Year: 1865




es filled with wheat and oats, and nobody
had nicer garden of lettuce, onions,
beets, peas, beans, cucumbers, and the
like Every one spoke Of their garden,
and besides, they had large smoke
house, with bacon hanging on wooden
hooks, nearly as full as it could hold.


Mrs F1agg and her girls are great
hands to spin and weave. for they have
sheep and raise flax and cotton, and they


make almost all the cloth they require,
or more justly so, of their towels and Ia
BILE cloths, woven in checks, birds eyes,
and the like; stili, they have sights of
flowers-almost swamps of them-and
the girls are not ignorant, for they have


been 10 school to the Normal, at Bloom
ington; they can sing, too, and not thro'
the nose ether-why, they will sing YOU
songs in four parts as well as any con
cert singers, and often better. to my


taste, making the house ring. and the re-
suit is, that on Sunday afternoon there
are as many as half dozen fat horses,
saddled and bridled, hitched TO the fence,
while the young men who ride them are
in the house.


Mrs Blow had lived in the family over
a month, enjoying herself and letting
them all know how well off she once was,
when Mr.. Flagg began to wonder why
her husband did not return. She sup
posed he had been detained by business.
Shortly, a letter came from him, inclosing
five dollars, stating that he had joined
the army, and did not know when he
would come back, that he would send
more money when he got it This did
not suit Mr.. Flagg. He had a suspicion
and he family remembered that his wife
had told him that it cost great deal to
keep Mrs. Blow and her child Then
Mrs. Blow got worse. 1t was true that
she was fatter, and that her child had Il
belly like n bucket, but she lay IL bed ey-
cry hour during the day, and sat by the
fire with n most doleful face, frequently
signing like one troubled with religious
while the stick was still in her
mouth.


One morning in June, Mr.. Flagg said
to his wife that he believed somebody
had been stealing meat out Of the smoke
house, locked though it was, for he was
certain they had not used so much. She
told him that if he could see how much
the girls cooked he would know what be-
come Of it, and she explained that Mrs.
Blow and her child eat more than all the
rest of the family. After that he took





felt if he had got into n scrape, and he
wished to get rid of her, but he did not
know how 49, He had many disaoreenble
hours.


No one could hire me to write this part
If the account, if did not know it to be
rue, and if L did not, also, know that
uch cases are not uncommon. | know
If very many small families who lay
lown from twelve to twenty five hundred
of nprix Nv
armer told me of boy from Alabama,
ne had to work for him, who eat so much Z
meat that they once cooked his by itself,
md lie positively asserts that he cat three
good sized hams III two days, and other
food in proportion!


About this time Mrs Blow had q sore
trial. Mr.. Flagg's oldest son, George,
came home from down the Mississippi,
on furlough. and brought with him
colored man, who had been wounded on
a gun boat; he was discharged, and was
going to live with Georges father. Mrs.
Blow knew the man as soon as she set her
eyes on him, for he had been one of her
father slaves, and he used to play with
ler when she was little girl, both being
about the same age. With surprise, she
isked Sam If il was he. He said it was.
She wanted to know if he was not asham-
ed to desert his master, after all that had
been done for him? Sam said that he
lad forgotten all that had been done for
him except several good COW hidings.
Moreover, If there was any shame in run
ling away, il was Old master was to be
Mrs Blow said that when the
var was over, he would have TO go back.
Sam thought things were not going back
quite as much as they used to. They
aihed much. and Sam told her things
she had never heard before.


Now sam, naturally. was a gentleman
he was not wholly black: to tell the
gospel truth. he was related to Mrs. Blow,
lie could read and write George had
made much of him, and he know how to
behave as well as anybody. George had
rot into his head a thing they called a
and 1t was locked in so tight
hat You couldn't get it out, unless you
ore his head to pieces. This -crotchet
'ame from passage of scripture, which
speaks of making of all nations of one
blood.


George was out looking over the farm.
when supper was ready. They called
lm, and be was coming. but he had to
stop in the orchard and climb up several
.rees to see how some gratis were grow
ng which he had set before he went away.
He told his little sister. who wanted him
% come right away. that they should not
wait for him. Sam kept with him. and
when they came to the house they were
III eating George sat down, and made
Sam sit down by him. Mrs. Blow was
.aking up a mouthtul; she stopped, her
eyes opened, and she wanted to know if
she had 10 eat with that nigger. George
old her il was Just she chose. She start
"a up in rage and left the room, drag
ying her child with her. When supper
vas over. she attacked George without
mercy He was sitting in the porch,
With his bright boots on the rail. smoking
cigar. He smiled a little, and kept on
smoking. while his sister wondered how
he dared talk so to her brother. wearing
'uch long. silky moustaches. and such
inc blue clothes, trimmed with gold lace,
Ind the curious silver quirls in the center
,f his shoulder-straps.


To be sure they never hadeaten witha