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356 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN; OR
" I told you, cousin," said Marie, " that you 'd find out that these creatures can't be brought up without severity. If I had my way, now," she said, looking reproachfully at St. Clare, " I 'd send that child out, and have her thoroughly whipped; I 'd have her whipped till she could n't stand ! "
" I don't doubt it," said St. Clare. " Tell me of the lovely rule of woman! I never saw above a dozen women that would n't half kill a horse, or a servant, either, if they had their own way with them ! — let alone a man."
" There is no use in this shilly-shally way of yours, St. Clare ! " said Marie. " Cousin is a woman of sense, and she sees it now, as plain as I do."
Miss Ophelia had just the capability of indignation that belongs to the thorough-paced housekeeper, and this had been pretty actively roused by the artifice and wastefulness of the child; in fact, many of my lady readers must own that they should have felt just so in her circumstances; but Marie's words went beyond her, and she felt less heat.
" 1 would n'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 wnat 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 Missis used to say so, too. She whipped me a heap harder, and used to pull my bar, and |
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