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478 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN; OR
edge of a frightful abyss, holding on and struggling in mortal fear, while dark hands stretched up, and were pulling him over; and Cassy came behind him laughing, and pushed him. And then rose up that solemn veiled figure, and drew aside the veil. It was his mother ; and she turned away from him, and he fell down, down, down, amid a confused noise of shrieks, and groans, and shouts of demon laughter, — and Legree awoke.
Calmly the rosy hue of dawn was stealing into the room. The morning star stood, with its solemn, holy eye of light, looking down on the man of sin, from out the brightening sky. Oh, with what freshness, what solemnity and beauty, is each new day born ; as if to say to insensate man, " Behold ! thou hast one more chance ! Strive for immortal glory !' There is no speech nor language where this voice is not heard ; but the bold, bad man heard it not. He woke with an oath and a curse. What to him was the gold and purple, the daily miracle of morning ? What to him the sanctity of that star which the Son of God has hallowed as his own emblem ? Brute-like, he saw without perceiving ; and, stumbling forward, poured out a tumbler of brandy and drank half of it.
" I 've had a h—1 of a night! " he said to Cassy, who just then entered from an opposite door.
" You '11 get plenty of the same sort, by and by," said she, dryly.
" What do you mean, you minx ? "
" You '11 find out, one of these days," returned Cassy, in the same tone. " Now, Simon, I 've one piece of advice to give you."
" The devil, you have ! "
" My advice is," said Cassy, steadily, as she began adjusting some things about the room, " that you let Tom alone."
" What business is 't of yours ? "
" What ? To be sure, I don't know what it should be. If you want to pay twelve hundred for a fellow, and use |
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