It was so in very truth, for now both mother and daughter lay in itThe undertaker, true to his craft, had made the best display he could of his goods, and there was a mortuary air about the place that lowered our spirits at once Van Helsing ordered the former arrangement to be adhered to, explaining that, as Lord Godalming was coming very soon, it would be less harrowing to his feelings to see all that was left of his fiancee quite alone The undertaker seemed shocked at his own stupidity and exerted himself to restore things to the condition in which we left them the night before, so that when Arthur came such shocks to his feelings as we could avoid were saved Poor fellow! He looked desperately sad and brokenEven his stalwart manhood seemed to have shrunk somewhat under the strain of his much-tried emotionsHe had, I knew, been very genuinely and devotedly attached to his father, and to lose him, and at such a time, was a bitter blow to himWith me he was warm as ever, and to Van Helsing he was sweetly courteousBut I could not help seeing that there was some constraint with himThe professor noticed it too, and motioned me to bring him upstairsI did so, and left him at the door of the room, as I felt he would like to be quite alone with her, but he took my arm and led me in, saying huskily, "You loved her too, old fellowShe told me all about it, and there was no friend had a closer place in her heart than youI don't know how to thank you for all you have done for herI can't think yet?" Here he suddenly broke down, and threw his arms round my shoulders and laid his head on my breast, crying, "Oh, Jack! Jack! What shall I do? The whole of life seems gone from me all at once, and there is nothing in the wide world for me to live for I comforted him as well as I couldIn such cases men do not need much expressionA grip of the hand, the tightening of an arm over the shoulder, a sob in unison, are expressions of sympathy dear to a man's heartI stood still and silent till his sobs died away, and then I said softly to him, "Come and look at her Together we moved over to the bed, and I lifted the lawn from her faceGod! How beautiful she wasEvery hour seemed to be enhancing her lovelinessIt frightened and amazed me somewhatAnd as for Arthur, he fell to trembling, and finally was shaken with doubt as with an agueAt last, after a long pause, he said to me in a faint whisper, "Jack, is she really dead?" I assured him sadly that it was so, and went on to suggest, for I felt that such a horrible doubt should not have life for a moment longer than I could help, that it often happened that after death faces become softened and even resolved into their youthful beauty, that this was especially so when death had been preceded by any acute or prolonged sufferingI seemed to quite do away with any doubt, and after kneeling beside the couch for a while and looking at her lovingly and long, he turned asideI told him that that must be goodbye, as the coffin had to be prepared, so he went back and took her dead hand in his and kissed it, and bent over and kissed her foreheadHe came away, fondly looking back over his shoulder at her as he came I left him in the drawing room, and told Van Helsing that he had said goodbye, so the latter went to the kitchen to tell the undertaker's men to proceed with the preparations and to screw up the coffinWhen he came out of the room again I told him of Arthur's question, and he replied, "I am not surprisedJust now I doubted for a moment myself!" We all dined together, and I could see that poor Art was trying to make the best of thingsVan Helsing had been silent all dinner time, but when we had lit our cigars he said, "Lord?" but Arthur interrupted him "No, no, not that, for God's sake! Not yet at any rateI did not mean to speak offensivelyIt is only because my loss is so recent The Professor answered very sweetly, "I only used that name because I was in doubtI must not call you 'Mr' and I have grown to love you, yes, my dear boy, to love you, as Arthur Arthur held out his hand, and took the old man's warmly"Call me what you will," he said"I hope I may always have the title of a shop friend

?O, dear Miss Eva, dear Miss Eva!? said the child; ?I will try, I will try; I never did care nothin? about it beforeClare, at this instant, dropped the curtain?It puts me in mind of mother,? he said to Miss Ophelia?It is true what she told me; if we want to give sight to the blind, we must be willing to do as Christ did,?call them to us, and put our hands on them ?I?ve always had a prejudice against negroes,? said Miss Ophelia, ?and it?s a fact, I never could bear to have that child touch me; but, I don?t think she knew it ?Trust any child to find that out,? said StClare; ?there?s no keeping it from themBut I believe that all the trying in the world to benefit a child, and all the substantial favors you can do them, will never excite one emotion of gratitude, while that feeling of repugnance remains in the heart;?it?s a queer kind of a fact,?but so it is ?I don?t know how I can help it,? said Miss Ophelia; ?they are disagreeable to me,?this child in particular,?how can I help feeling so?? ?Eva does, it seems ?Well, she?s so loving! After all, though, she?s no more than Christ-like,? said Miss Ophelia; ?I wish I were like herShe might teach me a lesson ?It wouldn?t be the first time a little child had been used to instruct an old disciple, if it were so,? said St Chapter 26 Death Weep not for those whom the veil of the tomb, In life?s early morning, hath hid from our eyes Eva?s bed-room was a spacious apartment, which, like all the other robins in the house, opened on to the broad verandahThe room communicated, on one side, with her father and mother?s apartment; on the other, with that appropriated to Miss OpheliaClare had gratified his own eye and taste, in furnishing this room in a style that had a peculiar keeping with the character of her for whom it was intendedThe windows were hung with curtains of rose-colored and white muslin, the floor was spread with a matting which had been ordered in Paris, to a pattern of his own device, having round it a border of rose-buds and leaves, and a centre-piece with full-flown rosesThe bedstead, chairs, and lounges, were of bamboo, wrought in peculiarly graceful and fanciful patternsOver the head of the bed was an alabaster bracket, on which a beautiful sculptured angel stood, with drooping wings, holding out a crown of myrtle-leavesFrom this depended, over the bed, light curtains of rose-colored gauze, striped with silver, supplying that protection from mosquitos which is an indispensable addition to all sleeping accommodation in that climateThe graceful bamboo lounges were amply supplied with cushions of rose-colored damask, while over them, depending from the hands of sculptured figures, were gauze curtains similar to those of the bedA light, fanciful bamboo table stood in the middle of the room, where a Parian vase, wrought in the shape of a white lily, with its buds, stood, ever filled with flowersOn this table lay Eva?s books and little trinkets, with an elegantly wrought alabaster writing-stand, which her father had supplied to her when he saw her trying to improve herself in writingThere was a fireplace in the room, and on the marble mantle above stood a beautifully wrought statuette of Jesus receiving little children, and on either side marble vases, for which it was Tom?s pride and delight to offer bouquets every morningTwo or three exquisite paintings of children, in various attitudes, embellished the wallIn short, the eye could turn nowhere without meeting images of childhood, of beauty, and of peaceThose little eyes never opened, in the morning light, without falling on something which suggested to the heart soothing and beautiful thoughts The deceitful strength which had buoyed Eva up for a little while was fast passing away; seldom and more seldom her light footstep was heard in the verandah, and oftener and oftener she was found reclined on a little lounge by the open window, her large, deep eyes fixed on the rising and falling waters of the lake It was towards the middle of the afternoon, as she was so reclining,?her Bible half open, her little transparent fingers lying listlessly between the leaves,?suddenly she heard her mother?s voice, in sharp tones, in the verandah ?What now, you baggage!?what new piece of mischief! You?ve been picking the flowers, hey?? and Eva heard the sound of a smart slap ?Law, Missis! they ?s for Miss Eva,? she heard a voice say, which she knew belonged to Topsy ?Miss Eva! A pretty excuse!?you suppose she wants your flowers, you good-for-nothing nigger! Get along off with you!? In a moment, Eva was off from her lounge, and in the verandah ?O, don?t, mother! I should like the flowers; do give them to me; I want them!? ?Why, Eva, your room is full now ?I can?t have too many,? said Eva?Topsy, do bring them here Topsy, who had stood sullenly, holding down her head, now came up and offered her flowersShe did it with a look of hesitation and bashfulness, quite unlike the eldrich boldness and brightness which was usual with her ?It?s a beautiful bouquet!? said Eva, looking at it It was rather a singular one,?a brilliant scarlet geranium, and one single white japonica, with its glossy leavesIt was tied up with an evident eye to the contrast of color, and the arrangement of every leaf had carefully been shop studied

They saw that the mighty hand was on himJust before the spirit parted, he opened his eyes, with a sudden light, as of joy and recognition, and said ?Mother!? and then he was gone! 1 These lines have been thus rather inadequately translated: Think, O Jesus, for what reason Thou endured?st earth?s spite and treason, Nor me lose, in that dread season; Seeking me, thy wom feet hasted, On the cross thy soul death tasted, Let not all these toils be wasted Chapter 29 The Unprotected We hear often of the distress of the negro servants, on the loss of a kind master; and with good reason, for no creature on God?s earth is left more utterly unprotected and desolate than the slave in these circumstances The child who has lost a father has still the protection of friends, and of the law; he is something, and can do something,?has acknowledged rights and position; the slave has noneThe law regards him, in every respect, as devoid of rights as a bale of merchandiseThe only possible ackowledgment of any of the longings and wants of a human and immortal creature, which are given to him, comes to him through the sovereign and irresponsible will of his master; and when that master is stricken down, nothing remains The number of those men who know how to use wholly irresponsible power humanely and generously is smallEverybody knows this, and the slave knows it best of all; so that he feels that there are ten chances of his finding an abusive and tyrannical master, to one of his finding a considerate and kind oneTherefore is it that the wail over a kind master is loud and long, as well it may beClare breathed his last, terror and consternation took hold of all his householdHe had been stricken down so in a moment, in the flower and strength of his youth! Every room and gallery of the house resounded with sobs and shrieks of despair Marie, whose nervous system had been enervated by a constant course of self-indulgence, had nothing to support the terror of the shock, and, at the time her husband breathed his last, was passing from one fainting fit to another; and he to whom she had been joined in the mysterious tie of marriage passed from her forever, without the possibility of even a parting word Miss Ophelia, with characteristic strength and self-control, had remained with her kinsman to the last,?all eye, all ear, all attention; doing everything of the little that could be done, and joining with her whole soul in the tender and impassioned prayers which the poor slave had poured forth for the soul of his dying master When they were arranging him for his last rest, they found upon his bosom a small, plain miniature case, opening with a springIt was the miniature of a noble and beautiful female face; and on the reverse, under a crystal, a lock of dark hairThey laid them back on the lifeless breast,?dust to dust,?poor mournful relics of early dreams, which once made that cold heart beat so warmly! Tom?s whole soul was filled with thoughts of eternity; and while he ministered around the lifeless clay, he did not once think that the sudden stroke had left him in hopeless slaveryHe felt at peace about his master; for in that hour, when he had poured forth his prayer into the bosom of his Father, he had found an answer of quietness and assurance springing up within himselfIn the depths of his own affectionate nature, he felt able to perceive something of the fulness of Divine love; for an old oracle hath thus written,??He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him Tom hoped and trusted, and was at peace But the funeral passed, with all its pageant of black crape, and prayers, and solemn faces; and back rolled the cool, muddy waves of every-day life; and up came the everlasting hard inquiry of ?What is to be done next?? It rose to the mind of Marie, as, dressed in loose morning-robes, and surrounded by anxious servants, she sat up in a great easy-chair, and inspected samples of crape and bombazineIt rose to Miss Ophelia, who began to turn her thoughts towards her northern homeIt rose, in silent terrors, to the minds of the servants, who well knew the unfeeling, tyrannical character of the mistress in whose hands they were leftAll knew, very well, that the indulgences which had been accorded to them were not from their mistress, but from their master; and that, now he was gone, there would be no screen between them and every tyrannous infliction which a temper soured by affliction might devise It was about a fortnight after the funeral, that Miss Ophelia, busied one day in her apartment, heard a gentle tap at the doorShe opened it, and there stood Rosa, the pretty young quadroon, whom we have before often noticed, her hair in disorder, and her eyes swelled with crying ?O, Miss Feeley,? she said, falling on her knees, and catching the skirt of her dress, ?do, do go to Miss Marie for me! do plead for me! She?s goin? to send me out to be whipped?look there!? And she handed to Miss Ophelia a paper It was an order, written in Marie?s delicate Italian hand, to the master of a whipping-establishment to give the bearer fifteen lashes ?What have you been doing?? said Miss Ophelia ?You know, Miss Feely, I?ve got such a bad temper; it?s very bad of meI was trying on Miss Marie?s dress, and she slapped my face; and I spoke out before I thought, and was saucy; and she said that she?d bring me down, and have me know, once for all, that I wasn?t going to be so topping as I had been; and she wrote this, and says I shall carry itI?d rather she?d kill me, right out Miss Ophelia stood considering, with the paper in her hand ?You see, Miss Feely,? said Rosa, ?I don?t mind the whipping so much, if Miss Marie or you was to do it; but, to be sent to a man! and such a horrid man,?the shame of it, Miss Feely!? Miss Ophelia well knew that it was the universal custom to send women and young girls to whipping-houses, to the hands of the lowest of men,?men vile enough to make this their profession,?there to be subjected to brutal exposure and shameful correctionShe had known it before; but hitherto she had never realized it, till she saw the slender form of Rosa almost convulsed with distressAll the honest blood of womanhood, the strong New England blood of liberty, flushed to her cheeks, and throbbed bitterly in her indignant heart; but, with habitual prudence and self-control, she mastered herself, and, crushing the paper firmly in her hand, she merely said to Rosa, ?Sit down, child, while I go to your mistress ?Shameful! monstrous! outrageous!? she said to herself, as she was crossing the parlor She found Marie sitting up in her easy-chair, with Mammy standing by her, combing her hair; Jane sat on the ground before her, busy in chafing her feet ?How do you find yourself, today?? said Miss Ophelia A deep sigh, and a closing of the eyes, was the only reply, for a moment; and then Marie answered, ?O, I don?t know, Cousin; I suppose I?m as well as I ever shall be!? and Marie wiped her eyes with a cambric handkerchief, bordered with an inch deep of black ?I came,? said Miss Ophelia, with a short, dry cough, such as commonly introduces a difficult subject,??I came to speak with you about poor shop Rosa

Was there anything in what he had said or done that could make her mistake him for her husband? When he started thinking about all that, he shuddered in horrorIf the engagement ring were a symbol of the trap one had fallen into, button-sewing was likewise an omen of being tied downHe had better watch out! Fortunately they would be arriving in Shanghai in a day or twoAfter that there would be no more chance for them to be so close as this, so the dangers would decreaseBut during those one or two days, whenever he was with her, he'd either be afraid of suddenly tearing a hole in his sock or wor ried a button somewhere would come looseHe knew that her services were not to be taken casually; every time she sewed on a button or mended a hole, the moral obligation to propose to her increased by one point Sino-Japanese relations were worsening every day, and the news from the ship's radio made everyone nervous On the afternoon of August the ninth, the ship reached ShanghaiFortunately the war had not yet erupted Miss Six gave Fang Hung-chien her address and asked him to come see herReadily he promised that after going home to see his parents, he would cer tainly come to Shanghai to visit herMiss Six's elder brother came on board to meet her, and before Fang could hide, she introduced her brother to himAfter sizing him up a moment, her brother warmly shook hands with him and said, "I've heard about you for a long time Hell! thought Fang Hung-chienAn introduction like that may as well be her family representative's official approval of me as candidate for son-in- law! At the same time he wondered why her brother had said, "I've heard about you for a long time She must have often mentioned him to her fam ily, a fact which rather pleased himHe then left the Six brother and sister and went to have his luggage inspectedAfter walking a few steps he turned his head and saw Miss Six's brother smiling at Miss Six, who blushed half in pleas- 28 and half in angerThinking they must be talking about him, he felt a little embarrassed Soon he ran into his brother Fang P'eng-t'u, who had gone looking for him in second classMeanwhile Miss Six knew someone in customs, so she breezed through customs without having her luggage inspectedWhile Hung-chien and his brother were still waiting for inspection, she came over especially to shake hands with him and urged him repeatedly to come see her When his brother P'eng-t'u asked him who she was, he replied her name was Six "Oh, the one with a French doctorate," said his brother"I read about her in the newspaper~ Fang Hung-chien laughed, scornful of women's vanity He hurriedly sorted out the luggage that had been inspected, then called a taxi; he was to spend the night at Manager Choix's and return home the next day P'eng-t'u was a clerk in a bankBecause the war rumors had become stronger in the last few days, he had been kept busy moving the bank's valuables from one place to another and he got off the taxi along the wayHowever, before he took off, Hung-chien had told him to send a telegram home indicating the train he would be taking the next dayConsidering that a needless expense, P'eng-t'u merely made a long distance telephone call instead Fang Hung-chien's in-laws were overjoyed at seeing himHe gave his father-in-law a rattan cane with an ivory handle purchased in Ceylon; his mother-in-law, an avid mahjong player and a Buddhist, a French handbag and two Ceylonese Buddhist religious books; and his fifteen-year-old brother- in-law, a German fountain penHis mother-in-law, then remembering her daughter who had died five years ago, said sadly with tears in her eyes, "If Shu-ying were alive today, how happy she'd be to have you come back from abroad with a Ph" Choking back emotion, his father-in-law said that his wife was being silly and that she should not say things like that on such a happy day Fang's face was grave and sorrow-ridden; inwardly he felt ashamed, for during the last four years he had never once thought of his fianc6eHer large photograph, which his father-in-law gave him as a memento when he went abroad, had been stowed away in the bottom of a trunk, and he didn't know whether its color had faded or not and wanted very much to atone for his sins and make up for his wrongdoingsIn any case he would be taking the 11:30 express train the next morning, and he'd have time to go to the Inter national Public CemeteryThus he said, "I am thinking of visiting Shu-ying's grave the first thing tomorrow morningChou became even more fond shop of him

Sam?s audience hanging on his words with open mouth, he could not but proceed ?Dis yer matter ?bout persistence, feller-niggers,? said Sam, with the air of one entering into an abstruse subject, ?dis yer ?sistency ?s a thing what an?t seed into very clar, by most anybodyNow, yer see, when a feller stands up for a thing one day and night, de contrar de next, folks ses (and nat?rally enough dey ses), why he an?t persistent,?hand me dat ar bit o? corn-cake, AndyBut let?s look inter itI hope the gen?lmen and der fair sex will scuse my usin? an or?nary sort o? ?parisonHere! I?m a trying to get top o? der hayWal, I puts up my larder dis yer side; ?tan?t no go;?den, cause I don?t try dere no more, but puts my larder right de contrar side, an?t I persistent? I?m persistent in wantin? to get up which ary side my larder is; don?t you see, all on yer?? ?It?s the only thing ye ever was persistent in, Lord knows!? muttered Aunt Chloe, who was getting rather restive; the merriment of the evening being to her somewhat after the Scripture comparison,?like ?vinegar upon nitre ?Yes, indeed!? said Sam, rising, full of supper and glory, for a closing effort?Yes, my feller-citizens and ladies of de other sex in general, I has principles,?I?m proud to ?oon ?em,?they ?s perquisite to dese yer times, and ter all timesI has principles, and I sticks to ?em like forty,?jest anything that I thinks is principle, I goes in to ?t;?I wouldn?t mind if dey burnt me ?live,?I?d walk right up to de stake, I would, and say, here I comes to shed my last blood fur my principles, fur my country, fur de gen?l interests of society ?Well,? said Aunt Chloe, ?one o? yer principles will have to be to get to bed some time tonight, and not be a keepin? everybody up till mornin?; now, every one of you young uns that don?t want to be cracked, had better be scase, mighty sudden ?Niggers! all on yer,? said Sam, waving his palm-leaf with benignity, ?I give yer my blessin?; go to bed now, and be good boys And, with this pathetic benediction, the assembly dispersed Chapter 9 In Which It Appears That a Senator Is But a Man The light of the cheerful fire shone on the rug and carpet of a cosey parlor, and glittered on the sides of the tea-cups and well-brightened tea-pot, as Senator Bird was drawing off his boots, preparatory to inserting his feet in a pair of new handsome slippers, which his wife had been working for him while away on his senatorial tourBird, looking the very picture of delight, was superintending the arrangements of the table, ever and anon mingling admonitory remarks to a number of frolicsome juveniles, who were effervescing in all those modes of untold gambol and mischief that have astonished mothers ever since the flood ?Tom, let the door-knob alone,?there?s a man! Mary! Mary! don?t pull the cat?s tail,?poor pussy! Jim, you mustn?t climb on that table,?no, no!?You don?t know, my dear, what a surprise it is to us all, to see you here tonight!? said she, at last, when she found a space to say something to her husband ?Yes, yes, I thought I?d just make a run down, spend the night, and have a little comfort at homeI?m tired to death, and my head aches!? MrsBird cast a glance at a camphor-bottle, which stood in the half-open closet, and appeared to meditate an approach to it, but her husband interposed ?No, no, Mary, no doctoring! a cup of your good hot tea, and some of our good home living, is what I wantIt?s a tiresome business, this legislating!? And the senator smiled, as if he rather liked the idea of considering himself a sacrifice to his country ?Well,? said his wife, after the business of the tea-table was getting rather slack, ?and what have they been doing in the Senate?? Now, it was a very unusual thing for gentle little MrsBird ever to trouble her head with what was going on in the house of the state, very wisely considering that she had enough to do to mind her ownBird, therefore, opened his eyes in surprise, and said, ?Not very much of importance ?Well; but is it true that they have been passing a law forbidding people to give meat and drink to those poor colored folks that come along? I heard they were talking of some such law, but I didn?t think any Christian legislature would pass it!? ?Why, Mary, you are getting to be a politician, all at once ?No, nonsense! I wouldn?t give a fip for all your politics, generally, but I think this is something downright cruel and unchristianI hope, my dear, no such law has been passed ?There has been a law passed forbidding people to help off the slaves that come over from Kentucky, my dear; so much of that thing has been done by these reckless Abolitionists, that our brethren in Kentucky are very strongly excited, and it seems necessary, and no more than Christian and kind, that something should be done by our state to quiet the excitement ?And what is the law? It don?t forbid us to shelter those poor creatures a night, does it, and to give ?em something comfortable to eat, and a few old clothes, and send them quietly about their business?? ?Why, yes, my dear; that would be aiding and abetting, you knowBird was a timid, blushing little woman, of about four feet in height, and with mild blue eyes, and a peach-blow complexion, and the gentlest, sweetest voice in the world;?as for courage, a moderate-sized cock-turkey had been known to put her to rout at the very first gobble, and a stout house-dog, of moderate capacity, would bring her into subjection merely by a show of his teethHer husband and children were her entire world, and in these she ruled more by entreaty and persuasion than by command or argumentThere was only one thing that was capable of arousing her, and that provocation came in on the side of her unusually gentle and sympathetic nature;?anything in the shape of cruelty would throw her into a passion, which was the more alarming and inexplicable in proportion to the general softness of her natureGenerally the most indulgent and easy to be entreated of all mothers, still her boys had a very reverent remembrance of a most vehement chastisement she once bestowed on them, because she found them leagued with several graceless boys of the neighborhood, stoning a defenceless kitten ?I?ll tell you what,? Master Bill used to say, ?I was scared that timeMother came at me so that I thought she was crazy, and I was whipped and tumbled off to bed, without any supper, before I could get over wondering what had come about; and, after that, I heard mother crying outside the door, which made me feel worse than all the restI?ll tell you what,? he?d say, ?we boys never stoned another kitten!? On the present occasion, MrsBird rose quickly, with very red cheeks, which quite improved her general appearance, and walked up to her husband, with quite a resolute air, and said, in a determined tone, ?Now, John, I want to know if you think such a law as that is right and Christian?? ?You won?t shoot me, now, Mary, if I say I do!? ?I never could have thought it of you, John; you didn?t vote for it?? ?Even so, my fair politician ?You ought to be ashamed, John! Poor, homeless, houseless creatures! It?s a shameful, wicked, abominable law, and I?ll break it, for one, the first time I get a chance; and I hope I shall have a chance, I do! Things have got to a pretty pass, if a woman can?t give a warm supper and a bed to poor, starving creatures, just because they are slaves, and have been abused and oppressed all their lives, poor things!? ?But, Mary, just listen to meYour feelings are all quite right, dear, and interesting, and I love you for them; but, then, dear, we mustn?t suffer our feelings to run away with our judgment; you must consider it?s a matter of private feeling,?there are great public interests involved,?there is such a state of public agitation rising, that we must put aside our private feelings ?Now, John, I don?t know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to shop follow