Shortly after this we, with all families living in that country, were commanded by an order from Jim Lane, to move into an army post.  This reached several counties in Missouri.  It was done to depopulate the country, so that the “Bushwhackers” would be forced to leave, because of not being able to get food from the citizens.  This caused much suffering.  But such is war.  We moved to Kansas City.  I was in Independence, Mo., during the battle, when Price came through.  I went with a good woman to the hospital to help with the wounded.  My duty was to comb the heads of the wounded.  I had a pan of scalding water near and would use the comb and shake off the animated nature into the hot water.  The southern and northern wounded were in the same rooms.  In health they were enemies, but I only saw kindly feeling and sympathy.

Mothers ought to give their daughters the experience of sitting with the sick; of preparing food for them; of binding up wounds.  It is a pitiful sight to see a helpless woman in the sick room, ignorant through lack of experience and education, of ways to be useful at the time and place where these characteristics of woman adorn her the most of all others.

After we returned from Texas, being the oldest child and the servants all gone, my mother sick, and the younger children going to school, I had the house work, cooking and most of the washing to do.  It was a new experience for me, and it was twice as hard as it ought to have been.  I exposed my health; would slop up myself when I washed, and almost ruined my health, because I had not been properly educated.  Herein was the curse of slavery.  My father saw this, and I don’t believe he had a regret when the slaves were free.  Mother, it matters not what else you teach your daughters, if they have not an experience in doing the work themselves about a home, they are sadly deficient.  It is not the soft, palefaced, painted, fashionable lady we want, for the world would be better without her; but the woman capable of knowing how, and willing to take a place in the home affairs of life.  It is an ambition of mine to establish a Preparatory College in Topeka, Kansas, where girls may be taught, as women should be, that they in turn may teach others, how to wash, cook, scrub, dress and talk, to counteract the idea that woman is a toy, pretty doll, with no will power of her own, only a parrot, a parasite of a man.  To be womanly, means strength of character, virtue and a power for good.  Let your women be teachers of good things, says the Holy Spirit.

The last school I attended was at Liberty, Missouri, taught by Mr. and Mrs. Love.  Only went there a year, but it was of untold value to me.  I was so eager to get an education.  On account of ill health and the war, I knew but little.  I wanted a thorough education.  I had read a good many books, and would write sketches; kept a diary part of the time.