lia found that it was no easy matter to bring anything like
order into the St. Clare household. The slaves had been left to
themselves so long, and had grown so untidy, that they were not at all
pleased with Miss Feely, as they called her, for trying to make them be
tidy. However, she had quite made up her mind that order there must be.
She got up at four o'clock in the morning, much to the surprise of the
housemaids. All day long she was busy dusting and tidying, till Mrs. St.
Clare said it made her tired to see cousin Ophelia so busy.

CHAPTER XIV

TOPSY

One morning, while Miss Ophelia was busy, as usual, she heard Mr. St.
Clare calling her from the foot of the stairs.

'Come down here, cousin. I have something to show you.'

'What is it?' said Miss Ophelia, coming down with her sewing in her
hand.

'I have bought something for you. See here,' he said, pulling forward a
little negro girl of about eight or nine years old.

She was quite black. Her round, shining eyes glittered like glass beads.
Her wooly hair was plaited into little tails which stuck out in all
directions. Her clothes were dirty and ragged. Miss Ophelia thought she
had never seen such a dreadful little girl in all her life.

'Cousin, what in the world have you brought that thing here for?' she
asked, in dismay.

'For you to teach, to be sure, and train in the way she should go,' said
Mr. St. Clare, laughing. 'Topsy,' he went on, 'this is your new
mistress. See, now, that you behave yourself.'

'Yes, mas'r,' said Topsy gravely, but her eyes had a wicked twinkle in
them.

'You're going to be good, Topsy, you understand?' said Mr. St. Clare.

'Oh yes, mas'r' said Topsy again, meekly folding her hands, but with
another twinkle in her eyes.

'Now cousin, what is this for? Your house is full of these little
plagues as it is. I get up in the morning and find one asleep behind the
door; see one black head poking out from under the table; another lying
on the mat. They tumble over the kitchen floor, so that a body can't put
their foot down without treading on them. What on earth did you want to
bring this one for?'

'For you to teach, didn't I tell you?'

'I don't want her, I'm sure. I have more to do with them now than I
want.'

'Well the fact is, cousin,' said Mr. St. Clare, drawing her aside, 'she
belonged to some people who were dreadfully cruel and beat her. I
couldn't bear to hear her screaming every day, so I bought her. I