The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-20
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 90 1851

seen in her only saddened and perplexed her !;
for she had child's implicit trust that her
mother could not do wrong. There was some
thing about her that Eva never could mako
out and she always smoothed il over with
thinking that, after all, it was mamma. and she
| loved her very dearly indeed
She felt too. for those fond. faithful SER
wants to whom she was rs daylight and SUM-
shine Children do not usually gcneralize, but
| Eva was an uncommonly mature child and the
things that she had witnessed of the evils of
the system under which they were living had
fallen one by one into the depths Of her thought
full bordering heart She had vague loncings
to do something for them-to bless and save
not only them, but all in their condition.
longings that contrasted sadly with the fee
beness of the little frame.
Uncle Tom" she said one day, when she
was reading 10 her friend, ." ! can understand
why Jesus tranfed to die for us"
"Why, Miss Eva 2n
Because Eve felt sd too" s-.
"What is ii, Miss Eva don't understand ~
81 can't tell you but when saw those poor
creatures on the boat, you know, when YOU
came up and i-some had lost their mothers.
and some their husbands, and some mothers
cried for their little children-and when heard
about Poor Prue--oh, wasn't that dreadful -
and great many other times, Pve felt that
would be glad to die, if my dying could stop
all this misery. | scold dc for them, Tom. if
could" said the child, earnestly laying her
lttleethin hand on his"
Tom looked at the child with awe and
when she, hearing her fathers voice. glided
away, he wiped his eyes many times, as he
looked after her.
It's jest no use tryn TO keep Miss Eva
here" he said to Nanny, whom he met mo-
ment after. She's got the Lords mark in
her forehead"
-4.-g.4,I, ~ =, -. "a b " -
hands 1--WE alters said 50. She wasn't never
like child thar ta,s:. tier, =1c- a.~ss
something deep in her eyes I've told missiisf SO
many the time; it's a comm true-we all sees
it-dear, little, blessed lamb"
Eva came tripping up the yerandah steps to
her father. Ii was late in the afternoon, and
the rays of the sun formed a kind of glory be-
hind her. rs she came forward in her white
dress, with her golden hair and glowing cheeks
her eyes unnaturally bright with the slow fe-
yer that burned in her veins
St Clare had called her 10 show a statuette
that he had been buying fr her, but her ap-
pearance as she came ON impressed him sud
denly and painfully. There is kind of beau
ty so intense, yet so fragile that we cannot bear
to look ut it. Her father folded her suddenly
in his arms, and almost forgot what he was
going to tell her.
Eva, dear, you are better nowadays are
you not ,
Papa" said Eva with sudden iirmness
"Fye had things wanted to say to You great
while. ! want to say them now, before | get
weaker
st. Clare trembled as Eva seated herself in
his lap she laid her head on his BOSOM and
said
ats all no use. papa, to keep it to myself
any longer. The time is coming that am 60
ing to leave you | am going, and never to
come back /" and Eva sobbed
"Oh, now, my dear little Eva, said St Clare,
trembling as he spoke but speaking cheerful
ly, you've got nervous and low-splrited; you
mustn't indulge such gloomy thoughts. See
here. Pve bought statuette for you"
~" 1c;1T 'taevtssss Ci am 40, ;ty
better, know it perfectly well, and am going
before long. am not nervous am not low
spirited If it were not for you, papa, and my
friends should be perfectly happy. ] want to
go-I long to 60"
"Why, dear child what has made your poor
| little heart so sad You have had everything
to make you happy that could be given you.
IL had rather be in heaven; though, only
| for nv friends sake, would be willing to live
There are great many things here that make
me sad. that seem dreadful to me; had rather
be there: but don't want to leave you-it al
most breaks my heart"
aWbat makes YOU sad and seems dreadful,
Eva 90
"Oh. things that are done, and done all the
time ] feel sad for our poor peope-they love
me dearly, and they are all good and kind to
me wish. papa they were all free"
aWhy Eva, child don't you think they are
well enough off now!"
ooh but papa, if anything should happen to
YOU. what would become of them There are
very few men like you, papa Uncle Alfred
isn't like you, and mamma isn't; and then think
of poor old Prues owners What horrd things
peopIe do. and can do!n and Eva shuddered
INV dear child, you are too sensitive I'm
sorry ever let you hear such stories"
"Oh, that's what troubles me, papa You
want me TO live No happy, and never TO have
any pain--neyer suffer anything, not even hear
n sad story, when other poor creatures have
nothing but pain and sorrow all their lives il
seems selfish. ! ought 10 know such things |
ought to feel about them Such things alwayx|
sunk into my heart; they went down deep: Pyc
thought and thought about them. Papa. isn't
there any way to have all slaves made free 2"
"Thats difficult question, dearest There's
no doubt that this way is a very bad one; a
great many people think 80; ! do myself
heartily wish that there were not slave in the
land but then don't know what is to be done
about it,
Papa, you are such good man. and 30 no
BILE and kind, and you always have way OF
saying things that is 20 pleasant couldn't you
go all round and try TO persuade people to do
right about this! When am dead papa. then
YOU will think Of me, and do it for my sake. "a
would do il if could
"Whcn you are dead, Eva" said St. Clare,
passionately sob, child, don't talk to me 80
You are all have ON earth"
Poor old Prue's child was all she had--and
yet she had to hear it crying, and she couldn't
help it, Papa, these poor creatures love their
children n much IA you do me. Oh do some
thing for thcn--tberes poor Nanny loves her
children I've seen herr cry when she talked
about them And Tom loves his children and
it's dreadful, papa, that such things are happen
ing all the time
IThcre, there, darling" said st. Clare, sooth-
ingiy; "oniy don't Distress yourself, and don't
talk of dying, and | will do anything you
wish"
"And promise me, dear father that Tom
shall have his freedom a. soon asO--she stop
ped, and said in a hesitatng tone--"as am
gone"
dyes, dear, will do anything in the world
anything you could ask me TO-"
aDear papa said the child, laying her burn,
ing cheek against his, show J wish we could
60 together