"
How the children played! how they all did dance! And of the whole
sportive company not one footed the measure so neat as little Hattie
Tidy, the black man's daughter. "What a shame to enslave a race of such
persons," said Mr. Stovepipe. "Yet I went in for the Fugitive Slave
Bill, and was one of Marshal Tukey's 'fifteen hundred gentlemen of
property and standing.' My God forgive me!" "Amen," said Mr. Broadside,
a great, stout, robust farmer; "I stood by till the Nebraska Bill put
slavery into Kansas, then I went right square over to the anti-slavery
side. I shall stick there forever. Dr Lord may try and excuse slavery
just as much as he likes. I know what all that means. He don't catch old
birds with chaff."
Uncle Nathan went about the room talking with the men and women; they
all knew him, and felt well acquainted with such a good-natured face;
while Aunt Kindly, with the nicer tact of a good woman, introduced the
right persons to each other, and so promoted happiness among those too
awkward to obtain it alone or unhelped. Besides this, she took special
care of the boys and girls from the poor-house.
What an appetite the little folks had for the good things! How the old
ones helped them dispose of these creature comforts! while such as were
half way between, were too busy with other matters to think much of the
eatables.
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