LateintheafternoonofachillydayinFebruary,twogentlemenweresittingaloneovertheirwine,inawell-furnisheddiningparlor,inthetownofP-inKentucky.Therewerenoservantspresent,andthegentlemen,withchairscloselyapproaching,seemedtobediscussingsomesubjectwithgreatearnestness.Forconveniencesake,wehavesaid,hitherto,twogentlemen.Oneoftheparties,however,whencriticallyexamined,didnotseem,strictlyspeaking,tocomeunderthespecies.Hewasashort,thicksetman,withcoarse,commonplacefeatures,andthatswaggeringairofpretension,whichmarksalowmanwhoistryingtoelbowhiswayupwardintheworld作者简介：HarrietBeecherStowe(1811-1896)wasanAmericanauthorandabolitionist,whosenovelUncleTom'sCabin(1852)attackedthecrueltyofslavery;itreachedmillionsasanovelandplay,andbecameinfluentialintheU.S.andBritain.Itmadethepoliticalissuesofthe1850sregardingslaverytangibletomillions,energizinganti-slaveryforcesintheAmericanNorth.ItangeredandembitteredtheSouth.TheimpactissummedupinacommonlyquotedstatementapocryphallyattributedtoAbrahamLincoln.WhenhemetStowe,itisclaimedthathesaid,"Soyou'rethelittlewomanwhowrotethebookthatmadethisgreatwar!"