The story of my life ; or, The sunshine and shadow of seventy years / by Mary A. Livermore ... with hitherto unrecorded incidents and recollections of three years' experience as an army nurse in the great Civil War, and reminiscences of twenty-five years' experiences on the lecture platform ... to which is added six of her most popular lectures ... with portraits and one hundred and twenty engravings from designs by eminent artists ...

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THE STORY OF MY LIFE.

chair. Dick had ornamented the mantel shelf with a wild
duck and gray squirrel, of his own shooting, which he had
prepared as well as he could with his little knowledge of
taxidermy. Jamie had hung a string of various-colored birds'
eggs on the mirror, and arranged a dozen gorgeous peacock
feathers behind it, while Lily had placed her newest chair
beside my own, and seated in it the blackest and most
absurd of all her rag babies. This was her favorite.
They were all very beautiful children except Laura, who
was even plainer than her mother, lacking, however, her
mother's severity of expression; while a wonderful pair of
brown eyes redeemed her face from ugliness. All, save
Jenny, resembled their father in features, complexion, and
disposition. Jenny was a little blonde beauty, with the
bluest of blue eyes, the goldenest curls, and the most exquisite pink and white complexion. She was also the most
intellectual of the children, thoughtful beyond her years,
with quickness of apprehension, and a memory of wonderful tenacity. They forgot all reserve when alone with me,
and revealed their thoughts and plans with refreshing frankness.
"To-morrow," said Dick, "1 we're gwine to take you all
over,--down to the Mill, High Rock, the Spring, and
Liberty Hill,- the family burial-ground,- and all over.
Ole Oncl' Henson's gwine to drive, an' he'll harness the
horses into the big carriage d'rec'ly we've eat breakfast; an'
I'm gwine on Ole Rock."
"Then I'm going on Black Hawk," burst in Jenny, "and
won't I make him gallop! But mebbe you'll be too tired
to ride to-morrow?" she inquired, her big blue eyes looking
a wish to the contrary. I assured her I should be sufficiently rested after a night's sleep, whereat Jamie gave
a prolonged whistle, snapped his lingers, and whirled round