CHAPTER XL
The Martyr part1
"Deem not thejust by Heaven forgot!
Though life its common gifts deny,—
Though, with a crushed and bleeding heart,
And spurned of man, he goes to die!
For God hath marked each sorrowing day,
And numbered every bitter tear,
And heaven's long years of bliss shall pay
For all his children suffer here."
BRYANT.*
* This poem doesnot appear in the collected works of
William Cullen Bryant, nor in the collected poems of his
brother, John Howard Bryant. It was probably copied from a
newspaper or magazine.
The longest waymust have its close,—thegloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse ofmoments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the nightof the just to an eternal day. We have walked with our humble friend thus farin the valley of slavery; first through flowery fields of ease and indulgence,then through heart-breaking separations from all that man holds dear. Again, wehave waited with him in a sunny island, where generous hands concealed his chainswith flowers; and, lastly, we have followed him when the last ray of earthlyhope went out in night, and seen how, in the blackness of earthly darkness, thefirmament of the unseen has blazed with stars of new and significant lustre.
The morning-starnow stands over the tops of the mountains, and gales and breezes, not of earth,show that the gates of day are unclosing.
The escape of Cassyand Emmeline irritated the before surly temper of Legree to the last degree;and his fury, as was to be expected, fell upon the defenceless head of Tom.When he hurriedly announced the tidings among his hands, there was a suddenlight in Tom's eye, a sudden upraising of his hands, that did not escape him.He saw that he did not join the muster of the pursuers. He thought of forcinghim to do it; but, having had, of old, experience of his inflexibility whencommanded to take part in any deed of inhumanity, he would not, in his hurry,stop to enter into any conflict with him.
Tom, therefore,remained behind, with a few who had learned of him to pray, and offered upprayers for the escape of the fugitives.
When Legreereturned, baffled and disappointed, all the long-working hatred of his soultowards his slave began to gather in a deadly and desperate form. Had not thisman braved him,—steadily,powerfully, resistlessly,—ever since he bought him? Wasthere not a spirit in him which, silent as it was, burned on him like the firesof perdition?
"I hate him!"said Legree, that night, as he sat up in his bed; "I hate him!And isn't he MINE? Can't I do what I like with him? Who's to hinder, Iwonder?" And Legree clenched his fist, and shook it, as if he hadsomething in his hands that he could rend in pieces.
But, then, Tom wasa faithful, valuable servant; and, although Legree hated him the more for that,yet the consideration was still somewhat of a restraint to him.
The next morning,he determined to say nothing, as yet; to assemble a party, from someneighboring plantations, with dogs and guns; to surround the swamp, and goabout the hunt systematically. If it succeeded, well and good; if not, he wouldsummon Tom before him, and—his teeth clenched and his blood boiled—then he would break the fellow down, or—therewas a dire inward whisper, to which his soul assented.
Ye say thatthe interest of the master is a sufficient safeguard for theslave. In the fury of man's mad will, he will wittingly, and with open eye,sell his own soul to the devil to gain his ends; and will he be more careful ofhis neighbor's body?
"Well,"said Cassy, the next day, from the garret, as she reconnoitred through theknot-hole, "the hunt's going to begin again, today!"
Three or fourmounted horsemen were curvetting about, on the space in front of the house; andone or two leashes of strange dogs were struggling with the negroes who heldthem, baying and barking at each other.
The men are, two ofthem, overseers of plantations in the vicinity; and others were some ofLegree's associates at the tavern-bar of a neighboring city, who had come forthe interest of the sport. A more hard-favored set, perhaps, could not beimagined. Legree was serving brandy, profusely, round among them, as also amongthe negroes, who had been detailed from the various plantations for thisservice; for it was an object to make every service of this kind, among thenegroes, as much of a holiday as possible.
Cassy placed herear at the knot-hole; and, as the morning air blew directly towards the house,she could overhear a good deal of the conversation. A grave sneer overcast thedark, severe gravity of her face, as she listened, and heard them divide outthe ground, discuss the rival merits of the dogs, give orders about firing, andthe treatment of each, in case of capture.
Cassy drew back;and, clasping her hands, looked upward, and said, "O, great Almighty God!we are all sinners; but what have we done,more than all the rest of the world, that we should be treated so?"
There was aterrible earnestness in her face and voice, as she spoke.
"If it wasn'tfor you , child," she said, looking at Emmeline,"I'd go out to them; and I'd thank any one of themthat would shoot me down; for what use will freedom be to me?Can it give me back my children, or make me what I used to be?"
Emmeline, in herchild-like simplicity, was half afraid of the dark moods of Cassy. She lookedperplexed, but made no answer. She only took her hand, with a gentle, caressingmovement.
"Don't!"said Cassy, trying to draw it away; "you'll get me to loving you; and Inever mean to love anything, again!"
"PoorCassy!" said Emmeline, "don't feel so! If the Lord gives us liberty,perhaps he'll give you back your daughter; at any rate, I'll be like a daughterto you. I know I'll never see my poor old mother again! I shall love you,Cassy, whether you love me or not!"
The gentle,child-like spirit conquered. Cassy sat down by her, put her arm round her neck,stroked her soft, brown hair; and Emmeline then wondered at the beauty of hermagnificent eyes, now soft with tears.
"O, Em!"said Cassy, "I've hungered for my children, and thirsted for them, and myeyes fail with longing for them! Here! here!" she said, striking herbreast, "it's all desolate, all empty! If God would give me back mychildren, then I could pray."
"You musttrust him, Cassy," said Emmeline; "he is our Father!"
"His wrath isupon us," said Cassy; "he has turned away in anger."
"No, Cassy! Hewill be good to us! Let us hope in Him," said Emmeline,—"I always havehad hope."
The hunt was long,animated, and thorough, but unsuccessful; and, with grave, ironic exultation,Cassy looked down on Legree, as, weary and dispirited, he alighted from hishorse.
"Now,Quimbo," said Legree, as he stretched himself down in the sitting-room,"you jest go and walk that Tom up here, right away! The old cuss is at thebottom of this yer whole matter; and I'll have it out of his old black hide, orI'll know the reason why!"
Sambo and Quimbo,both, though hating each other, were joined in one mind by a no less cordialhatred of Tom. Legree had told them, at first, that he had bought him for ageneral overseer, in his absence; and this had begun an ill will, on theirpart, which had increased, in their debased and servile natures, as they sawhim becoming obnoxious to their master's displeasure. Quimbo, therefore,departed, with a will, to execute his orders.
用户评论