The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-27

lOpsy, WIN ner usual AR OF careless dr0llery
and unconcern but opposite to her, Eva, her
whole face feryent with feeling, and tears in
| her large eyes
"What does make you so bad Topsy? Why
won't you try and be good? Don't you love
any body Topsy!"
"Donno nothing bout love; | loves candy
and sich, that's all, said Topsy
But you love your father and mother ~
Never had none, We know telled We that,
Miss Eva"
"Oh, know" said Eva, sadly; "but hadn't
you any brother, or sister, or aunt orr
No none ON 'em-never had nothin nor
nobody
But, Topsy, if you'd only try to be good
you might
Couldn't never be nothin but niger, if
was ever so good" said Topsy. If could be
skinned and come white I'd try then"
But people can love you, if you are black,
Topsy. Miss 0phela would love you if you
were good"
Topsy gave the short blunt laugh that was
her common mode of expressing increduhty.
Don't you think so?n said Eva.
mo she can't bar me, cause I'm mig
ger-shed s soon have "A toad touch her.
There can't nobody love niggers, and niggers
can't do nothin. don't care, said Topsy, be-
ginning to whistle.
ooh, Topsy, poor child, love YOU" said
Eva, with sudden burst of feeling and laying
her little, thin, white hand on Topsy's shoulder;
al love you, because you haven't had any
father. or mother, or friends-because you've
been poor, abused child | love you, and |
want you to be good. am very unwell, Top
sy, and | think | shan't live great while, and
it really grieyes me to have you be 80 naughty.
wish you would try to be good for my sake
it's only little while shall be with you"
1-l...... s...s =, :. SsS2,NN bsOT1s child sSass
overcast with tears--large,; bright drops rolled
Vi : , s7.' -. g.. Ltai-}s ~ w re hft,e
white hand Yes, in that moment a ray of
real belief ray of heavenly love- had pene-
trated the darkness of her heather soul She
laid her head down between her knees, and
wept and sobbed-while the beautiful child,
bending over her, looked like the picture of
some bright angel STOPPING to reclaim sinner
{" Poor Topsy,n said Eva, don't you know
that Jesus loves all alike! He is just as will
ling to love you as me. He loves you just as
do-only more because he is better. He will
help you to be good, and you can 60 to Heaven
at last, and be an angel forever, just as much
as if you were white. Only think of it, Topsy!
you can be one of those spirits bright Uncle
Tom sings about
@Oh dear Miss Eva, dear Miss Eva,n said
the child, III will try, will try; never did
care nothin about it before"
st. Clare at this instant dropped the curtain
at puts me in mind of mother" he said to
Miss Ophelia. at is true what she told me-
if we want to give sight to the blind, we must
be willing to do as Christ did-cal them to us,
and pat our hands on them"
give always had prejudice against ne
groes" said Miss Ophelia, and it's a fact
never could bear to have that child touch me
but didn't think she knew it,
"Trust any child to find that out, " said St.
Clare; there's no keeping it from them but
believe that all the trying in the world to
benefit child, and all the substantial favors
you can do them, will never excite one emotion
of gratitude while that feeling of repugnance
remains in the heart-it's queer kind of a
fact, but so it is"
II don't know how can help it" said Miss
Ophelia; "they are disagreeable to me-this
child in particular-how can | help feeling
so!n
eva does it seemsn
"Well, she's 40 loving After all, though
she's no more than Christ-like," said Miss
Ophelia; al wish were like her. She might
teach me a lesson"
at wouldn't be the first time little child
had been used to instruct an old disciple, if il
arere SC" said st. Clare.
CHAPTER XIV.
Weep not for those whom the veil of the tomb,
In lifes carly morning, hath hid from our eyes.
Evas bed room was a spacious apartment,
which, like all the other rooms in the house,
opened on to the broad verandah. The room
communicated ON one side with her father and
mothers apartment, on the other with that ap-
propriated to Miss Ophelia st. Clare had graft
fed his own eye and taste in furnishing this
room in a style that had a peculiar keeping
with the character Of her for whom it was in
tended. The windows were hung with cur
tans of rose-colored and white muslin, the
floor was spread with IA mating which had
been ordered in Paris, to pattern of his own
device, having round it a border of rose-buds
and leaves, and centre piece with full-blown
roses. The bedstead chairs, and lounges were
of bamboo, wrought in peculiarly graceful and
fanciful patterns Over the head of the bed
was an alabaster bracket, on which beauti-
full sculptured angel stood, with dropping
wings, holding out crown of myrtle leaves
From this depended over the bed light curtains
of rose-colored gauze, striped with silver, sup
plying that protection from mosquitoes which
is an indispensable addition to all sleeping ac-
commodation in that climate. The graceful
bamboo lounges were amply supplied with
cushions of rose-colored damask, while over
them, depending from the hands of sculptured
figures. were gauze curtains similar to those of
the bed A light, fanciful bamboo table stood
int ba ,,,i1tIa of tho uharp n parlau
wrought in the shape of white lily, with its
buds, stood, ever filled with flowers. On this
table lay Eva's books and little trinkets, with
an elegantly wrought alabaster writing stand,
which her father had supplied to her when he
saw her trying to improve herself in writing.
There was fireplace in the room, and on the
marble mantel above stood beautifully
wrought statuette of Jesus receiving little chill
dren, and on either side marble vases, for
which it was Toms pride and delight to offer
bouquets every morning Two or three ex-
quisite paintings of children, in various atti-
tudes, embellshed the wall. In short the eye
could turn nowhere without meeting images OF
childhood, Of beauty, and of peace. Those
little eyes never opened, in the morning light,
without falling on something which suggested
to the heart soothing and beautiful thoughts.
The dcceitful strength which had buoyed
Eva up for little while was fast passing
away seldom and more seldom her light foot
step was heard in the verandah, and oftener
and oftener she was found reclned on little
lounge by the open window, her large, deep
eyes fixed on the rising and falling waters Of
II was towards the middle of the afternoon.
as she was 80 reclining-her Bible half open.
her little transparent fingers lying listlessly be-
tween the ieayes--suddenly she heard her
mothers voice, in sharp tones, in the yerandah
What now, you baggage-what new niece
Of mischief! You've been picking the flowers
hcy!" and Eva heard the sound of a smart
slap
claw, missis they's for Miss Eyap sbe