The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-15
UNCLE TOMS CABIN
BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
Condensation by John kendriek Bangs

1t was in the days when African
slavery flourished under the free skies
Of America Evil times had .befallen
the house of Shelby, and pressing debt
required the sacrifice of portion of
the holdings of the Kentucky Planter
in human chattels. Uncle Tom instead
of the freedom that had been prom
ised him as the reward Of a lifetime
Of devoted service found himself torn
from wife, home and children, trans
ferred to the hands Of an unscrupul-
Gus trader, and consigned to the ter
ror-ridden slave-markets Of the lower
Mississippi. So trusted had the black
man been that numerous avenues Of
escape lay open to him. OF one of
these, in the dead of winter, over the
ice-bound waters of the Ohio River,
by the underground" to Sandusky,
and thence to freedom in Canada, the
mulatto-girl Eliza, and her son who
had been sold at the same time, had
availed themselves. But Toms fidel-
ity to his master was too strong, and
fearing to involve him in further diff
culties he bravely faced the miseries
of the future.
81 am in the Lords hands," said he
to those who tried to persuade him to
escape, land therell be the same God
there that there is here
well it's a nasty mean shame,
Tom" sobbed his masters son
George, as he babe the old slave fare
we'll. But remember-some day Ill
come down and buy you back"
The voyage down the Mississippi
with the slave-gang to which Tom was
attached was filled with scenes and
episodes of woe and tragedy, but Tom
found relief from sorrow in the COM
panionship Of a fellow-passenger a
fairy-like little girl, full Of the smiling
spirit of play, who fascinated by Tom 5
unusual dexterity in the making Of
strange toys dear to the hearts Of chill
dren, chung to him as to an old and
beloved friend.
where are you going, Tom?" she
asked one day.
81 dunno, Missy" said Tom. "Reck-
on I'm gwine to be sold to somebody
but l dunno who"
well my father can buy you said
she, and I'll ask him to this very day.
Thank you, my little Lady," smiled
Tom, gratefully.
And his little Lady" she soon be-
came, for the brave black won little
{ .
ters Of the Mississippi into which she
had fallen, and in sheer gratitude for
her deliverance the child's father, All
gustine St. Clare, bought him from the
trader.
The scene now changes to New
Orleans, where in a beautiful home, in
daily comradeship with his little mis-
tress, Tom for time was HAP St.
hi tnr Iii U y mr.
sympathetic, and while of an ci.oy-go-
ing disposition a dawning conscious
ness of the iniquity Of slavery had
come into his soul, consciousness
confirmed and accentuated by his
daily contemplation of the nobility #
heart of the faithful Tom. Two years
away, and once more Tom was face
to face with misfortune. His flower
like little companion, growing daily
more and more fragile, herself in spite
OF her years envisaging and depressed
by the WickedneSs Of the system OF
| slavery which not only destroyed the
souls of the oppressed, but debased
the character of the oppressors, fina,
| ly died. Heart-broken over his loss
ST. Clare found comfort only in the
| companionship of the equally heart
broken Tom, and one day in a sudden
surge of gratitude he promised the old
man his freedom, but the light of JOY
that shone in Toms face when he
heard the promise disconnected him.
You haven't had such a bad time
here that you should be so glad tC
leave me- he said sadly.
'Tain't leavin' ye, Marse ST. Clare,
said Tom, its bein' free that I'm a
| joyin' in
But it was not to be. The easy-go
ing nature of ST. Clare caused him tC
delay Toms emancipation papers, and
one night trying to separate two
drunken brawlers intent upon killing
each other ST. Clare was himself stab
bed to death; and in the settlement
of his estate Tom once more found
himself at the auction-block, to be
knocked down to the highest bidder
Enter now one Simon Legree, a
master of far different type from Shell
| by and St. Clare A brute, and a
drunkard. A beast whose glance was
an insult to womanhood. A fiend who
prided himself upon his flexible bru
tality, and with british satisfaction
showed to all who would look, his
knuckles calloused with the blows he
had inflicted upon his helpless. TIC
him by virture of length Of purse fell
Tom who now tasted the tragic dregs
of the cup of slavery. The NANTES,
contrast between his own Grass bru
tally and the high-minded character
of his chattel aroused the envious
wrath of his new owner, who endeav
ored by every wicked expedient posi-
BILE to break Toms spirit, and his I'm
alterable faith in divine guidance, and
protection. Furtively he watched him
at work, hoping to find flaw, but In
vain, but one day he found the way
He ordered Tom to flog woman-slave
who was guiltless of the shortening