238 UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; OR,

‘I wouldn't have the child treated so for the world,” she said ;
“but I am sure, Augustine, I don’t know what to do. I’ve
taught and taught, I’ve talked till I’m tired, I’ve whipped her,
I've punished her in every way I can think of ; and still she’s
just what she was at first.”

‘Come here, Tops, you monkey !” said St. Clare, calling the
child up to him.

Topsy came up ; her round, hard eyes glittering and blinking
with a mixture of apprehensiveness and their usual odd drollery.

“‘ What makes you behave so?’ said St. Clare, who could not
help being amused with the child’s expression.

*"Spects it’s my wicked heart,” said Topsy demurely; ‘“ Miss
Feely says so.”

“Don’t you see how much Miss Ophelia has done for you ?
She says she has done everything she can think of.”

‘Lor, yes, mas'’r! old missus used to say 80, too. She whipped
me a heap harder, and used to pull my har, and knock my head
agin the door; but it didn't do me no good! I ‘spects, if they’s
to pull every spear o’ har out 0’ my head it wouldn’t do no good
neither—I’s so wicked! Laws! I’s nothin’ buta nigger no ways ! ’

“Well, I shall have to give her up,” said Miss Ophelia; «TI
can’t have that trouble any longer.”

“* Well, I'd just like to ask one question,” said St. Clare.

“What is it ?”

‘Why, if your Gospel is not strong enough to save one heathen
child, that you can have at home here, all to yourself, what's the
use of sending one or two poor missionaries with it among thou-
sands of just such? I suppose this child is about a fair sample
of what thousands-of your heathen are.”

Miss Ophelia did not make an immediate answer; and Eva,
who had stood a silent spectator of the scene thus far, made a
_ silent sign to Topsy to follow her. There was a little glass room
at the corner of the verandah, which St. Clare used as a sort of
reading-room ; and Eva and Topsy disappeared into this place.

“ What’s Eva going about, now?” said St. Clare; ‘I mean
to see.” 6

And, advancing on tiptoe, he lifted up a curtain that covered
the glass-door, and looked in. Ina moment, laying his finger on
his lips, he made a silent gesture to Miss Ophelia to come and
look. There sat the two children on the floor, with their side-
faces towards them—Topsy with her usual air of careless drollery
and unconcern ; but, opposite to her, Eva, her whole face fervent
with feeling, and tears in her large eyes.

“What does make you so bad, Topsy? Why won't you try
and be good? Don’t you love anybody, Topsy ?”

“Dorno nothing ’bout love ; I loves candy and sich, that’s all,”
said Topsy.

_ “ But you love your father and mother ?”

re eee