——

 

NEGRO LIFE IN AMERICA, 849

Tom stood silent.

“ D’ye hear 2” said Legree, stamping, with a roar like that of
an incensed lion. “Speak!”

“T han’t got nothing to tell, mas’r,” said Tom, with a slow,
firm, deliberate utterance.

“Do you dare io tell me, ye old black Christian, ye don’t
know ?” said Legree.

Tom was silent.

“Speak!” thundered Legree, striking him furiously. ‘ Do
you know anything ?”’

“1 know, mas’r; but I can’t tell anything. J can die!”

Legree drew in a long breath ; and, suppressing his rage, took
Tom by the arm and, approaching his face almost to his said,
in a terrible voice, ‘‘ Hark’e, Tom—ye think, ‘cause I’ve let you’
off before, I don’t mean what I say; but this time I’ve made up
my mind, and counted the cost. You've always stood it out agin
me—now I'll conquer you or kill you! one or tiother. I'll count
every drop of blood there is in you, and take ‘em, one by one, till
ye give up!”

Tom looked up to his master, and answered, ‘* Mas’r, if you
was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, I'd give ye
my heart’s blood; and if taking every drop of blood in this
poor old body would save your precious soul, I’d give ‘em freely,
as the Lord gave his for me. O mas'r, don't bring this great sin
on your soul! It will hurt you more than ’twill me! Do the
worst you can, my troubles'll be over soon; but if ye don't
repent, yours won't never end 4

Like a strange snatch of heavenly music heard in the lull of
a tempest, this burst of feeling made a moment’s blank pause.
Legree stood aghast, and looked at Tom; and there was such @
silence that the tick of the old clock could be heard, measuring,
with silent touch, the last moments of mercy and probation to
that hardened heart.

) It was but a moment. There was one hesitating pause, one

-irresolute, relenting thrill, and the spirit of evil came back with

sevenfold vehemence; and Legree, foaming with rage. smote his
victim to the ground.

* * * * * %* *

Scenes of blood and cruelty are shocking to our ear and heart.
What man has nerve to do, man has not nerve to hear. What
brother-man and brother-Christian must suffer cannot be told us,
even in our secret chamber, it so harrows up the soul. And yet,
O my country! these things are done under the shadow of thy
laws! O Christ! thy Church sees them, almost in silence !

But of old there was One whose suffering changed an instru-
ment of torture, degradation and shame, into a symbol of glory,
honour, and immortal life; and where his spirit is, neither

Dee