was tartly and loudly reprimanding her, when Mr. L. came in and rashly felled her to the floor with his fist.  But his wife was constantly pulling our ears, snapping us with her thimble, rapping us on the head and sides of it.  It appeared impossible to please her.  When we first went to Mr. L.’s they had a cowhide which she used to inflict on a little slave girl she previously owned, nearly every night.  This was done to learn the little girl to wake early to wait on her children.  But my mother was a cook, as I before stated, and was in the habit of roasting meats and toasting bread.  As they stinted us for food my mother roasted the cowhide.  It was rather poor picking, but it was the last cowhide my mother ever had an opportunity to cook while we remained in his family.  Mr. L. soon moved about six miles from the city, and entered in partnership with his brother-in-law.  The servants were then divided and distributed in both families.  It unfortunately fell to my lot to live with Mrs. Larry, my mistress’ sister, which rendered my condition worse than the first.  My master even disapproved of my ill treatment and took me to another place; the place my mother resided before my father’s escape.  After a short time Mr. Lewis again returned to the city.  My mother still remained as cook in his family.  After six years’ absence of my father my mother married again a man by the name of George Brown, and lived with her second husband about four years, and had two children, when he was sold for requesting a different kind and enough food.  His master considered it a great insult, and declared he would sell him.  But previous to this insult, as he called it, my step-father was foreman in Mr. L.’s tobacco factory.  He was trusty and of good moral habits, and was calculated to bring the highest price in the human market; therefore the excuse to sell him for the above offence was only a plot.  The morning this offence occurred, Mr. L. bid my father to remain in the kitchen till he had taken his breakfast.  After pulling his ears and slapping his face bade him come to the factory; but instead of going to the factory he went to Canada.  Thus my poor mother was again left alone with two more children added to her misery and sorrow to toil on her weary pilgrimage.

    Racked with agony and pain she was left alone again,
    With a purpose nought could move
    And the zeal of woman’s love,
    Down she knelt in agony
    To ask the Lord to clear the way.

    True she said O gracious Lord,
    True and faithful is thy word;
    But the humblest, poorest, may
    Eat the crumbs they cast away.

    Though nine long years had passed
    Without one glimmering light of day
    She never did forget to pray
    And has not yet though whips and chains are cast away.

    For thus said the blessed Lord,
    I will verify my word;
    By the faith that has not failed,
    Thou hast asked and shall prevail.