gentleman got the carriage ready, and drove Eliza and her
boy a long, long way, through the dark night, to a cottage far in the
country. There he left her with a good man and his wife, who promised to
be kind to her, and help her to go to Canada. He gave some money to the
good man too, and told him to use it for Eliza.

CHAPTER VI

UNCLE TOM SAYS GOOD-BYE

The day after the hunt for Eliza was a very sad one in Uncle Tom's
cabin. It was the day on which Haley was going to take Uncle Tom away.

Aunt Chloe had been up very early. She had washed and ironed all Tom's
clothes, and packed his trunk neatly. Now she was cooking the
breakfast,--the last breakfast she would ever cook for her dear husband.
Her eyes were quite red and swollen with crying, and the tears kept
running down her cheeks all the time.

'It's the last time,' said Tom sadly.

Aunt Chloe could not answer. She sat down, buried her face in her hands,
and sobbed aloud.

'S'pose we must be resigned. But, O Lord, how can I? If I knew anything
where you was goin', or how they'd treat you! Missis says she'll try and
buy you back again in a year or two. But, Lor', nobody never comes back
that goes down there.'

'There'll be the same God there, Chloe, that there is here.'

'Well,' said Aunt Chloe, 's'pose dere will. But the Lord lets drefful
things happen sometimes. I don't seem to get no comfort dat way.'

'Let's think on our mercies,' said Tom, in a shaking voice.

'Mercies!' said Aunt Chloe, 'don't see any mercies in 't. It isn't
right! it isn't right it should be so! Mas'r never ought to have left it
so that ye could be took for his debts. Mebbe he can't help himself now,
but I feel it's wrong. Nothing can beat that out of me. Such a faithful
crittur as ye've been, reckonin' on him more than your own wife and
chil'en.'

'Chloe! now, if ye love me, you won't talk so, when it is perhaps jest
the last time we'll ever have together,' said Tom.

'Wall, anyway, there's wrong about it somewhere,' said Aunt Chloe, 'I
can't jest make out where 'tis. But there is wrong somewhere, I'm sure
of that.'

Neither Tom nor Chloe could eat any breakfast; their hearts were too
full of sorrow. But the little children, who hardly understood what was
happening, enjoyed theirs. It was not often that they had such a fine
one as Chloe had cooked for Tom's last morning at home.

[Illustration]

Breakfast was just finished, when Mrs. Shelby came. Chloe was not