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Show 76 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN: OR, give a sort of tropical warmth and fervor to our calculating firmness and foresight. If over the San Domingo hour comes, Anglo Saxon blood will lead on tho day. Sons of white fathers, with all our haughty feelings burning in their veins, will not ahrays be bought and sold and traded. They will rise, and raise with them their mothces r~ce." " Stuff! -nonsense ! " ''Well,'' said Augustine, ''thoro goes an old saying to this effect, 'As it was in tho days of Noah, so shall it be;they ate, they <hank, they planted, they builded, and knew not till the flood came and took them.' " " On tho whole, Augustine, I think your talents might do for a. circuit rider," said Alfred, laughing. "Never you fear for us; possession is our nine points. We 'vc got the power. ~1_1his subject race," said he, stamping firmly, ':is down, and shall stay down ! W c have energy enough to manage our own powder." " Sons trained like your Henrique will be grand guardians of your powder-magazines,'' said Augustine,- '' so cool and self-possessed ! The proverb says, ' 1'hoy that cannot govern themselves cannot govern others.' '' "There is a trouble there," said Alfred, thoughtfully; "there's no doubt that our system is a dlflicult one to train children under. It gives too free scope to the passions, altogether, which, in our climate, arc hot enough. I find trouble with Ilcnriquc. ~1_1hc boy is generous and warm-hearted, but a perfect fire-cracker when excited. I believe I shall send him North for his education, where obedience is more fashionable, and where he will associate more with equals, and less with dependants.'' " Since training children is the staple work of the human LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY. 77 race," said Augustine, "I should think it something of a consideration thnt our system docs not work well there." " It does not for some things," said Alfred; " for others, again, it does. It makes boys manly and courageous; and the very vices of an abject race tend to strengthen in them the opposite virtues. I think Henriquo, now, has a keener sense of the beauty of truth, from seeing lying and deception the universal badge of slavery." " A Christian-like view of the subject, certainly! " said Augustine. " It 's true, Christian-like or not ; and is about as Christian- like as most other things in the world," said Alfred. "'!'hat may be," said St. Clare. "Well, there's i10 use in talking, Augustine. I believe we 've been round and round this old track five hundred times, more or less. What do you say to a game of backgammon 1" The two brothers ran up the verandah steps, and were soon seated at a light bamboo stand, with the backgammonboard between them. As they were setting their men, Alfred said, "I tell you, Augustine, if I thought as you do I should cb something.'' ' " I dare say you would,-you are one of the doing sort,but what1" ~~·why, elevate your own servants, for a specimen," said Alfred, with a half-scornful smile. " You might as well set Mount iEtna on them fiat, and tell them to stand up under it, as tell mo to elevate my servants under all the superincumbent mass of society upon them. One man can do nothing, against the whole action of a community. Education, to do anything, must be a state educa- YOL. II. 7~ |