Tom sat down on the verandah to wait till his master came home . While he waited , he fell asleep . Presently he was awakened by loud knocking , and the sound of voices at the gate . He ran to open it . Several men were there carrying a load . It was Mr. St. Clare . He had been hurt in an accident , and was dying . Very gently they laid him on a sofa . Nothing could be done . In a short time he had gone to join his little Eva . CHAPTER XVII UNCLE TOM 'S NEW MASTER There had been great grief in the house when Eva died . Now there was not only sorrow , but gloom and fear . The kind master was dead , and the poor slaves asked themselves in despair what would happen to them now . They were not long left in doubt . One morning Mrs. St. Clare told them that they were all to be sold . She was going back to her father 's house to live , and would not want them any more . Poor Uncle Tom ! The news was a dreadful blow to him . For a few days he had been so happy in the thought of going home . Once more , after all these years , he thought he would see his dear wife and little children .
Now , at one stroke , he had lost both his kind XXXXX and his hope of freedom .
Mrs. Nothing blow children despair fear house load master sorrow