 | Uncle Tom's Cabin |  |
SCENE IV
A Plain chamber.
(Without.)
You go 'long. No more nigger dan you be! (Enters, shouts
and laughter without—looks off.)
You seem to think yourself white folks. You
ain't nerry one—black nor white. I'd like to be one or turrer. Law! you niggers,
does you know you's all sinners? Well, you is—everybody is. White folks is sin-
ners too—Miss Feely says so—but I 'spects niggers is the biggest ones. But Lor!
ye ain't any on ye up to me. I's so awful wicked there can't nobody do nothin'
with me. I used to keep old missis a-swarin' at me ha' de time. I 'spects I's de
wickedest critter in de world. (Song and dance introduced. Enter Eva.)
EVA:
Oh, Topsy! Topsy! you have been very wrong again.
TOPSY:
Well, I 'spects I have.
EVA:
What makes you do so?
TOPSY:
I dunno; I 'spects it's cause I's so wicked.
EVA:
Why did you spoil Jane's earrings?
TOPSY:
'Cause she's so proud. She called me a little black imp, and turned
up her pretty nose at me 'cause she is whiter than I am. I was gwine by her
room, and I seed her coral earrings lying on de table, so I threw dem on de floor,
and put my foot on 'em, and scrunches 'em all to little bits—he! he! he! I's so
wicked.
EVA:
Don't you know that was very wrong?
TOPSY:
I don't car'! I despises dem what sets up for fine ladies, when dey
ain't nothing but cream-colored niggers! Dere's Miss Rosa—she gives me lots of
'pertinent remarks. T'other night she was gwine to a ball. She put on a beau'ful
dress dat missis give her—wid her har curled, all nice and pretty. She hab to go
down de back stairs—dem am dark—and I puts a pail of hot water on dem, and
she put her foot into it, and den she go tumbling to de bottom of de stairs, and de
water go all ober her, and spile her dress, and scald her dreadful bad! He! he!
he! I's so wicked!
EVA:
Oh! how could you!
TOPSY:
Don't dey despise me cause I don't know nothing? Don't dey laugh
at me 'cause I'm brack, and dey ain't?
EVA:
But you shouldn't mind them.
TOPSY:
Well, I don't mind dem; but when dey are passing under my
winder, I trows dirty water on'em, and dat spiles der complexions.
EVA:
What does make you so bad, Topsy? Why won't you try and be
good? Don't you love anybody, Topsy?
TOPSY:
Can't recommember.
EVA:
But you love your father and mother?
TOPSY:
Never had none, ye know, I telled ye that, Miss Eva.
EVA:
Oh! I know; but hadn't you any brother, or sister, or aunt, or—
TOPSY:
No, none on 'em—never had nothing nor nobody. I's brack—no
one loves me!
EVA:
Oh! Topsy, I love you! (Laying her hand on Topsy's shoulder.)
I love you
because you haven't had any father, or mother, or friends. I love you, I want
you to be good. I wish you would try to be good for my sake. (Topsy looks
astonished for a moment, and then bursts into tears.)
Only think of it, Top-
sy—you can be one of those spirits bright Uncle Tom sings about!
[Description: 916EAF. Page 098.]
Oh! dear Miss Eva—dear Miss Eva! I will try—I will try. I never
did care nothin' about it before.
EVA:
If you try, you will succeed. Come with me. (Crosses and takes Topsy's
hand.)
TOPSY:
I will try; but den, I's so wicked! (Exit Eva followed by Topsy, crying.)
| Uncle Tom's Cabin | |