Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-04-18

l had hardly learned to dress myself and many
and many an hour of bitter regret have | spent
at my own helplessness"
"Shame follyW exclaimed the old gentleman
with look of pity at the poor mother, "shame
to bring up girls in such way Instead ofteach-
ing them to become useful and valuable men,
beers of society, to make mere dolls and puppets
of theml Just as ifrches had no wings, and
there was no possibility of their ever being oblig
ed to earn their own bread by their own labor!
But you certainly must know how to sew, or
your children's clothes would not be so nicely
patched"
eyes sir" answered she, 81 believe l can
now do plain sewing toerably well. Necessity
has been a stern and uncompromisng teacher,
and since my troubles came upon me, have en-
deayored, to the best of my ability, to learn how
to make everything had left turn to the best adj
vantage. And l think have succeeded as well
as most persons in making, by industry and con-
trivancc, little go great way. Otherwise my
children might have appeared as ragged and neg
ected as those of thousands of others in my sit
uation"
eyes, yes" said the old gentleman 81 see,
l seel And you may thank your stars, that you
had the good sense and the resolution to learn to
work and contrivc, after being brought up to do
nothing But since you say you can do plain
sewing, and since see that it is false and idle
, boast, | can very easily settle that matter. |
know of several families who will let you have
work to do, and as | am pretty extravagant old
) fellow myself, shall want you to do good deal
for me, and then if this lady has mind to let
you have little, we can keep you in employment
{ the whole time. And since | am on the subject,
) l may as well tell you that it is not my way to
r let those who work for me starve"
i, 81 thank you, sir, thank you!" answered the
grateful woman, as she wiped away the first
tears fjoy she had shed for many day. "You
have given me new life by your kindness, and |
} hope may be able to deserve it."
"Tut, tut' exclaimed the old gentleman,
dashm9 his hand across his eyes, sit is nothing
nothing at alN am only going to pay you for
the work | want done, and if pay you better
than the shops, or than miser, whose business
is it! And now that matter arranged, if you
have no objections, should like to hear little
of your story, and know where you were brought
: up"
} a can certainly have no objections" she re-
piled, ''but, to make you understand ALL l shall
2 be obliged to 90 back long way. You will
! find my story a sad one but suppose that there
are thousands Of others who have trodden as thor
ny path as myself
81 was born and educated in Savannah. My
father was an opulent merchant Of that city, and
, as | was an only child he spared no pains or eX-
pense to give me every accomplishment which is
5 in the southern States, considered necessary fol-
young lady to possess. Among these accom-
t plishments, unfortunately, nothing really useful
I finds place, for in consequence of the existing
state of society there, employment of almost eve
= ry kind is considered degrading Everything i:
done by the blacks, while the white population
grow up the most helpless beings imaginable
In this manner was it my misfortune to be edu-
} Gated | literally knew not how to prepare the
: simplest article of food which appeared upon my
fathers table, or to hem the pocket handkerchief
which slave was summoned to bring me, if
had CHANGED to leave it in the next room.
5 'Thus totally unqualified for the duties Of a
housekeeper, and the responsibilities ofthe mar
riage state at the age of fifteen | became the
wife of merchant of Mobile, and removed with
him to that city. He was an amiable and upright
= man, of the most regular business habits, stand.
ing high in the estimation of his fellow-citizens
and beloved and respected by all who knew him
Every one prophesied life Of felicity, and witt
every appearance ofreason, for my husband wa;
unbounded in his affection and indulgence toward
me; l was devotedy attached to him; we were
rich in worldly goods, and happiness seemed tC
have marked us for her own. But such state
of bessedness could not long continue, and sor
rowfu days were in store for us.
J at was the time when the spirit of specula
ton ran like wild-fre through our country, blight
= ing the hopes and running the fortunes ofso ma
a ny. My father having amassed fortune, hac
d long since retired from business, but he was seiz
ed with the prevailing mania, and pursuaded my
: husband to unite with him, they both hazardeC
: their whole property in an extensive cotton spec
= uaton. AT the time they made their contracts
d cotton bore unusually high prices in the market
h but the general impression was that they would
n be higher still, and they plunged headong into
l. the enterprise, certain of ready sale and
C splendid interest. By-and-oy the bubble burst
y The fatal pressure of 1887 came on, inextrcabl.
d derangng the mercantile affairs of the whole
t, country, and while all were wishing to sell, few
y were able to buy. The cotton in which my hus
e band and father had invested their ALL lay dea'
/ in the storehouses of Europe but their contract
t. must be met and forced and ruinous sale wa
Of the consequence
at at is needless to state the result They shar
ID ed the fate of almost every merchant of Mobile
lie and ofthousands of others throughout the entir
country, and became bankrupts, beggars. Thi
e sudden and unexpected blow, acting upon a con
a stitution already enfeebled by age and disease
l proved fatal to my poor father He never he'll
lie up his head afterwards He was immediatel
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