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Write my atobi - I suppose I should commence as most that I have read commence. I first saw the light of day June 21 1859 at Pitts Pa. or at least that is what I am told [[strikethrough]] (I have no reason to doubt its accuracy. After) [[/strikethrough]] This one event for which I depend upon others. [[strikethrough]] all seems a blank until I was about [[/strikethrough]] To me life only commenced when I was about 5 yrs old, when my sister Halle was born, & I was sent to my grandmothers "on the Hill" to get milk for her. nearly the first time. A cow in a nearby field Moo! & I struck a bee line for home after this my mother or some one had to sit at the window and wave [[strikethrough]] I suppose  a flag of truce to the cow & to me [[/strikethrough]] & thus keep my courage up - as long as this signal waved I moved ahead - but if the figure at the window disappeared or Moms arm wearied - the incident [[strikethrough]] gained [[/strikethrough]] prevailed - Troubles commenced early in my life. &

[[strikethrough]] hi [[/strikethrough]] Learning my letters - without tears did not existe in those days, I am sure what would have if [[strikethrough]] they ha [[/strikethrough]] there had existed those numerous tests that are so much in vogue [[strikethrough]] these days [[/strikethrough]] now

to my poor mother & father, I refuse to think [[strikethrough]] would have been disconsolate their eldest [[/strikethrough]] 

This job of learning me my letters was committed to a Mr Jones a most patient individual I am told, all I knew was that I could never tell if he was looking at me, as mine

was only an eye service- I was always in trouble with my self when I found he was not looking at me, and had thought he was, or with him when I thought he was not looking at me he was regarding me intently - but to learn abc to z and then 3 7 * w to [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] A was a task such as the Egyptian [[strikethrough]] loaded [[/strikethrough]] required of the Israelites & afterwards when that was accomplished /=. I was asked to know each letter for itself it was indeed like requiring bricks without straw, to me Mr Jones no Egyptian task master had ever been more unreasonable

Could now anything be more unreasonable , I had spent weeks learning abcde, & then other weeks 3.7 x w to a- like lightning & without fault,- to have imagined that these herculean tasks having been accomplished your education was on a fair road to be completed, to this be required to know from q without communicating abcd e why - it was simply too much, life

Transcription Notes:
atobi = autobiography, I think