St. Clare could stand it no
longer.
He went to his cousin, Miss Ophelia St. Clare, and begged her to come
and keep house for him, and to look after Eva. It was on the journey
back with her that the accident to Eva happened, which ended in his
buying Tom.
Miss Ophelia was a very prim and precise person, not at all like the
St. Clares. In her home people did not have slaves. Though her cousin
had a great many, and was kind to them, she could not help seeing that
it was a very wicked thing to buy and sell men and women as if they were
cattle. She was very, very sorry for the poor slaves, and would have
liked to free them all. Yet she did not love them. She could not bear
even to have them near her, nor to touch them, just because they were
black.
[Illustration]
It made her quite ill to see Eva kissing and hugging the black slave
women when she came home.
'Well, I couldn't do that,' she said.
'Why not?' said Mr. St. Clare, who was looking on.
'Well, I want to be kind to every one. I wouldn't have anybody hurt.
But, as to kissing niggers--' she gave a little shudder. 'How can she?'
Presently a gay laugh sounded from the court. Mr. St. Clare stepped out
to see what was happening.
'What is it?' said Miss Ophelia, following him.
There sat Tom on a little mossy seat in the court.
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