"
"I wouldn't," said Em; "you might fall down like Ben did from the tree, and
then you'd have to have your head sewed up as he had."
The probability that an occurrence of this nature might be the result of
his attempt to climb the mast seemed to have considerable weight with
Master Clarence, so he relieved his sister's mind at once by relinquishing
the project.
The morning for departure at length arrived. Eph brought the carriage to
the door at an early hour, and sat upon the box the picture of despair. He
did not descend from his eminence to assist in any of the little
arrangements for the journey, being very fearful that the seat he occupied
might be resumed by its rightful owner, he having had a lengthy contest
with the sable official who acted as coachman, and who had striven
manfully, on this occasion, to take possession of his usual elevated
station on the family equipage. This, Eph would by no means permit, as he
declared, "He was gwine to let nobody drive Massa dat day but hissef."
It was a mournful parting. The slaves crowded around the carriage kissing
and embracing the children, and forcing upon them little tokens of
remembrance. Blind Jacob, the patriarch of the place, came and passed his
hands over the face of little Em for the last time, as he had done almost
every week since her birth, that, to use his own language, "he might see
how de piccaninny growed.
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