Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-07-27

= and bitter sorrow of that summer. 1t ha
left now, trust, no trace in my mind, ex
: cept deep compassion for the sorrowful
=, especially for mothers who are separated
from their children. .
, During long years of struggling will
G poverty, sickness, and hot, dcbilitatin!
climate, my children grew up around me
The nursery and the kitchen were m,
principal fields Of labor. Some of IN,
friends plying my toll, sent some of III,
sketches to certain ANNALS, with my name
l With the first money | earned this way
, l bought feather bed. For, as | ha,
married into poverty and without dowry
and as my husband had only large Ii
brary Of books and great deal Of learn
ing, this bed and pillows were thought OF
:he whole the most profitable investment
I now thought had discovered the
philosophers stone, and when @ new carpet
: or mattrass vas needed, or when at the
close Of the year it began to be evident
that my family accounts, like Dora $
"woudn't aid up" then used to say to
my faithful friend and factotum, Anna
who shared all my joys and SORROWS
"Now if you'll keep the babies quiet and
attend to all things in the house for one
day, III writo piece, and then We shall
be out of the scrape" And SO I became
an authoress Very modest as first, |
assure you, and demonstrating very seri-
ously with the friends who had thought it
best to pat my name to my productions,
by way Of getting up reputation.
During my life at the West, I lived
two miles from the city of Cincinnati, in
the country; and domestic service, not
always to be found in the city, is next to
impossible to be obtained in the country,
even by those who are willing to give the
highest wages. So what was to be expec-
ted of poor me, who had very little of this
worlds goods to offer? Had it not been
for my inseparable friend Anna, noble
hearted English girl, who landed on our
American shores in destitution, and who
clave unto me as Ruth unto Naomi, | had
never lived through all the toll which
this uncertainty and want of domestic aid
imposed upon me. You may imagine,
therefore, how glad l was when about a
dozen whole families of liberated negroes
came and settled in our vicinity. They
became my fayorite resorts in cases Of en-
/ --sO"eJ.
If anybody wants to have black face
look handsome, let them be left as have
been-in feeble health, in oppressive hot
weather, with sick baby in her arms,
and two or three other little ones in the
nursery, and not a single servant in the
whole house to do single turn. And
then if they should see any good Aunt
frankie coming in, with her honest, bluff,
black face, her long, strong arms, her
chest as big and stout as barrel, and her
hilarious, hearty laugh, perfectly delighted
to take ones washing and do it at fair
price, Mcy arou9a appreciate tie beauty Of
5lacl: people.
/ Ny cook, poor Eliza, was regular cpl
tome of slave life in herself; fat, easy,
gentle, loving, and loveablc; always call
ing my modest house "The Place." as if
it had been plantation with seven hun
dred hands on it; her way of arranging her
kitchen was at first Ike Diuah's, though
she imbibed our ideas more rapidly, and
seemed more ready to listen to my sugges-
tions than did that dignitary. She had
lived through the whole sad story Of a
Virginia raised slaves life. She must
have been in her youth very handsome
mulatto girl. Her voice was sweet, her
manners refined and agreeable. She was
raised, in good family, as nurse and
seamstress When the family became
embarrassed, she was suddenly sold to be
sent to plantation in Louisiana. She
has often told me how, without any warn
ing, she was forced into carriage, and
saw her little mistress screaming and
stretching her arms from the window to-
wards her as she was driven away. She
has told me of scenes on the Louisiana
plantations, and how she has often been
out in the night by stealth, ministcring to
poor slaves who have been mangled or Ia
ccrated by tho whip, From Louisiana she
was sold into Kentucky, and her late mas
ter was the father of all her children. On
this point she always maintained delica-
cy and reserve which, though it is not at
all uncommon among slave women, appears
to me remarkable. She always called her
master her husband, and spoke Of him
with the same apparent feeling with which
any woman regards her husband and it
was not till she had lived with me some
years that I accidentally discovered the
real nature of the relation. shall never
forget how sorry felt for her, nor my
f.ol;poa NJ her humhle apOloyy HYou