英语天堂-第37章

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The　following　summary　by　Nassau　W。　Senior　sketches　its　contemporary　effect：—　“Uncle　Tom’s　Cabin　came　out　as　a　sort　of　feuilleton　in　the　National　Era；　a　Washington　paper。　The　death　of　Uncle　Tom　was　the　first　portion　published；　indeed　the　first　that　was　written。　It　appeared　in　the　summer　of　1851；　and　excited　so　much　attention　that　Mrs。　Stowe　added　a　biginning　and　middle　to　her　end；　by　composing　and　printing　from　week　to　week　the　story　as　we　now　have　it；　until　it　was　concluded　in　March　1852。　It　was　soon　after　reprinted　at　Boston　in　two　volumes。　By　the　end　of　November　1852；　150；000　copies　had　been　sold　in　America。　The　first　London　edition　was　published　in　May　1852；　and　was　not　large；　for　the　European　popularity　of　a　picture　of　negro　life　was　doubted。　But　in　the　following　September；　the　London　publishers　furnished　to　one　house　ten　thousand　copies　per　day　for　some　four　weeks。　We　cannot　follow　it　beyond　1852；　but　at　that　time　more　than　a　million　of　copies　had　been　sold　in　England；　probably　ten　times　as　many　as　have　been　sold　of　any　other　work；　except　the　Bible　and　Prayer…book。”
As　for　France；　Uncle　Tom　fairly　covered　for　a　time　the　shop…windows　of　the　boulevards；　and　one　publisher　alone；　Eustace　Barba；　sent　out　five　editions　in　different　forms。　Before　the　end　of　1852；　indeed；　the　story　had　been　translated；　to　e　Senior　again；　into　“Italian；　Spanish；　Danish；　Swedish；　Dutch；　Flemish；　German；　Polish；　and　Magyar。　There　were　two　Dutch　translations　and　twelve　German　ones；　and　the　Italian　translation　enjoyed　the　honour　of　the　Pope’s　prohibition。　It　had　been　dramatised；　too；　in　twenty　different　forms；　and　acted　in　every　capital　in　Europe；　and　in　the　free　States　of　America。”　We　might　add　also　to　Senior’s　strictly　contemporary　list—Welsh；　Armenian；　Illyrian；　Finnish；　modern　Greek；　and　Portuguese　versions。　George　Sand　contributed　an　appreciation　to　one　of　the　French　versions；　in　which　she　said　Mrs。　Stowe　had　“genius；　not　literary；　but　as　humanity　needed　it—　the　genius　of　goodness。”
Mrs。　Stowe　died　on　July　1；　1896；　at　Hartford；　Conn。
Chapter　1
In　Which　the　Reader　Is　Introduced　to　a　Man　of　Humanity
Late　in　the　afternoon　of　a　chilly　day　in　February；　two　gentlemen　were　sitting　alone　over　their　wine；　in　a　well…furnished　dining　parlor；　in　the　town　of　P——；　in　Kentucky。　There　were　no　servants　present；　and　the　gentlemen；　with　chairs　closely　approaching；　seemed　to　be　discussing　some　subject　with　great　earnestness。
For　convenience　sake；　we　have　said；　hitherto；　two　gentlemen。　One　of　the　parties；　however；　when　critically　examined；　did　not　seem；　strictly　speaking；　to　come　under　the　species。　He　was　a　short；　thick…set　man；　with　coarse；　commonplace　features；　and　that　swaggering　air　of　pretension　which　marks　a　low　man　who　is　trying　to　elbow　his　way　upward　in　the　world。　He　was　much　over…dressed；　in　a　gaudy　vest　of　many　colors；　a　blue　neckerchief；　bedropped　gayly　with　yellow　spots；　and　arranged　with　a　flaunting　tie；　quite　in　keeping　with　the　general　air　of　the　man。　His　hands；　large　and　coarse；　were　plentifully　bedecked　with　rings；　and　he　wore　a　heavy　gold　watch…chain；　with　a　bundle　of　seals　of　portentous　size；　and　a　great　variety　of　colors；　attached　to　it；—which；　in　the　ardor　of　conversation；　he　was　in　the　habit　of　flourishing　and　jingling　with　evident　satisfaction。　His　conversation　was　in　free　and　easy　defiance　of　Murray’s　Grammar；1　and　was　garnished　at　convenient　intervals　with　various　profane　expressions；　which　not　even　the　desire　to　be　graphic　in　our　acomount　shall　induce　us　to　transcribe。
His　companion；　Mr。　Shelby；　had　the　appearance　of　a　gentleman；　and　the　arrrangements　of　the　house；　and　the　general　air　of　the　housekeeping；　indicated　easy；　and　even　opulent　circumstances。　As　we　before　stated；　the　two　were　in　the　midst　of　an　earnest　conversation。
“That　is　the　way　I　should　arrange　the　matter；”　said　Mr。　Shelby。
“I　can’t　make　trade　that　way—I　positively　can’t；　Mr。　Shelby；”　said　the　other；　holding　up　a　glass　of　wine　between　his　eye　and　the　light。
“Why；　the　fact　is；　Haley；　Tom　is　an　uncommon　fellow；　he　is　certainly　worth　that　sum　anywhere；—steady；　honest；　capable；　manages　my　whole　farm　like　a　clock。”
“You　mean　honest；　as　niggers　go；”　said　Haley；　helping　himself　to　a　glass　of　brandy。
“No；　I　mean；　really；　Tom　is　a　good；　steady；　sensible；　pious　fellow。　He　got　religion　at　a　camp…meeting；　four　years　ago；　and　I　believe　he　really　did　get　it。　I’ve　trusted　him；　since　then；　with　everything　I　have；—money；　house；　horses；—and　let　him　come　and　go　round　the　country；　and　I　always　found　him　true　and　square　in　everything。”
“Some　folks　don’t　believe　there　is　pious　niggers　Shelby；”　said　Haley；　with　a　candid　flourish　of　his　hand；　“but　I　do。　I　had　a　fellow；　now；　in　this　yer　last　lot　I　took　to　Orleans—’t　was　as　good　as　a　meetin；　now；　really；　to　hear　that　critter　pray；　and　he　was　quite　gentle　and　quiet　like。　He　fetched　me　a　good　sum；　too；　for　I　bought　him　cheap　of　a　man　that　was　’bliged　to　sell　out；　so　I　realized　six　hundred　on　him。　Yes；　I　consider　religion　a　valeyable　thing　in　a　nigger；　when　it’s　the　genuine　article；　and　no　mistake。”
“Well；　Tom’s　got　the　real　article；　if　ever　a　fellow　had；”　rejoined　the　other。　“Why；　last　fall；　I　let　him　go　to　Cincinnati　alone；　to　do　business　for　me；　and　bring　home　five　hundred　dollars。　‘Tom；’　says　I　to　him；　‘I　trust　you；　because　I　think　you’re　a　Christian—I　know　you　wouldn’t　cheat。’　Tom　comes　back；　sure　enough；　I　knew　he　would。　Some　low　fellows；　they　say；　said　to　him—Tom；　why　don’t　you　make　tracks　for　Canada？’　‘Ah；　master　trusted　me；　and　I　couldn’t；’—they　told　me　about　it。　I　am　sorry　to　part　with　Tom；　I　must　say。　You　ought　to　let　him　cover　the　whole　balance　of　the　debt；　and　you　would；　Haley；　if　you　had　any　conscience。”
“Well；　I’ve　got　just　as　much　conscience　as　any　man　in　business　can　afford　to　keep；—just　a　little；　you　know；　to　swear　by；　as　’t　were；”　said　the　trader；　jocularly；　“and；　then；　I’m　ready　to　do　anything　in　reason　to　’blige　friends；　but　this　yer；　you　see；　is　a　leetle　too　hard　on　a　fellow—a　leetle　too　hard。”　The　trader　sighed　contemplatively；　and　poured　out　some　more　brandy。
“Well；　then；　Haley；　how　will　you　trade？”　said　Mr。　Shelby；　after　an　uneasy　interval　of　silence。
“Well；　haven’t　you　a　boy　or　gal　that　you　could　throw　in　with　Tom？”
“Hum！—none　that　I　could　well　spare；　to　tell　the　truth；　it’s　only　hard　necessity　makes　me　willing　to　sell　at　all。　I　don’t　like　parting　with　any　of　my　hands；　that’s　a　fact。”
Here　the　door　opened；　and　a　small　quadroon　boy；　between　four　and　five　years　of　age；　entered　the　room。　There　was　something　in　his　appearance　remarkably　beautiful　and　engaging。　His　black　hair；　fine　as　floss　silk；　hung　in　glossy　curls　about　his　round；　dimpled　face；　while　a　pair　of　large　dark　eyes；　full　of　fire　and　softness；　looked　out　from　beneath　the　rich；　long　lashes；　as　he　peered　curiously　into　the　apartment。　A　gay　robe　of　scarlet　and　yellow　plaid；　carefully　made　and　neatly　fitted；　set　off　to　advantage　the　dark　and　rich　style　of　his　beauty；　and　a　certain　comic　air　of　assurance；　blended　with　bashfulness；　showed　that　he　had　been　not　unused　to　being　petted　and　noticed　by　his　master。
“Hulloa；　Jim　Crow！”　said　Mr。　Shelby；　whistling；　and　snapping　a　bunch　of　raisins　towards　him；　“pick　that　up；　now！”
The　child　scampered；　with　all　his　little　strength；　after　the　prize；　while　his　master　laughed。
“Come　here；　Jim　Crow；”　said　he。　The　child　came　up；　and　the　master　patted　the　curly　head；　and　chucked　him　under　the　chin。
“Now；　Jim；　show　this　gentleman　how　you　can　dance　and　sing。”　The　boy　commenced　one　of　those　wild；　grotesque　songs　common　among　the　negroes；　in　a　rich；　clear　voice；　acomompanying　his　singing　with　many　comic　evolutions　of　the　hands；　feet；　and　whole　body；　all　in　perfect　time　to　the　music。
“Bravo！”　said　Haley；　throwing　him　a　quarter　of　an　orange。
“Now；　Jim；　walk　like　old　Uncle　Cudjoe；　when　he　has　the　rheumatism；”　said　his　master。
Instantly　the　flexible　limbs　of　the　child　assumed　the　appearance　of　deformity　and　distortion；　as；　with　his　back　humped　up；　and　his　master’s　stick　in　his　hand；　he　hobbled　about　the　room；　his　childish　face　drawn　into　a　doleful　pucker；　and　spitting　from　right　to　left；　in　imitation　of　an　old　man。
Both　gentlemen　laughed　up