He went to his cousin , Miss Ophelia St. Clare , and begged her to come and keep house for him , and to look after Eva . It was on the journey back with her that the accident to Eva happened , which ended in his buying Tom . Miss Ophelia was a very prim and precise person , not at all like the St. Clares . In her home people did not have slaves . Though her cousin had a great many , and was kind to them , she could not help seeing that it was a very wicked thing to buy and sell men and women as if they were cattle . She was very , very sorry for the poor slaves , and would have liked to free them all . Yet she did not love them . She could not bear even to have them near her , nor to touch them , just because they were black . -LSB- Illustration -RSB- It made her quite ill to see Eva kissing and hugging the black slave women when she came home . ` Well , I could n't do that , ' she said . ` Why not ? ' said Mr. St. Clare , who was looking on . ` Well , I want to be kind to every one . I would n't have anybody hurt . But , as to kissing niggers -- ' she gave a little shudder . ` How can she ? ' Presently a gay laugh sounded from the court . Mr. St. Clare stepped out to see what was happening . ` What is it ? ' said Miss Ophelia , following him .
There sat Tom on a little mossy seat in the XXXXX .
Illustration cattle court house kind laugh men niggers person thing