To my story of work in the City of Brooklyn: 

The lady, Miss L. A. Pousland, whom I spoke of in the preceding pages, is the place where I found myself living in 1875, after twelve or thirteen years of service.  It was there that I met Mrs. Sarah Potter.  She has been all of a mother to me to give me all the encouragement she could bestow on me.  For all of this kindness I am more than grateful to my Heavenly Father, for I know that all goodness comes from Him.  He surely has shown His love to her in sparing her to see me go from her home to Washington to school and spend three years and then go to Harper’s Ferry and spend four years, and to see me out in the world teaching for eleven years, and to break down while at my post and now at home to serve in another way.  Is not this not God’s love to me, as a poor, humble servant of His?  I should never forget to give the love and honor due Him.

God knows my heart and He will bless the work in my hands, as the writer of this book.

When I found that I could get through school in a given time as I had studied hard, if I had the money, I told Miss L. A. Pousland, that I would not be there to work any more, as I had a place in Saratoga Springs for the Summer.  She felt bad to lose me, but as she knew that I could make more money for three months at the Springs she wanted me to have my heart’s desire, so I came on from school and went to see her and then made ready for the Springs, getting one of my sisters to go with me and taking such things as we could.  We were there too soon and we had to wait for work, and I went around and made myself known to the white people.  They soon called on me to come and do work for them, and the first was a Mrs. Carpenter, a good lady.  She then got her married daughter to have me to work for her family and they were a fine family.  Her daughter’s husband was a grand studio man on Broadway, doing a good business.  Then she sent me to another friend of hers, and my sister and I could live for a while.  When the rush came I did not forget the one who had helped me, but went to her two days out of a week, for she had her house filled with boarders, and the Summer was all a blessing to her and her family.

There was Mrs. Purdy, who was another one of my friends, for I did work for her laundry for three years, and she said whenever I came to the Springs and wanted work to come to her; if the house was filled there was room for me.  So you see how God did open the way for me in that strange and lonely place, where there are so many that go there for the Summer looking for work.  I went out of the house where we were stopping and got the washing and brought it home to my sister, for she would not go out of the house as she had not been from the place where she lived before.  I got her to go with me to help me with the work, and it was coming in so fast I had to get a white lady to help us to get through, for the colored people said that we would not get work as the laws were passed to keep the New York workers out, and I told them that they would have to pass laws to keep the rich people of New York from coming there to board if they should keep the workers out; so I did not hear to that, and found the way for I had the will, and where there is a will there is always a way.  So much for the first Summer.