354 UNCLE TOMS CABIN; OR,

Tom grasped his hand, and continued—‘<Ye mustn't, now, tell
Chloe, poor soul! how ye found me; %would be so drefful to her.
Only tell her ye found me going into glory, and that I couldn't
stay for no one. And tell her the Lord stood by me everywhere
and al’ays, and made everything light and easy. And oh, the
poor chil’en, and the baby—my old heart's been most broke for
‘em, time and agin. Tell ‘em all to follow me—follow me! Give
my love to mas, and dear good missis, and everybody in the
place! Ye don’t know! ’Pears like I loves ‘em all! I loves
every creatur’, everywhar ! — it’s nothing but love. O Mas'r
George! what a thing tis to be a Christian !”

At this moment Legree sauntered up to the door of the shed,
looked in with a dogged air of affected carelessness, and turned
away. :

«The old Satan!” said George in his indignation. ‘It’s a
—- to think the Devil will pay him for this some of these

ays !”

“Oh, don’t!—oh, ye mustn't !” said Tom, grasping his hand ;
“he’s a poor mis’able critter. It’s awful to think on't! Oh, if
he only could repent, the Lord would forgive him now; but I'm
feard he never will.”

“T hope he won't!” said George. * I never want to see him |
in heaven.” |

“Hush, Mas’r George! it worries me. Don't feel so. He
an’t done me no real harm—only opened the gate of the kingdom
for me; that’s all!”

At this moment the sudden flush of strength which the joy of
meeting his young master had infused into the dying man gave
way. A sudden sinking fell upon him; he closed his eyes; and
that mysterious and sublime change passed over his face that told
the approach of other worlds.

He began to draw his breath with long, deep inspirations ; and
his broad chest rose and fell heavily. ‘The expression of his face
was that of a conqueror.

4 ‘* Who—who—who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’
he said, in a voice that contended with mortal weakness ; and
with a smile he fell asleep.

George sat fixed with solemn awe. It seemed to him that the
place was holy ; and as he closed the lifeless eyes, and rose up
from the dead, only one thought possessed him—that expressed
by his simple old friend, ‘ What a thing it is to be a Christian !”

| ness of youthful passion. The presence of the man was simply

loathsome to George; and he felt only an impulse to get away
from him, with as few words as possible.

Fixing his keen dark eyes on Legree, he simply said, pointing

to the dead, “You have got all you ever can of him. What

 

I

 

AO

 

TD