6. Topsy's Education
By HARRIET BEECHER STOWE (1852)
MISS OPHELIA'S ideas of education, like all her other ideas, were very set and definite, and of the kind that prevailed in New England a century ago, and which are still
preserved in some very retired and unsophisticated parts, where there are no railroads. As nearly as could be expressed, they could be comprised in very few words: to teach them
to mind when they were spoken to ; to teach them the catechism, sewing, and reading; and to whip them if they told lies. And though, of course, in the flood of light that is now
poured on education, these are left far away in the rear, yet it is an undisputed fact that our grandmothers raised some tolerably fair men and women under this régime, as many of
us can remember and testify. At all events, Miss Ophelia knew of nothing else to do; and, therefore, applied her mind to her heathen with the best diligence she could command.
The child was announced and considered in the family as Miss Ophelia's girl; and, as she was looked upon with no
gracious eye in the kitchen, Miss
Ophelia resolved to confine her sphere of operation and instruction chiefly to her own chamber. With a self-sacrifice which some of
our readers will appreciate, she resolved, instead of comfortably making her own bed, sweeping and dusting her own chamber,—which
she had hitherto done, in utter scorn of all offers of help from the chambermaid of the establishment,
—to condemn herself to the martyrdom of instructing Topsy to perform
these operations, Miss Ophelia began with Topsy by taking her into her
chamber, the first morning, and solemnly commencing a course of
instruction in the art and mystery of bed-making.
Behold, then, Topsy, washed and shorn of all the little braided tails wherein her heart had delighted, arrayed in a clean gown, with
well-starched apron, standing reverently before Miss Ophelia, with an expression of solemnity well befitting a funeral ,
"Now, Topsy, I'm going to show you just how my bed is to be made. I am very particular about my bed. You must learn exactly
how to do it."
"Yes, ma'am,"says Topsy, with a deep sigh, and a face of woeful earnestness.
"Now, Topsy, look here;— this is the hem of the sheet,—this is the right side of the sheet, and this is the wrong;—will you
remember?"
"Yes, ma'am,"says Topsy, with another sigh.
"Well, now, the under sheet you must bring Over the bolster,— so,— and tuck it clear down under the mattress nice and smooth,—so,
-do you see?"
"Yes, ma'am,"said Topsy, with profound attention.
"But the upper sheet,"said Miss Ophelia, "must be brought down in this way, and tucked under firm
and smooth at the foot,—so,—the narrow hem at the foot."
"Yes, ma'am,"said Topsy, as before; but we will
add, what Miss Ophelia did not see, that, during the
time when the good lady's back was turned, in the
zeal of her manipulations, the young disciple had
contrived to snatch a pair of gloves and a ribbon,
which she had adroitly slipped into her sleeves, and
stood with her hands dutifully folded, as before.
"Now, Topsy, let's see you do this,"said Miss
Ophelia, pulling off the clothes, and seating herself.
Topsy, with great gravity and adroitness, went
through the exercise completely to Miss Ophelia's
satisfaction; smoothing the sheets, patting out every
wrinkle, and exhibiting, through the whole process, a
gravity and seriousness with which her instructress
was greatly edified. By an unlucky slip, however, a
fluttering fragment of the ribbon hung out of one of
her sleeves, just as she was finishing, and caught Miss
Ophelia's attention. Instantly she pounced upon it.
"What's this? You naughty, wicked child,—you've
been stealing this!"
The ribbon was pulled out of Topsy's own sleeve,
yet was she not in the least disconcerted; she only
looked at it with an air of the most surprised and
unconscious innocence, "Laws! why, that ar's Miss Feely's ribbon, an't it?
How could it 'a' got caught in my sleeve? "
"Topsy, you naughty girl, don't you tell me a lie,
-you stole that ribbon!"
"Missis, I declar for 't, I didn't;—never seed it
till dis yer blessed minnit."
"Topsy,"said Miss Ophelia, "don't you know it's
wicked to tell lies?"
"I never tells no lies, Miss Feely,"said Topsy, with virtuous gravity; "it's jist the truth I've been a-tellin' now, and an't nothin' else."
"Topsy, I shall have to whip you, if you tell lies so."
"Laws, Missis, if you's to whip all day, couldn't say no other way,"said Topsy, beginning to blubber. "I never seed dat ar,— it must
'a' got caught in my sleeve. Miss Feely must have left it on the bed, and it got caught in the clothes, and so got in my sleeve."
Miss Ophelia was so indignant at the barefaced lie, that she caught the child, and shook her.
"Don't you tell me that again!
The shake brought the gloves on the floor, from the other sleeve.
"There, you!"said Miss Ophelia, "will you tell me now, you didn't steal the ribbon ?"
Topsy now confessed to the gloves, but still
persisted in denying the ribbon. I—
"Now, Topsy,"said Miss Ophelia, "if you'll confess all about it, I won't whip you this time."
Thus adjured, Topsy confessed to the ribbon and gloves, with woeful protestations of penitence.
"Well now, tell me. I know you must have taken other things since you have been in the house, for I let you run about all day
yesterday. Now, tell me if you took anything, and I shan't whip you."
"Laws, Missis! I took Miss Eva's red thing. she wars on her neck."
"You did, you naughty child!-Well, what else?
"I took Rosa's yer-rings,—them red ones."
"Go bring them to me this minute, both of 'em."
"Laws, Missis! I can't,—they's burnt up!
"Burnt up!— what a story! Go get 'em, or I'll whip you."
Topsy, with loud protestations, and tears, and groans, declared that she could not. "They's burnt up,—they was."
"What did you burn 'em up for?"said Miss Ophelia.
"'Cause I's wicked,-I is. I's mighty wicked, anyhow. I can't help it."
Just at this moment, Eva came innocently into the room, with the identical coral necklace on her neck.
"Why, Eva, where did you get your necklace?"said Miss Ophelia.
"Get it ? Why, I've had it on all day,"said Eva. Did you have it on yesterday?"
"Yes; and what is funny, aunty, I had it on all night. I forgot to take it off when I went to bed."
Miss Ophelia looked perfectly bewildered; the more so, as Rosa, at that instant, came into the room, with a basket of newly ironed
linen poised on her head, and the coral car-drops shaking in her ears!
"I'm sure I can't tell anything what to do with such a child! "she said, in despair. "What in the world did you tell me you took those
things for, Topsy ?"
"Why, Missis said I must 'fess; and I couldn't think of nothin' else to 'fess,"said Topsy, rubbing her eyes.
"But, of course, I didn't want you to confess things you didn't do,"said Miss Ophelia; "that's telling a lie, just as much as the other."
"Laws, now, is ' it?"said Topsy, with an air of innocent wonder.
Eva stood looking at Topsy.
There stood the two children, representatives of the two extremes of society. The fair, high-bred child, with her golden head, her
deep eyes, her spiritual, noble brow, and prince-like movements; and her black, keen, subtle, cringing, yet acute neighbor. They stood
the representatives of their races. The Saxon, born of ages of cultivation, command, education, physical and moral eminence; the
Afric, born of ages of oppression, submission, ignorance, toil, and vice!
Something, perhaps, of such thoughts struggled through Eva's mind. But a child's thoughts are rather dim, undefined instincts; and
in Eva's noble nature many such were yearning and working, for which she had no power of utterance. When Miss Ophelia expatiated
on Topsy's naughty, wicked conduct, the child looked perplexed and sorrowful, but said, sweetly,—
"Poor Topsy, why need you steal? You're going to be taken good care of, now. I'm sure I'd rather give you anything of mine, than
have you steal it."
It was the first word of kindness the child had ever beard in her life; and the sweet tone and manner struck strangely on the wild,
rude heart, and a sparkle of something like a tear shone in the keen, round, glittering eye; but it was followed by the short laugh and
habitual grin. No! the ear that has never heard anything but abuse is strangely incredulous of anything so heavenly as kindness; and
Topsy only thought Eva's speech something funny and inexplicable,— she did not believe it.
