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UNCLE TOM'S CABIN,- OR |
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at every one. All looked sad and apprehensive. Many of the women hid their faces in their aprons.
" I sent for you all, my dear friends," said Eva, " because I love you. 1 love you all; and I have something to say to you, which I want you always to remember. ... I am going to leave you. In a few more weeks you will see me no more " —
Here the child was interrupted by bursts of groans, sobs, and lamentations, which broke from all present, and in which her slender voice was lost entirely. She waited a moment, and then, speaking in a tone that checked the sobs of all, she said, —
" If you love me you must not interrupt me so. Listen to what I say. I want to speak to you about your souls. . . . Many of you, I am afraid, are very careless. You are thinking only about this world. I want you to remember that there is a beautiful world where Jesus is. I am going there, and you can go there. It is for you, as much as me. But, if you want to go there, you must not live idle, careless, thoughtless lives. You must be Christians. You must remember that each one of you can become angels, and be angels forever. ... If you want to be Christians, Jesus will help you. You must pray to him ; you must read " —
The child checked herself, looked piteously at them, and said, sorrowfully, —
" Oh, dear ! you can't read, — poor souls ! " and she hid her face in the pillow and sobbed, while many a smothered sob from those she was addressing, who were kneeling on the floor, aroused her.
" Never mind," she said, raising her face, and smiling brightly through her tears, " I have prayed for you; and I know Jesus will help you, even if you can't read. Try all to do the best you can ; pray every day; ask Him to help you, and get the Bible read to you whenever you can; and I think I shall see you all in heaven."
" Amen," was the murmured response from the lips of |
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