A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
Her husband had been in the army a long time, and she had not heard
from him. She feared he was suffering in a rebel prison. Near this
cabin was Agnes Everett, with five children between the ages of fifteen
months and twelve years. Her two youngest children were in a starving
condition--the baby, she said, had been too sick to allow her to do
much in procuring food. Her boy of twelve years was her only dependence
in getting little jobs of wood-sawing or doing chores for cold
victuals, or a pint of meal which she made into porridge. The little
emaciated baby was fed with the porridge. Its face was wrinkled like an
old person's of ninety years. Its eyes were sunken and glassy; its
hands looked more like birds' claws than like human hands. "Don't,
Clarkie; poor little Fannie is so sick she must have this," said the
mother to the little fellow who watched the mother when her attention
was occupied for a chance to snatch a floating lump. As I looked upon
these famishing children I could not refrain from weeping. Her husband
and grown son were in the army. She had been looking for money from
them for a number of months, but had heard nothing from them. I gave
them two loaves of bread for their supper, and directed them to meet me
at the post-office the next day at ten o'clock A. M., and I would give
her an order for six half rations until she received help from her
husband. This closed my day's work. On my return to the Garno House,
Mrs. Halford informed me that the lady who went with me in the morning
was sick, for she had hardly ceased weeping over those pitiful families
we visited in the morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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