[Transcriber's note: there is no Chapter XI.]
UNCLE TOM'S CABIN
YOUNG FOLKS' EDITION
By
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
Printed by
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
CHICAGO
UNCLE TOM'S CABIN
CHAPTER I
UNCLE TOM AND LITTLE HARRY ARE SOLD
ERY many years ago, instead of having servants to wait upon themand work for them, people used to have slaves. These slaves werepaid no wages. Their masters gave them only food and clothes inreturn for their work.
When any one wanted servants he went to market to buy them, justas nowadays we buy horses and cows, or even tables and chairs.
If the poor slaves were bought by kind people they would bequite happy. Then they would work willingly for their masters andmistresses, and even love them. But very often cruel people boughtslaves. These cruel people used to beat them and be unkind to themin many other ways.
It was very wicked to buy and sell human beings as if they werecattle. Yet Christian people did it, and many who were good andkind otherwise thought there was no wrong in being cruel to theirpoor slaves. 'They are only black people,' they said to themselves.'Black people do not feel things as we do.' That was not kind, asblack people suffer pain just in the same way as white peopledo.
One of the saddest things for the poor slaves was that theycould never long be a happy family all together—father,mother, and little brothers and sisters—because at any timethe master might sell the father or the mother or one of thechildren to some one else. When this happened those who were leftbehind were very sad indeed—more sad than if their dear onehad died.
Uncle Tom was a slave. He was a very faithful and honestservant, and his master, Mr. Shelby, was kind to him. Uncle Tom'swife was called Aunt Chloe. She was Mr. Shelby's head cook, and avery good one too, she was. Nobody in all the country round couldmake such delicious pies and cakes as Aunt Chloe.
Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived together in a pretty littlecottage built of wood, quite close to Mr. Shelby's big house.
The little cottage was covered with climbing roses, and thegarden was full of beautiful bright flowers and lovely fruittrees.
Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived happily for many years in theirlittle cottage, or cabin, as it was called. All day Uncle Tom usedto work in the fields, while Aunt Chloe was busy in the kitchen atMr. Shelby's house. When evening came they both went home to theircottage and their children, and were merry together.
Mr. Shelby was a good man, and kind to his slaves, but he wasnot very careful of his money. When he had spent all he had, he didnot know what to do to get more. At last he borrowed money from aman called Haley, hoping to be able to pay it back again someday.
But that day never came. Haley grew impatient, and said, 'If youdon't pay what you owe me, I will take your house and lands, andsell them to pay myself back all the money I have lent to you.'
So Mr. Shelby sold everything he could spa