14 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



there was but a trifle left for the support of the little 

 family ; and she was obliged to uiaintaiu herself and chil- 

 dren as best she could. 



But it does seem to me, that wnen persons are left in 

 such distress, that kind Providence has always something 

 in store to supply their necessities, as was the case in this 

 instance. 



My mother's friends had all gone to the West, then so 

 called, — I mean to the western part of Washington 

 County, and had settled on the Flintstone and on Hurley's 

 Branch, now in Alleghany County. But to follow them 

 she had not the means. The next thing was, her neigh- 

 bors advised her to put out her children to good places, 

 and then she could see and attend to them. But this she 

 refused to do, until she should try to keep them herself. 

 But before she had rented a house and garden, she did 

 consent to let a Mr. Aaron Lee have Jeremiah, to keep 

 him until he was twenty-one years old. 



Often and long did she rue that unthoughtful transaction. 

 And it turned out that she never could, nor ever did gel 

 him home ; he lived with that family until he was 16 or 17 

 years old, when he quit his place to shift for himself; but 

 not before mother and the other three children left that 

 country, and had gone to the West. 



Mother managed by dint of industry and economy, with 

 what my sister and Joshua could help, to keep us as well 

 as other poor children ; and sent sister to school one 

 quarter, in which time she learned to spell and read a 

 little in her primer. They worked together in the gar- 

 den, and raised plenty of vegetables ; and by spinning, 

 sewing, and knitting, in which sister began to be helpful, 

 they got along through three or four years. My mother 

 was a woman of a medium height, strong and determined, 

 but of very tender heart — rash when angry, out soon 

 over, and kind again. 



She continued in this situation until she found we were 



