Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-02-17
Prom the Lon Ion Weekly Chronicle, ~
Harriet Beecher stowe - Passage from an
7 7i3ds 20 F0YAutobiograpAy. fffal

From the Lon lon weekly chrone.," '
Harriet Beechef stowe---Passage from an
J. 1i3di 20 To7Autobiegrapny. Hag.J
The 1foIIokng extracts from . letter ad
| dressed ~ Mrs, Stove to a friend In this
country. 10 answer 10 an ehqairy for
some particulats o. her early life give an
sccount Of the origin of the world renowned
'Uncie Toms Clbin" After p'ayful
description on her personal appearance--an
account Of her martiage with Professor
Stowe, at the age Of twenty tive-Al,er
settlement at LINE Seminary, near Cincih.
na'i, in Ohio, and the increase Of her
family, she says: 1'z7 l5hf- i8I -iils
The most beautiful Of these (hef chilIren)
and the most beloved, lies buried near my
G pcnnau residence IL was at bis dying
bed, aud ut bis grave, that learned what
n poor slaye mother may feel when q child
! is torn from her, In the depths Of my
sorrow. which seemed to me immeasurabe.
is was my only prayer 10 G ID that such
anguish might not be suffered in vain. .iroh
% There we're circumstances counec,cd
iii lhi, cbild's death of such peculiar
bitierne ss--of what might seem almost
cruel nffering g--that felt coald never
he consoled for IL, unless it would appear
;hat he crushing. of my own heart might
enable me TO woik out some great good TO
o he's.
70 HIS death took place duting the cholera
summer, when, IN circle of i've miles
around me, nine thousand were buried-a
NOR, ality which l never heard exceeded
ehy where. ' '.il7t' 20 -ii - -t"i
Ny husband, in feeble health, was oblig
ed to be absent the whole time, and / had
sole charge of family Of fifeeu persons.
He could not return to. me, because /
would not permit IL; for in many instances
where parents had returned from a. dis
ltaDce to their families and infected atmos.
lphere, the result bad been sudden death,
aud the physicians warned me that if h.
reiurnei it would be only 10 die My
poor Charlie died for want of timely
medical aid; for. 10 the universal con-
fussion and despair that prevailed, it was
often impossible to o5 ain assistance Till it
was too late.
/ allude 10 this bereavement, because l
believe that mnch that ,in Uucle Toms
Cabin" had the root in the awful scenes
and bitter soriows of that summer. Ii
has left now, trnst, ~ trace in my mind,
except deep compassion for the sorfosful
especially for mothers who are separated
from their child en-.
During long years Of struggling with
poverty, sickness. and ho', debiltating
climate, my children grew up around
Tie nursery ard the kitchen were
my principal felds' of labor. Some of my
triend., plying my tolls, sent some OF my
Sketches 10 certain literally paying ANNALS
with my name. With the first money that
I earned this way, boughta feather bed!
For, as had married iuto poverty, and
without ,wry, and as nv husband bad
only large library of books. and great
deal of learning, this bed and pillows were
thought on the whole the most profitable
nves ment. s....-.s
now thought 1 had discovered. the
philosophers tone, and whau q new car
= pet or ma'tiass was needed, or when o.
: he close of the year it began to be evident
i that my family accounts, like D)ra's would
r ut add up, then used to say to my faith.
, ful friend and icium, Anna, wbo shared
L all my Us and souows, Now. if you Il
keep hA babies qniet. and attend TO oil
the tbi' in the house for one day, I'll
write a piece, and then we shall be out OF
he scrape And SO / became an outho
reSs! Very modest at FIRST, do assure
you. aud demonstrating very seriously with
the friends W ho had tbonght it best to put
my name 10 my productions by way of get.
ting mp a reputation. l.@4ae .as
During my life at the West lived two
miles from the city of Cincinnati in the
c ,uutry /; and dom ste service. not always
to be found in the ci'y,s is next 10 impossi-
BILE 10 be obtained in The country, even by
those tho are willing 10 give the highest
wages So what was to be expecl ed fur
poor me, who had very little OF this worlds
goods 10 ,lfer Z Had it not been for my
iusepnrable { lend Anna, a noble hearted
. English girl. who l,nded on our American
shores in destil u,ion aud sorrow, aud VIII,
, clase unto me as Ruth unto Naomi, l bat
r never lived through oil the toll which thi:
g uncertainty and absolute want of domestic
service imposed upon me. You may i'm
!, agine, The efore, how glad was, " her
, about dcz u families Of liberia cd negroes
! came and seltlel in our Vicinity. They
became my favorite resorts in cases o
9 emergency. v 1dr
lfanybody wants TO have black face
I look handsome, let them be left as ! have
!. beeu-in feeble, health, 10 oppressiEe ho'
b weather, with sick baby in arhs, an d two
q or Ihtee other lille ones 10 tie nursery
{ md not single servant in the " hole hous,
o 10 do single turn. Aud then, if the,
S should zee any good Aunt frankie comiul
e in, with her honest, bluff, black face. he
:. loug strong arms, her chest as big an,
|. stout as barrel, and her hilarious, hesrl
hugh-perfectly delighted 10 do one
= washing and do it at fair price, The
rOnM appreciate The beauty Of black people
}. My cook. poor ETA. was q regula
Z epiome of slave life in herself |; fat, easy
gentle, loving and loveable 1; always callinl
). my modest house Tne Place. as If it ha,
been plantation with seven hundred hand
}, on il. Her way OF arranging ber kitchen
. was at 6rst like Dlnahs. though she imbibe,
D, our ideas more rapidly. aud seemed NOR,
. ready to listen to my. suggestions than die
Il that digniIary. She had lived through The
whole sad story of o Virginia raised slaves
= life. She must have been 10 her youth q
a Har ias