a.t them with an air of perplexed and sorrowful earnestness; and sometimes she would lift their chains with her slender hands, anrl then sigh wofully, as she glided away. Several times she appea,red suddenly among them, with her hands full of candy, nuts, and oranges, which she would distribute joyfully to them, and then be gone again. 1'om watched the little lady a great deal, before he ventured on any overtures towards acquaintanceship. lie know an abundance of simple acts to propitiate and invito the approaches of the little people, and he resolved to play his part right skilfully. lie could cut cunning little baskets out of cherrystones, could make grotesque faces on hickory-nuts, or oddjumping figures out of elder-pith, and he was a very Pan in tho manufacture of whistles of aH sizes and sorts. IIis pockets were full of miscellaneous articles of attraction. which he had hoarded in days of old for his master's children: and which he now produced, with commendable prudence and economy, one by one, as overtures for acquaintance and friendship. Tho little one was shy, for all her busy interest in every- |