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.

said Mr. Henderson, who had overheard a part of Aunt
Aggy's story. "And she has so completely held you enthralled that we have not had a debate, nor a discussion, nor
even a friendly controversy since her arrival."
It was true. Several times we had been fairly embarked
in what promised to be a lively debate, but as soon as Fanny
perceived its drift, she ran away with a shrug of the shoulders and a ripple of song, and stopped not until fairly outside
the door, when she turned and coolly flung back defiance.
" No, I am not coming back to a discussion! I am bored
by your religious disputes! I do not understand your theologies, and so I will leave you two to fight it out. When
you are tired of your musty, fusty, rusty old arguments,
come to the music-room and I will sing to you." Which we
were very sure to do.
How the weeks and months flew by! How smoothly
ran the machinery! What satisfactory progress was made
in the little school, which had often vexed my homesick soul
beyond endurance, in the first long, weary year of my life
on the plantation! Nearer and nearer approached the day
which would complete our engagement, -when we should
bid adieu to the sunny South, and set our faces Northward,
where kindred and friends were impatiently waiting to welcome us. Inducements were offered us to prolong our stay,
but our decision to return home at the stipulated time was
unalterable. Perhaps we might return after the needed rest
and visit; but no positive promises to that effect were given
by either Miss Codman or myself.
Not without sorrow did we say "good-bye" to the weeping, clinging children, and to their kind-hearted parents,
who had endeared themselves to us in many ways. Community of interests, of sorrow and joy, as well as mutual
forbearance and helpfulness, had given us a oneness with