The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-11
WASHINGTON, d. c.
BY MRS. II. B. STOWE.
.CHAprER XXXYIII.


CHAPTER XXXVIlL --s....
The way Of the wicked is as darkness he know
eth not at what he stumbleth."
The garret of the house that Legree occu-
pied, like most other garrets, was great, desc
late space, dusty, hung with cobwebs, and lit
tered with cast-off lumber. The opulent fam
ily that had inhabited the house in the days
of its splendor had imported great deal OF
splendid furniture some Of which they had
taken away with them, while some remained
standing desolately in Wondering unoccupied
rooms, or stored away in this place. One or
two immense packing boxes, in which this fur
niture was brought stood against the sides of
the garrett. There was a small window there
which let in through it's dingy, dusty panesI
scanty. uncertain hight on the tai, high-backed
chairs and dusty tables that had once seen
better days. altogether, it Mks a. weiru and
SiJs.ssT5 .ss c.l ~ s.:yT &c Z. was, II sSsss
not in legends among the superstitious negroes,
to increase its terrors. Some few years be-
fore, negro woman who had incurred Legrees
dispeasure was confined there for several
weeks. What passed there, we do not say
the negroes used to whisper darkly to each
other; but it was known that the body of the
unfortunate creature was one day taken down
HOlli tnCIt- anu puTlcu, anu ulteT tUtt IL WIS
said that oaths and cursings and the sound of
violent blows, used to ring through that old
garrett, and mingled with wailngs and groans
of despair Once, when Legree CHANGED to
overhoar something of this kind, he flew into
a violent passion, and swore that the next one
that told stories about that garnet should have
an opportunity of knowing what was there,
for he would chain them up there for week.
This hint was enough to repress talking, though
of course it did not disturb the credit of the
story in the least.
Gradually, the staircase that led to the gar
rel, and even the passage-way to the staircase,
were avoided by every one in the house, from
every one fearing to speak of it, and the legend
was gradually falling into desuetude II had
suddenly occurred to Classy, to make use Of
the superstitious excitablity, which was 80
great in Legree, for the purposes of her liberia
ton and that of her felOw-sufferer.
The sleeping-room of Classy was directly un-
der the garnet. One day, without consulting
Legree she suddenly took it upon her, with
some considerable ostentation, to change all
the furniture and appurtenances of the room
to one at some considerable distance. The
under-seryants, who were called on TO effect
this movement were running and busting
about with great zeal and confusion, when Lee
gree returned from ride.
Halo you CASH. said Legree, "what's
IN the wind now ~
Nothing; only choose to have another
room, said Classy, doggedly
" And what for pray!n said Legree
al choose to-" said Classy
The devil you do and what for
I'd like to get some sleep now and then"
Sleep! well, what binders your sleeping?n
could tell ! suppose, if you want to hear,o
said Classy, drily.
"Speak out, you minx!n said Legree
ooh nothing. suppose it wouldn't disturb
you Only groans, and people scufling, and
rolling round on the garnet floor half the night,
from twelve to mornings
People up garrett! said Legree, uneasily,
but forcing laugh, "who are they, Classy!
Classy raised her sharp, black eyes, and
looked in the face of Legree with an express
sion that went through his bones as she said
80 be sure, Simon who are they! I'd
like to have you tell me. You don't know,
suppose"
With an oath, Legree struck at her with his
riding-whip but she glided to one side and
passed through the door, and looking back,
said
If you'll sleep in that room, you'll know all
about it. Perhaps you'd better try it I" and
then Immediately she shut and locked the
door.
Legree clustered and swore, and threatened
to break down the door, but apparently
thought better of it, and walked uneasily into
the sitting-room. Classy perceived that her
shaft had struck home; and from that hour,
with the most exquisite address, she never
ceased to continue the train of influences she
had begun
In a knot-hole of the garnet, that had opened,
she had inserted the neck Of IN old bottle,
IN such manner that when there was the
least wind, most doleful and lugubrious wailing
sounds proceeded from it, which in high wind
increased to perfect shrek, such rs to credu-
lous and sapcrstitious ears might easily seem
to be those of horror and despair.
These sounds were from time to time heard
by the servants, and revived in full force the
memory of the old ghost legend. A supersti-
tious creeping horror seemed to fill the house !;
and though no one dared to breathe it TO Le-
gree he found himself encompassed by it as
by an atmosphere
No one is so thoroughly superstitious as the
goddess man. The Christian is composed by
the belief Of a wise, all-ruling Father, whose
presence Hills the void unknown with light and
order but to tho man who has dethroned God,
the spirit land is indeed, in the words of the
Hebrew poet "a land Of darkness and the
shadow OF DEATH" without any order where
tne light is as darkness. Life and death to
nm are haunted grounds filled with goblin
forms OF vague and shadowy dread.
Legree had had the slumbering moral ele-
ment in him reused by his encounters with
Tom--roused only to be resisted by the deter.
inmate force of evil but still, there was
thrill and commotion of the dark inner world,
produced by every word, or prayer, or hymn
that reacted in superstitious dread.
The influence Of Classy over him was of
strange and singular kind He was her owner
her tyrant and tormentor She was as he
knew, wholly, and without any possibility Of
help or redress, in his hands; and vet 40 Il is.
that the most brutal man cannot live in con-
slant association with strong female influence
and not be greatly controlled by It, When he
hrst bought her, she WAS as she had said, a
woman delicately bred and then he crushed
her without sorup'e beneath the foot OF his
brutality. But as time and debasing influences
and despair hardened wonsnhood within her,
and walked the fires Of fercer passions, she had
become in measure his mistress. and he al
'ernatey tyrannized over and dreaded her.
ms influence had become more harassiug
ana decided since partial insanity bad given a
strange weird, unsettled cast to all her words
and language
:. "a night or two after this Legree was sitting
~ tue o'a atting.room, by the side Of flicker
ing wood hre that threw uncertain Chances
round the room. 1t was stormy, windy night
such as raises whole squadrons of nondescript
noises IN r'ckcty old houses Windows were
rafting shutters Tapping, the wind carousipg,
ronoiing, and tumbllng down the chimney, and
every once 10 a while pulling out smoke and