He had plenty of spare time , and whenever he had nothing to do he would pull his Bible out of his pocket and try to find comfort in reading it . -LSB- Illustration -RSB- But as time went on , Uncle Tom longed more and more for his home . At last one day he had a grand idea . He would write a letter . Before Uncle Tom was sold , George Shelby had been teaching him to write so he thought he could manage a letter . He begged a sheet of writing-paper from Eva , and going to his room began to make a rough copy on his slate . It was very difficult . Poor Uncle Tom found that he had quite forgotten how to make some of the letters . Of those he did remember , he was not quite sure which he ought to use . Yes , it was a very difficult thing indeed . While he was working away , breathing very hard over it , Eva came behind him , and peeped over his shoulder . ` Oh , Uncle Tom ! what funny things you are making there ! ' Eva put her little golden head close to Uncle Tom 's black one , and the two began a grave and anxious talk over the letter . They were both very earnest , and both very ignorant . But after a great deal of consulting over every word , the writing began , they really thought , to look quite like a proper letter . ` Yes , Uncle Tom , it begins to look beautiful , ' said Eva , gazing on it with delight . ` How pleased your wife will be , and the poor little children ! Oh , it is a shame that you ever had to go away from them ! I mean to ask papa to let you go back , some day . '
` Missis said that she would send down money for me , as soon as they could get it together , ' said XXXXX .
Eva Poor Shelby Tom children day deal home idea letters