Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
Property and passions
Stopping opposite to Tom,who had been attred for sale in his best broadcloth suit, with well-starched linen and shining boots, he briefly expressed himself as follows:”Stand up.”
Tom stood up.
“Take off that stock!”and,as Tom, encumbered by his fetters,proceeded to do it,he assised him, by pulling it,with no gentle hand, from his neck, and putting it in his pocket.
Legree now turned to Tom’s trunk, which,previous to this,he had been ransacking, and taking from it a pair of old pantaloons and dilapidated coat, which Tom had been wont to put on about his stable-work, he said, liberating Tom’s hands from the handcuffs, and pointing to recess in among the boxes, “You go there,and put these on.”
Tom obeyed, and in a few moments returned.
“Take off your boots,” said Mr. Legree.
Tom did so.
“There,” said the former, throwing him a pair of coarse, stout shoes, such as were common among the slaves, “put these on.”
In Tom’s hurried exchange, he had forgotten to transfer his cherished Bible to his pocket.Itwas well he did so; for Mr. Legree, having refitted Tom’s handcuffs, proceeded deliberately to investigate the contents of his pockets. He drew out a silk handkerchief, and put it into his own pocket. Several little trifles, which Tom had treasured,chiefly because they had amured Eva, he looked upon with a con temptuous grunt, and tossed them over his shoulder into the river.
Tom’s Methodist hymn-book, which, in his hurry, he had forgotten, he now held up and turned over.
Humph! pious , to be sure. So, what’s yer name, - you belong to the church, eh?”
“Yes, Mas’r,” said Tom, firmly.
“Well,I’II soon have that out of you. I have none o’ yer bawling , praying ,singing ninggers on my piace ; soremamber. Now, mind yourself, “he said, with a stamp and fierce glance of his gray eye, directed at Tom,”I’m your church now! You understand, - you’ve got to be as I say.”…
He took Tom’s trunk, which contained a very neat and abundant wardrobe, to the forecastle, where it was soon surrounded by various hands of the boat. With much laughing at, at the expenseof nigger who tried to be gentlemen, the articles very readily were sold to one and another, and the empty tunk finally put up at auction.
It was a good joke, they all thought, especially to see how Tom tooked after his thing, as they were going this way and that; and then the auction of the trunk, that was funnier than all, and occasioned abundant witticisms. This little affair being over, Simon sauntered up again to his property.
“Now,Tom, I’ve relieved you of any extra baggage, yousee. Take mighty good care of them clothes. It’ll be long enough ‘fore you get more. I go in for making niggers careful; one suit has to do for one year, on my place.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
Property and passions
Stopping opposite to Tom,who had been attred for sale in his best broadcloth suit, with well-starched linen and shining boots, he briefly expressed himself as follows:”Stand up.”
Tom stood up.
“Take off that stock!”and,as Tom, encumbered by his fetters,proceeded to do it,he assised him, by pulling it,with no gentle hand, from his neck, and putting it in his pocket.
Legree now turned to Tom’s trunk, which,previous to this,he had been ransacking, and taking from it a pair of old pantaloons and dilapidated coat, which Tom had been wont to put on about his stable-work, he said, liberating Tom’s hands from the handcuffs, and pointing to recess in among the boxes, “You go there,and put these on.”
Tom obeyed, and in a few moments returned.
“Take off your boots,” said Mr. Legree.
Tom did so.
“There,” said the former, throwing him a pair of coarse, stout shoes, such as were common among the slaves, “put these on.”
In Tom’s hurried exchange, he had forgotten to transfer his cherished Bible to his pocket.Itwas well he did so; for Mr. Legree, having refitted Tom’s handcuffs, proceeded deliberately to investigate the contents of his pockets. He drew out a silk handkerchief, and put it into his own pocket. Several little trifles, which Tom had treasured,chiefly because they had amured Eva, he looked upon with a con temptuous grunt, and tossed them over his shoulder into the river.
Tom’s Methodist hymn-book, which, in his hurry, he had forgotten, he now held up and turned over.
Humph! pious , to be sure. So, what’s yer name, - you belong to the church, eh?”
“Yes, Mas’r,” said Tom, firmly.
“Well,I’II soon have that out of you. I have none o’ yer bawling , praying ,singing ninggers on my piace ; soremamber. Now, mind yourself, “he said, with a stamp and fierce glance of his gray eye, directed at Tom,”I’m your church now! You understand, - you’ve got to be as I say.”…
He took Tom’s trunk, which contained a very neat and abundant wardrobe, to the forecastle, where it was soon surrounded by various hands of the boat. With much laughing at, at the expenseof nigger who tried to be gentlemen, the articles very readily were sold to one and another, and the empty tunk finally put up at auction.
It was a good joke, they all thought, especially to see how Tom tooked after his thing, as they were going this way and that; and then the auction of the trunk, that was funnier than all, and occasioned abundant witticisms. This little affair being over, Simon sauntered up again to his property.
“Now,Tom, I’ve relieved you of any extra baggage, yousee. Take mighty good care of them clothes. It’ll be long enough ‘fore you get more. I go in for making niggers careful; one suit has to do for one year, on my place.”
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