206 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN; OR,

  

retired and unsophisticated parts, where there are no railroads.
As nearly as could be expressed, they could be comprised in very
few words: to teach them to miud when they were spoken to; to

-teach them the catechism, sewing, and reading; and to whip them

if they told lies. And though, of course, in the flood of light
that is now poured on education, these are left far away in the
rear, yet it isan undisputed fact that our grandmothers raised
some tolerably fair men and women under this régime, as many
of us can remember and testify. At all events, Miss Ophelia
knew of nothing else to do, and therefore applied her mind to her
heathen with the best diligence she could command.

The child was announced and considered in the family as Miss
Ophelia’s girl; and, as she was looked upon with no gracious
eye in the kitchen, Miss Ophelia resolved to confine her sphere of
operation and instruction chiefly to her own chamber. With a
self-sacrifice which some of our readers will appreciate, she
resolved, instead of comfortably making her own bed, sweeping
and dusting her own chamber—which she had hitherto done, in
utter scorn of all offers of help from the chambermaid of the esta-
blishment—to condemn herself to the martyrdom of instructing
Topsy to perform these operations. Ah, woe the day! Did any
of our readers ever do the same, they will appreciate the amount
of her self-sacrifice.

Miss Ophelia began with Topsy by taking her into her cham-
ber, the first morning, and solemnly commencing a course of
instruction in the art and mystery of bed-making.

Behold, then, Topsy washed and shorn of all the little braided
tails wherein her heart had delighted, arrayed in a clean gown,
with well-starched apron, standing reverently before Miss Ophelia,
with an expression of solemnity well befitting a funeral.

‘‘ Now, Topsy, I’m going to show you just how my bed is to be
made. I am very particular about my bed. You must learn
exactly how to do it.”

‘Yes, ma'am,” says Topsy, with a deep sigh, and ‘a face of
woful ee

‘Now, Topsy, look here: this is the hem of the sheet—this
is the right. side of the sheet, and this is the wrong: will you
remember ?”

«Yes, ma’am,” says Topsy, with another sigh.

«Well, now, the under sheet you must bring over the bolster—
so—and tuck it clear down under the mattress nice and smooth—
so; do you see ?”’

“Yes, ma'am,” said Topsy, with profound attention.

« But the upper sheet,” said Miss Ophelia, “ must be brought
down in this way, and tucked under firm and smooth at the foot—
so—the narrow hem at the foot.”

“Yes, ma’am, said Topsy, as before; but we will add, what
Miss Ophelia ‘did not see, that, during the time when the