Jessie Bollier Quotes

“My mother had reminded me then there were souls whose fates were so terrible in comparison to ours, that we should consider ourselves among the fortunate of the earth. I knew she was thinking of the slaves who were sold daily so close to where we lived.”

“Sometimes I touched a sewing needle with my finger and reflected how such a small object, so nearly weightless, could keep our little family from the poorhouse and provide us with enough food to sustain life- although there were times when we were barely sustained.”

“I had been dancing a group of slaves, and at that terrible sound, Spark signaled me to stop my tune.”

“I was carelessly unwrapped like a gift no one wanted and forced to sit, my arms clasped about my knees. My captors then ignored me. They hadn’t any reason to worry about my escaping. There was no place to go.”

“I felt hopeless and sad as though everyone in the world had died save the three of us and the unknown lamplighter on the shore.”