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Uncle Tom's Cabin
George L. Aiken
New York: Samuel French, 1858

SCENE I

—An Auction Mart.

UNCLE TOM and EMMELINE at back.—ADOLF, SKEGGS, MARKS, MANN, and various spectators discovered. MARKS and MANN come forward.


Marks.

  Hulloa, Alf! what brings you here?


Mann.

  Well, I was wanting a valet, and I heard that St. Clare's valet was going; I thought I'd just look at them.


Marks.

  Catch me ever buying any of St. Clare's people. Spoiled niggers every one—impudent as the devil.


Mann.

  Never fear that; if I get 'em, I'll soon have their airs out of them— they'll soon find that they've another kind of master to deal with than St. Clare. 'Pon my word, I'll buy that fellow—I like the shape of him.

[Pointing to ADOLF.


Marks.

  You'll find it'll take all you've got to keep him—he's deucedly extravagant.


Mann.

  Yes, but my lord will find that he can't be extravagant with

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me. Just let him be sent to the calaboose a few times, and thoroughly dressed down, I'll tell you if it don't bring him to a sense of his ways. Oh! I'll reform him, up hill and down, you'll see. I'll buy him; that's flat.

[Enter LEGREE, L. H.—, he goes up and looks at ADOLF , whose boots are nicely blacked.]


Legree.

  A nigger with his boots blacked—bah! [Spits on them.] Holloa, you!

[To TOM.]
Let's see your teeth. [Seizes TOM by the jaw and opens his mouth.] Strip up your sleeve and show your muscle.
[TOM does so.]
Where was you raised?


Tom.

  In Kintuck, mas'r.


Leg.

  What have you done?


Tom.

  Had care of mas'r's farm.


Leg.

  That's a likely story. [Turns to EMMELINE.] You're a nice-looking girl enough. How old are you?

[Grasps her arm.]


Emmeline.

  [Shrieking.] Ah! you hurt me.


Skeggs.

  Stop that, you minx! No whimpering here. The sale is going to begin. [Mounts the rostrum.] Gentlemen, the next article I shall offer you to-day is Adolf, late valet to Mr. St. Clare. How much am I offered? [Various bids are made. ADOLF is knocked down to MANN for eight hundred dollars.] Gentlemen, I now offer a prime article—the quadroon girl, Emmeline, only fifteen years of age, warranted in every respect.

[Business as before. EMMELINE is sold to LEGREE for one thousand dollars.]
Now, I shall close to-day's sale by offering you the valuable article known as Uncle Tom, the most useful nigger ever raised. Gentlemen in want of an overseer, now is the time to bid.

[Business as before. TOM is sold to LEGREE for twelve hundred dollars.


Leg.

  Now look here, you two belong to me.

[TOM and EMMELINE sink on their knees.


Tom.

  Heaven help us, then!

[Music.—LEGREE stands over them exulting. Picture—closed in.