o claim her.

In this house I started my school, and there were no lack of pupils
whose parents were able and willing to pay for their tuition, but
ruffians stood before the house and hooted at the "nigger school."
Threatening letters were sent me, and Wade was notified that his house
would be burned or sacked, if he permitted its use for such purpose. In
one day my pupils were all withdrawn.

After this, I began to make corsets. It was a joy to fit the superb
forms of Kentucky women, and my art-love found employment in it, but my
husband did not succeed, and went down the river.

A man came to see if I could give work to his half-sister, for whose
support he could not fully provide. She was a Fitzhugh,--a first
Virginia family. Her father had died, leaving a bankrupt estate. She had
learned dressmaking, and had come with him to Louisville to find work,
but she was young and beautiful, and he dare not put her into a shop,
but thought I might protect her, so she came to live with me.

One evening an old and wealthy citizen called about work I was doing for
his wife, became interested in me, as a stranger who had seen little of
Louisville, and tendered the use of his theatre-box and carriage to the
young lady and myself. I declined, with thanks. When he had taken leave,
Miss Fitzhugh sprang to her feet, and with burning cheeks and flashing
eyes, demanded to know if I knew that that man had insulted us both. I
did not know, but she did, and would tell Edward, who should cowhide him
publicly. I told her that if Edward attempted that, he would probably
lose his life, and we would certainly be dragged into a police court.
Even if we had been insulted, it only proved that the old man thought we
were like himself--that we were told in the Psalms that wicked men
thought God was like themselves, and did approve their sin, and he did
not have them cowhided. After a moment's reflection she sat down,
exclaiming:

"Well, you are the strangest woman I ever did see!"

We never again saw the man, and I hope the incident helped the honest
Edward in his loving task of protecting the fiery Fitzhugh.

My husband's trip down the river was a failure, and he went back home.
Remembering he had heard me say I could do so much better at
corset-making if I could buy goods at wholesale, he sold his Wilkinsburg
property and turned the proceeds into dry goods. To me this seemed very
unwise, but I tried to make the best of it, and we took a bus