Boss said from the first that I should give my wife assistance, as she
needed time to care for the babies. Really he was not as bad as the
madam at heart, for she tried to see how hard she could be on us. She
gave me all the extra work to do that she could think of, apparently to
keep me from helping my wife in the kitchen. She had all the cooking to
do for three heavy meals each day, all the washing and ironing of the
finest clothes, besides caring for the babies between times. In the
morning she would nurse the babies, then hurry off to the kitchen to get
breakfast while they were left in charge of a little girl. Again at noon
she repeated her visit to the babies, after cooking the dinner, then in
the evening, after supper, she would go to nurse them again. After
supper was over, dishes all washed and kitchen in order, she would then
go to the little ones for the night. One can see that she had very
little time with the children. My heart was sore and heavy, for my wife
was almost run 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