s no sense in them. Why, the fact is, this concern
belonged to a couple of drunken creatures that keep a low restaurant
that I have to pass by every day, and I was tired of hearing her
screaming, and them beating and swearing at her. She looked bright and
funny, too, as if something might be made of her;--so I bought her, and
I'll give her to you. Try, now, and give her a good orthodox New England
bringing up, and see what it'll make of her. You know I haven't any gift
that way; but I'd like you to try."

"Well, I'll do what I can," said Miss Ophelia; and she approached her
new subject very much as a person might be supposed to approach a black
spider, supposing them to have benevolent designs toward it.

"She's dreadfully dirty, and half naked," she said.

"Well, take her down stairs, and make some of them clean and clothe her
up."

Miss Ophelia carried her to the kitchen regions.

"Don't see what Mas'r St. Clare wants of 'nother nigger!" said Dinah,
surveying the new arrival with no friendly air. "Won't have her around
under _my_ feet, _I_ know!"

"Pah!" said Rosa and Jane, with supreme disgust; "let her keep out of
our way! What in the world Mas'r wanted another of these low niggers
for, I can't see!"

"You go long! No more nigger dan you be, Miss Rosa," said Dinah,
who felt this last remark a reflection on herself. "You seem to tink
yourself white folks. You an't nerry one, black _nor_ white, I'd like to
be one or turrer."

Miss Ophelia saw that there was nobody in the camp that would undertake
to oversee the cleansing and dressing of the new arrival; and so she
was forced to do it herself, with some very ungracious and reluctant
assistance from Jane.

It is not for ears polite to hear the particulars of the first toilet of
a neglected, abused child. In fact, in this world, multitudes must live
and die in a state that it would be too great a shock to the nerves of
their fellow-mortals even to hear described. Miss Ophelia had a good,
strong, practical deal of resolution; and she went through all the
disgusting details with heroic thoroughness, though, it must be
confessed, with no very gracious air,--for endurance was the utmost
to which her principles could bring her. When she saw, on the back and
shoulders of the child, great welts and calloused spots, ineffaceable
marks of the system under which she had grown up thus far, her heart
became pitiful within her.

"See there!" said Jane, pointing to the ma