to death with work.  The children grew puny and sickly for want of proper care.  The doctor said it was because the milk the mother nursed to them was so heated by her constant and excessive labors as to be unwholesome, and she never had time to cool before ministering to them.  So the little things, instead of thriving and developing, as was their right, dwindled toward the inevitable end.  Oh! we were wretched—­our hearts ached for a day which we could call our own.  My wife was a Christian, and had learned to know the worth of prayer, so would always speak consolingly.  “God will help us,” she said:  “let us try and be patient.”  Our trial went on, until one morning I heard a great fuss in the house, the madam calling for the yard man to come and tie my wife, as she could not manage her.  My wife had always refused to allow the madam to whip her; but now, as the babies were here, mistress thought she would try it once more.  Matilda resisted, and madam called for Boss.  In a minute he came, and, grabbing my wife, commenced choking her, saying to her:  “What do you mean?  Is that the way you talk to ladies?” My wife had only said to her mistress:  “You shall not whip me.”  This made her furious, hence her call for Boss.  I was in the dining room, and could hear everything.  My blood boiled in my veins to see my wife so abused; yet I dare not open my mouth.  After the fuss, my wife went straight to the laundry.  I followed her there, and found her bundling up her babies’ clothes, which were washed but not ironed.  I knew at a glance that she was going away.  Boss had just gone to the city; and I did not know what to say, but I told her to do the best she could.  Often when company came and I held the horses, or did an errand for them, they would tip me to a quarter or half a dollar.  This money I always saved, and so had a little change, which I now gave to Matilda, for her use in her effort to get away from her cruel treatment.  She started at once for Forrest’s trader’s yards, with the babies in her arms and, after she got into Memphis, she stopped outside the yard to rest.  While she was sitting on the curb stone, Forrest came out of the yard by the back gate and saw her.  Coming up to her he said:  “My God!  Matilda, what are you doing here?  You have changed so I would not have known you.  Why have you come here?” Matilda said:  “I came back here to be sold again.”  He stepped back and called another “nigger trader,” Collins by name, from Kentucky.  “Look here,” said Forrest, pointing to my wife.  Collins took in the situation at once and said he would buy her and the children.  “That woman is of a good family,” said he, “and was only sold to prevent her from getting her freedom.”  She was then taken into the yard.  “Oh!” said Forrest, “I know these McGees, they are hard colts.”  Word was then sent McGee that his cook was in the yard and had come to be sold.  He went in haste to the yard.  Collins offered to buy her, but McGee said no man’s money could buy that woman and