her furniture in a
wagon to her native place, with her family, which consisted of
her husband's mother, herself, and six children, the eldest of
which was but twelve years old. On her arrival there, she had
only food enough for one meal, and nine-pence left. During the
summer, in consequence of hardships and deprivations, she was
taken violently sick, being deprived of her reason for several
weeks. Her husband had not, as yet, appeared to offer her the
least assistance, although apprised of her situation. But, being
an uncommonly mean man, he had sold her furniture, piece by
piece, and reduced her to penury, so that nothing but the aid of
her friends and her own exertions, saved her and her family from
the alms-house.

Says the law to this heroic woman, "What, though your property is
squandered, your health and spirits broken, and you have six
small children, besides yourself and your husband's mother to
support! After five years of incessant toil in humility and
degradation, why should not your lord and master intrude his
loathsome person, like a blood-sucker upon your vitals, never
offering you any assistance; and should your precarious life be
protracted to that extent of time, for twenty dollars you can buy
a divorce from bed and board, and have your property secured to
you. Such, Madam, is your high privilege. Complain then not to
us, lest instead of alleviating your sufferings, we strengthen
the cords that already bind you."

The moral courage of the "Hero of the Battle-field" would shrink
in horror from scenes like these; but such is the fate of woman,
to whom God grant no future "hell."

In case a man receives a trifle from a departed friend or any
other source, the wife's signature is not required. Recently a
poor man left his daughter twenty dollars, of which her husband
allowed her ten, retaining the remainder for acknowledging its
receipt. It was probably the only ten dollars the woman ever
received, except for her own exertions, which were constantly
required to supply the necessities of her family, her husband
being very intemperate and abusive, often pulling her by the ears
so as to cause the blood to flow freely.

No bodily pain, however intense, can compare with the mental
suffering which we witness and experien