Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/48

50 became so alarmed I went out and inquired what time the stage started. It left at two o'clock, and it was then half-past one, so I crammed in my trunks what I could easily, and gave the rest away, and was ready by the time the stage came along.

Some of the ladies that I had worked for came to the gallery and said: "Good bye, Iangy; go in peace, and sin no more." My reply was: "I wish some of you would go with me, as I fear when you get ready to go you will not be able."

There were many servants and poor people around to say good-bye to me. Many wished it was in their power to leave, but it was not. Some of them I never saw again, as very many were carried off by that desolating scourge. There were fourteen in the stage that left Drennon that morning; out of this number but five lived. When we got to the foot of the hill where we took the steamboat, which was two miles from the house, we were fortunate that got on board, as the steamboat only came every other day. Those who came off the boat to seek their friends took sick and died.

Being afraid to go to Cincinnati, as the cholera was very bad there, I went to Madison. One of the wealthiest families in that place took me to their house and gave me one of their best spare rooms, where I was very sick for several days. After I recovered I learned some of the horrors of Drennon. As I before told you, the cholera broke out about twelve o'clock on Thursday night, and I left at two o'clock on Friday. From twelve on Thursday till twelve on Friday there were twenty-three deaths. Some of those ladies who bade me go in peace and sin no more, were stricken