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Show 92 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN : OR, ing with a mixture of apprehensiveness and their usual odd drollery. "What makes you behave so? " said St. Clal'O, who could not help being amused with the child's expression. "Spects it 's my wicked heart," said Topsy, Ucmurcly; "?tfiss Feely says so." "Don't you see how much Miss Ophelia has done for you? She says she has done everything she can think of." "Lor, yes, Mas'r 1 old Miss is used to say so, too. She whipped me a heap harder, and used to pull my bar, and knock my head a gin the door; but it didn't do me no good! I spccts, if they 's to pull every spire o' bar out o' my head, it wouldn't do no good, neither,- I 's so wicked! Laws! I 's notbin but n. nigger, no ways!" "Well, I shall have to give her up," said Miss Ophelia; "I can't have that trouble any longer." "Well, I'd just like to ask one question," said St. Clare. "\Vhat is it?" "Why, if your Gospel is not strong enough to save one heathen child, that you can have at home here, all to yourself, what's the use of sending one or two poor missionaries off with .it among thousands of just such? I suppose this child is abcut a £1ir sample of what thousands of your heathen are." :Miss Ophelia did not make an immediate answer; and Eva, who had stood a silent spectator of the scene thus far, made a silent sign to 1'opsy to follow her. There was a little glassroom at the corner of the verandah, which St. Clare used as a sort of reading-room; and Eva and Topsy disappeared into this place. "\Vhat's E\'a going about, now~" said St. Cbrc; "I mean to sec.'' Lll.'E AMONG TllE LOWLY. 93 And, advancing on tiptoe, he lifted up a curtain that covered the glass-door, and looked in. In a moment, laying his finger on his lips, he made a. silent gesture to ~fiss Ophelia. to come and look. There sat the two children on the floor with their side faces towards them. Topsy, with her usuai air of careless drollery and unconcern; but, opposite to her, Eva, her whole face fervent with feeling, and tca.rs in her large eyes. "What does make you so bad, Topsy? Why won't you try and be good? Don't you love anybody, Topsy?" "Donno nothing 'bout love; I loves candy and sich, that 'a all," said 'ropsy. j' But you love your father and mother? " "Never had none, yo know. I telled ye that, Miss Eva." "0, I know," said Eva, sadly; "but hadn't you any brother, or sister, or aunt, or-" "No, none on 'cm,-ncvcr had nothing nor nobody." "But, Topsy, if you'd only try to be good, you might-" "Couldn't never be nothin' but a nigger, if I was ever so good," said Topsy. "If I could be skinned, and come white, I'd try then." "But people can love you, if you are black, Topsy. Miss Ophelia would lo1'e you, if you wero good." 1'opsy gave the short, blunt laugh that was her common mode of expressing incredulity. "Don't you think so?" said Eva. ((Noi she can't bar me, 'cause I'm a nigger!-she'd's soon have a toad touch her! There can't nobody love niggers, and niggcrs can't do nothin'! I don't care," said Topsy, beginning to whistle. "0, 1'opsy, poor child, I love you! " said :E;.va, •with a sudden burst of feeling, and laying her little thin, white |