The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06
,phelia, pulling off the clothes and seating her

Ophelia, pulling off the clothes and seating her
self
Topsy with great gravity and adrotness went
through the exercise completely to Miss Ophe-
liza Notwithstanding the sheets, patting
out every wrinkle and exhibiting through the
whole process a gravity and seriousness with
which her fnstructress was greatly edited. By
an unlucky slip however, fluttering fragment
of the ribbon hung out Of one of her sleeves, just
as she was finishing, and caught Miss 0phelia's
attention. Instantly she pounced upon it.
whats this? you naughty, wicked child
you've been stealing this
The ribbon was pulled out of Topsy's own
sleeve, yet was she not in the least Disconnected ;
she only looked at it with an air of the most
surprised and unconscious innocence
Laws, why, that ar's Miss Feelyis ribbon,
amt it, How could it got caught in my
sleeye!"
"Topsy you naughty girl don't ynu tall mo
q lie, OH stole that ribbon"
"Missis, declar fort didn't-uever seed it
till dis yer blessed minnit"
Topsy" said Miss Ophelia, don't you know
it's wicked to tell lies Z!
"Inever tells no lies, Miss Feely,n said Topsy,
with yirtuous gravity-"it's jist the truth Eve
been telln now--and amt nothin else"
"Topsy, shall have to whip you if you tell
lies So
Law, misss, if you's to whipall day, couldn't
say noyother way said Topsy, beginning to
blubber II never seed dat art must a got
caught in my sleeve-Miss Feely must have left
it on the bed, and it got caught in the clothes,
and so got in my sleeve"
Miss Ophelia was so indignant at the bare
faced lie, that she caught the child and shook
her.
"Don't you tell me that again
The shake brought the gloves on to the floor
from the other sleeve.
There you said Miss Ophelia, "will you
tell me now you didn't steal the ribbon!"
rep y,atf tSsay.---,rb the gloves but ssili
persisted in denying the ribbon.
f"'5 ,;3er -''',s Sc i1';aa;ia y &
confess all about it won't whip you this 6me"
Thus adjured Topsy confessed to the ribbon
and gloves with wOeful protestations of peni-
| tence.
"Well, now, tell me. know you must have
taken other things since you have been in the
house, for let you run about all day yesterday
Now, tell me if you took anything, and sham
whip you"
Laws, mssis, took Miss Eva's red thing
she wars on her neck"
"You did, you naughty child! We'll, what
else ~
81 took Rosa's yer rings-them red ones"
Go bring them TO me this minute, both of
EN-"
Laws, missis can't-theys burnt up"
Burnt up! what story! Go get 'em, or
III whip YOU
Topsy, with loud protestations and tears and
groans declared that she could not. "They's
burnt up-they was"
"What did you burn 'em up for :" said Miss
Ophela
'"Cause rs wicked is rs mighty wicked
anyhow can't help it,"
Just ut this moment, Eva came innocently
into the room, with the identical coral neck
| lace on her neck.
"Why, Eva, where did you get your neck.
lace y said Miss Ophelia.
"Get it Why, Pve had it on all day." SAID
Eva.
Did you have it On yesterday
"Yes and what is funny, Aunty, had it OF
all night | forgot to take it off when ] wen
to bedn
Miss Ophelia looked perfectly bewildered
the more so as Rosa at that instant came int
the room, with basket of ewly-roned line
poised on her head and the coral ear-droI
shaking in her ears
"Pm sure can't tell anything what TO d
with such child ~ she said, in despair. "Wht
in the world did you tell me you took tho'
things for, Topsy?"
"Why, missis said must Tess and ] couldn
think of nothin else to TESS said Topsy, rul
bling her eyes
But of course didn't want you to comics
things you didn't do" said Miss Ophelia
chats telling lie Just as much as the other.
Laws, now, is 90 said Topsy, with an nj
of innocent wonder
La, there amt any such thing as truth i
that limb" said Rosa, looking Indignantly a
Topsy "If ! was mass'r ST. Clare, I'd viii
her till the blood run ] would-ld let he
catch it,"
| "No, no, Rosa" said Eva, with an air @
command, which the child could assume a
times; "you mustn't talk 10, Rosa ! can
bear 10 hear il"
LA sakes, Miss Eva, you's so good you don
know nothing how TO get along with nggers
There's no way but to cut 'em well up
tell ye"
"Rosa!D said Eva hush don't you say
another word of that sort !" and the eye of the
child flashed, and her cheek deepened its color
Rosa was cowed in a moment
"Miss Eva has got the st. Clare blood in
her, that's plain. She can speak for all the
world just like her papa" she said, ms she
passed out of the room.
Eva stood looking at Topsy
| There stood the two children, Representatives
of the two extremes of society The fair high
bred child, with her golden head--her deeT
eyes.--her spiritual, noble brow, and prince-like
movements; and her black, keen, subtle, cring
ing yet acute neighbor They stood the repre-
sentatiyes Of their races. The Saxon, born OF
ages of cultivation, command, education, phys
cal and moral eminencc the Afric, born OF
ages Of oppression, submission, ignorance, toll
| and vice
Something perhaps, of such thoughts strug.
gled through Evas mind But chid's thoughts
are rather dim, underlined instincts; and in
Evas noble nature many such were yearning
and working, for which she had no power Of
utterance When Miss Opbela expatiated
on Topy's naughty, wicked conduct, the child
looked perplexed and sorrowful, but said
swectIy--
"Poor Topsy, why need you steal /? You're
going 10 be taken good care Of now. Pm sure
I'd rather give you anything of mine than have
You steal It,"
1t was the first word Of kindness the child
had ever heard in her life and the sweet tone
and manner struck strangely on the wild, rude
heart, and sparkle Of something like tear
shone in the keen, round, g!ittoring eye, but il
was followed by the short laugh and habitual
grin No the ear that had never heard any
thing but abuse IL strangely incredulous Of
anything 10 heavenly as kindness; and Topsy
only thought Eva's speech something funny and
inexplicable-she did not believeit.
But what was to be done with Topsyl Miss
Ophelia found the case n puzzIer; her rules for
bringing up didn't seem to apply. She thought
she would take time To think Of it; and by way
Of gaining time, and in hopes Of some indefinite
moral virtues supposed TO be inherent in dark
closets, Miss 0phelia shut Topy up in one till
she had arranged her IDEAS further ON the
subject