—_———--

214 UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; OR,

a wicked pleasure in these mistakes, calling Topsy to him when-
ever he had a mind to amuse himself, and getting her. to repeat
the offending passages, in spite of Miss Ophelia’s remonstrances.

“ How do you think I can do anything with the child, if you
will go on so, Augustine?” she would say.

“Well, it is too bad, I won’t again; but I do like to hear the
droll little image stumble over those big words !”

‘“‘ But you confirm her in the wrong way.”

“What's the odds? One word is as good as another to her.”

‘You wanted me to bring her up right; and you ought to
remember she is a reasonable creature, and be careful of your
influence over her.”

“Oh, dismal! so I ought; but, as Topsy herself says, ‘ I’s so
wicked !’”

In very much this way Topsy’s training proceeded, for a year
or two—Miss Ophelia worrying herself, from day to day, with her,
as a kind of chronic plague, to whose inflictions she became, in
time, as accustomed as persons sometimes do to the neuralgia or
sick headache.

St. Clare took the same kind of amusement in the child that
a man might in the tricks of a parrot or a pointer. Topsy, when-
ever her sins brought her into disgrace in other quarters, always
took refuge behind his chair; and St. Clare, in one way or other,
would make peace for her. From him she got many a stray
picayune, which she laid out in nuts and candies, and distributed,
with careless generosity, to all the children in the family; for
Topsy, to do her justice, was good-natured and liberal, and only
spiteful in self-defence. She is fairly introduced into our corps de
ballet, and will figdre, from time to time, in her turn, with other
_ performers.

, CHAPTER XXI.
KENTUCE.

Our readers may not be unwilling to glance back, for a brief
interval, at Uncle Tom's Cabin, on the Kentucky farm, and see
what has been transpiring among those whom he had left behind.

It was late in the summer afternoon, and the doors and win-
dows of the large-parlour all stood open, to invite any stray breeze
that ‘might feel in a good humour to enter. Mr. Shelby sat ina
large hall opening into the room, and running through the whole
length of the house to a balcony on either end. Leisurely tipped
back in one chair, with his heels in another, he was enjoying his
after-dinner cigar. Mrs. Shelby sat in the door, busy about some