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Uncle Tom's Cabin | Harriet Beecher Stowe | |
Henrique |
Page 3 of 6 |
The scene of the beating had been witnessed by the two brothers St. Clare, from another part of the garden. Augustine's cheek flushed; but he only observed, with his usual sarcastic carelessness. "I suppose that's what we may call republican education, Alfred?" "Henrique is a devil of a fellow, when his blood's up," said Alfred, carelessly. "I suppose you consider this an instructive practice for him," said Augustine, drily. "I couldn't help it, if I didn't. Henrique is a regular little tempest;--his mother and I have given him up, long ago. But, then, that Dodo is a perfect sprite,--no amount of whipping can hurt him." "And this by way of teaching Henrique the first verse of a republican's catechism, `All men are born free and equal!'" "Poh!" said Alfred; "one of Tom Jefferson's pieces of French sentiment and humbug. It's perfectly ridiculous to have that going the rounds among us, to this day." "I think it is," said St. Clare, significantly. "Because," said Alfred, "we can see plainly enough that all men are _not_ born free, nor born equal; they are born anything else. For my part, I think half this republican talk sheer humbug. It is the educated, the intelligent, the wealthy, the refined, who ought to have equal rights and not the canaille." "If you can keep the canaille of that opinion," said Augustine. "They took _their_ turn once, in France." "Of course, they must be _kept down_, consistently, steadily, as I _should_," said Alfred, setting his foot hard down as if he were standing on somebody. "It makes a terrible slip when they get up," said Augustine,--"in St. Domingo, for instance." |
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Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe |
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