Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-07-02
HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE
Condensation by
John kendrick Bangs
7 WAS in the days when African

slavery fiourished 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 Ken
lucky planter in human chattels. I'm
Gle Tom instead of the freedom that
had been promised him as the reward
OF a lifetime of de7oted service found
himself torn from wife, home and
children, transferred to the hands of
an INSCRIPTIONS trader, and consigned
to the terror-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 San
duSky, and thence to freedom in Can
ada, the mulatto-girl Eliza, and her
son who had been sold at the same
time, had availed themselves. But
Toms fidelity to his master was too
strong, and fearing to involve him in
further difficulties he bravely faced
the miSerieS of the future.
Il am in the Lords hands," said
he to those who tried to persuade him
to escape, land there1l 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 farewell.
"But reconnaissance day I'll come
down and buy you back"
The voyage down the Mississippi
with the slave-gang to which Tom was
attached was filed 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 sml-
ing spirit of play. who fascinated by
Toms unusual deXterity in the making
of strange toys dear to the hearts OF
children, chung to him as to an old
and beloved friend
"Where are you going, Tom?' she
asked one day.
81 dunno, Missy" said rom. "Reck
on I'm gwine to be sold to somebody
but l dunno who"
"Well, my father can buy you" sale
she, "and III 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
Eva's life back from the swirlng wa
tiers of the Mississippi into which sh,
had fallen. and in sheer gratitude foi
her deliverance the child's father, Au
gustine ST. Glare, bought him from
the trader
The scene now changes to New Or
leans, where in a beautiful home, il
daily comradeship with his little mis-
tresS, Tom for a time was happy. St
Clare, his new master, was kindly ant
sympathetic, and while of an easy
going disposition dawning conscious
ness of the iniquity of slavery haC
come into his soul, a consciousness
/. confirmed and accentuated by his dai
~ contemplation of the nobility 0
heart of the faithful Tom. Two year
of this unlocked for happiness passe'
away, and once more Tom was fac
to face with misfortune. His flower
like little companion, growing dali,
more and more fragile. herself in spit
of her years envisaging and depressed
by the wickedness of the system o
slavery which not only destroyed III
souls of the oppressed, but debase
the character of the oppreSsorS final
ly died. Heart-broken over his los
St. Glare found comfort only in th
compani0nship of the equally heart
broken Tom, aud one day in a sud
den surge of gratitude he promise
the old man his freedom, but the ligh
of JOY that shone in Toms face whe
he heard the promise disconcerte
him.
"You haven't had such a bad tim
here that you should be so glad t
leave me-" he said sadly.
"Tain't leavin' We, Marse st. Glare,
said Tom. its bein' free that II
a-joyin' H."
But it vas not to be. The easy
going nature of St Glare caused hiI
to delay Toms emancipation paperi
and one night trying to separate tw
drunken brawlers intent upon KILN
each other st. Glare was himself stat
bed to death; and in the settlemer
Of his estate Tom once more foun
himself at the auction-bloek.
Enter now one Simon Legree. 2 ma
ter of far different type from Shell
and st. Clare. A brute, and a drum
ard. A beast whose glance was an il
suit to w0manhood. A fiend VIII
prided himself upon his inheXible brl
tally, and with brutish satiseactio
showed to all who would look, b
knuckles calloused with the blows b
had inflicted upon the helpless. I
MIN BY virtue Of length Of purse fe
Tom who now tasted the tragic drel
Of the cup Of slavery. The mantle
contrast between his own Grass brl
tality and the high-miuded charactt
Of his chattel aroused the envioU