Uncle tom's cabin - online children's book

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LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY            457
Cassy took the book, with a dry, proud air, and looked over the passage. She then read aloud, in a soft voice, and with a beauty of intonation that was peculiar, that touching account of anguish and of glory. Often, as she read, her voice faltered, and sometimes failed her alto­gether, when she would stop, with an air of frigid com­posure, till she had mastered herself. When she came to the touching words, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," she threw down the book, and, burying her face in the heavy masses of her hair, she sobbed aloud with a convulsive violence.
Tom was weeping, also, and occasionally uttering a smothered ejaculation.
" If we only could keep up to that ar'! " said Tom ; — " it seemed to come so natural to Him, and we have to fight so hard for 't! O Lord, help us ! O blessed Lord Jesus, do help us ! "
" Missis," said Tom, after a while, " I can see that, some­how, you 're quite 'bove me in everything ; but there 's one thing Missis might learn even from poor Tom. Ye said the Lord took sides against us, because He lets us be 'bused and knocked round; but ye see what come on his own Son, — the blessed Lord of Glory, — warn't He allays poor ? and have we, any on us, yet come so low as He come ? The Lord han't forgot us, — I 'm sartin' o' that ar'. If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign, Scripture says ; but, if we deny Him, He also will deny us. Did n't they all suffer ? — the Lord and all his ? It tells how they was stoned and sawn asunder, and wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, and was destitute, afflicted, tor­mented. Sufferin' an't no reason to make us think the Lord 's turned agin us ; but jest the contrary, if only we hold on to Him, and does n't give up to sin."
" But why does He put us where we can't help but sin ?" said the woman.
" I think we can help it," said Tom.
"You'11 see," said Cassy; "what'11 you do? To-