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 make
out and she always smoothed it 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 as daylight and sum
shine Children do not usually gcneralize, but
Eva was an ncommonly 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 longings
to do something for them-to bless and save
not only them, but all in their condition
longngs that contrasted sadly with the fec
bleness of the little frame.
Uncle Tom" she said one day, when she
was reading to her friend, Z" can understand
why Jesus pdated to die for US
why, Miss Eva ~
Because Eve felt 80 too
"What is it, Miss Evs--I don'tmderstand ~
% | 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 Il great many other times Pve felt that
would be glad to die. if my dying could stop
all this misery. | irouid die for them, Tom, if
could" said the child earnestly, laying her
little thin 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.
q It's jest no use tryin TO keep Miss Eva
here he said to Nanny whom he met mo-
ment after. shes got the Lords mark in
her forehead"
. IS. =, I+4..~q..c, l-.s,.,--- 49,.
at..X q y, S.C2l'.-.,--s-.-lg,..c ;:cc;',-
BIKE child that's 10 hye--there W. .;;,,,-.
something deep in her eyes I've told missis so
many the time it's comm true-we all sees
it-dear, little, blessed lamb!r
Eva came tripping up the yerandah steps to 1
her father. 1t was late in the afternoon, and
the rays of the sun formed kind of glory be-
hind her, as 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 statuette
that he had been buying fen her. but her APP
pearance as she came ON impressed him sud
denly and painfully There is a kind of beau
ty so intense, yet so fragile, that we cannot bear
to look at 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 frmness
"Fye had things wanted to say to You great
while. want to say them now, before get
weaker"
st. Clare trcmbled as Eva seated herself in
his lap; she laid her head ON his bosom, and
said
It's 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
ooh, 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"
aWNS NJ 1c1T aae1cs3o E6y.sollii .sIIi 40. ally
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"
al had rather be in heaven; though, only
for my 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"
"What makes you sad and seems dreadful
EvaW
"Oh. things that are done, and done all the
time. | feel sad for our poor people-they love
me dearly. and they are all good and kind to
me- wish papa, they were all free"
@Why Eva, child, don't you think they are
well enough off nowW
"Oh, but papa if anything should happen to
YOU what would become of them! There are
very few men like you, papa. Uncle Alfred
ism like YOU. and mamma isn't; and then think
of poor old Prue's owners. What horrid things
people do and can do" and Eva shuddered
"My 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-never suffer anything, not even hear
a sad story, when other poor creatures have
nothing but pain and sorrow all their lives; it
seems selfish ] ought to know such things
ought to feel about them Such things always
sunk into my heart; they went down deep; Eve
thought and thought about them. Papa. isn't
there any way to have all slaves made free J"
"That's difficult question, dearest There's
no doubt that this way is a very bad one n
great many people think 10; ! do myself ]
heartily wish that there were not n slave in the
land but then don't know what is to be done
about it "
Papa, you are such good man, and so no.
ble and kind, and you always have way Of
saying things that is 20 pleasant, couldn't you
90 all round and try to persuade people ~ do
right about this' When am dead, papa then
YOU will think Of me- and do it for my sake.
would do il if could
"When you are dead, Eva" said st. Clare,
passionately. "Oh, child don't talk TO me 80!
You are all have on earth"
Poor old Prues child was all she bad-aDd
yet she had to hear it crying and she couldn't
| help it. Papa these poor creatures love their
| children a. much as you do me Oh do some
thing for them--there's poor Nanny loves her
children; Pve Keen hcNcry when she talked
about them. And Tom loves his children and
it's dreadful papa that such things are happen
| ing all the time"
There, there darling" said st. Clare, sooth-
ingly; only 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 as soon as "-she stop
ped and said, in hestating tone--"as ! am
gone" :,
ayes, dear, will do anything in the world
anything you could ask me TO-"
aDear papa,D said the child, laying her burn,
| ing cheek against his show wish we could
go together!D