ing as
he spoke; "don't feel so! There is--there is; clouds and darkness are
around about him, but righteousness and judgment are the habitation of
his throne. There's a _God_, George,--believe it; trust in Him, and I'm
sure He'll help you. Everything will be set right,--if not in this life,
in another."

The real piety and benevolence of the simple old man invested him with
a temporary dignity and authority, as he spoke. George stopped his
distracted walk up and down the room, stood thoughtfully a moment, and
then said, quietly,

"Thank you for saying that, my good friend; I'll _think of that_."

CHAPTER XII

Select Incident of Lawful Trade

"In Ramah there was a voice heard,--weeping, and lamentation, and great
mourning; Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted."*

* Jer. 31:15.

Mr. Haley and Tom jogged onward in their wagon, each, for a time,
absorbed in his own reflections. Now, the reflections of two men sitting
side by side are a curious thing,--seated on the same seat, having the
same eyes, ears, hands and organs of all sorts, and having pass before
their eyes the same objects,--it is wonderful what a variety we shall
find in these same reflections!

As, for example, Mr. Haley: he thought first of Tom's length, and
breadth, and height, and what he would sell for, if he was kept fat and
in good case till he got him into market. He thought of how he should
make out his gang; he thought of the respective market value of certain
supposititious men and women and children who were to compose it, and
other kindred topics of the business; then he thought of himself, and
how humane he was, that whereas other men chained their "niggers" hand
and foot both, he only put fetters on the feet, and left Tom the use
of his hands, as long as he behaved well; and he sighed to think how
ungrateful human nature was, so that there was even room to doubt
whether Tom appreciated his mercies. He had been taken in so by
"niggers" whom he had favored; but still he was astonished to consider
how good-natured he yet remained!

As to Tom, he was thinking over some words of an unfashionable old book,
which kept running through his head, again and again, as follows: "We
have here no continuing city, but we seek one to come; wherefore God
himself is not ashamed to be called our God; for he hath prepared for
us a city." These words of an ancient volume, got up principally by
"ignorant and unlearned men,"