{
 "id": "frances-ellen-watkins-harper/aunt-chloe",
 "title": "Aunt Chloe",
 "poet": "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper",
 "poet_slug": "frances-ellen-watkins-harper",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Sketches of Southern Life",
 "book_slug": "sketches-of-southern-life",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 1,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1872,
  "venue": "Sketches of Southern Life (1872)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/frances-ellen-watkins-harper_sketches-of-southern-life-1872",
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 },
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  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-12"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 64,
  "n_stanzas": 16,
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 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "I remember, well remember,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That dark and dreadful day,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "When they whispered to me, “Chloe,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Your children’s sold away!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "It seemed as if a bullet",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had shot me through and through,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And I felt as if my heart-strings",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Was breaking right in two.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And I says to cousin Milly,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“There must be some mistake;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Where’s Mistus?” “In the great house crying⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Crying like her heart would break.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“And the lawyer’s there with Mistus;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Says he’s come to ’ministrate,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "’Cause when master died he just left",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Heap of debt on the estate.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“And I thought ’twould do you good",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To bid your boys good-bye⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To kiss them both and shake their hands,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And have a hearty cry.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Oh! Chloe, I knows how you feel,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "’Cause I’se been through it all;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "I thought my poor old heart would break,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When master sold my Saul.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Just then I heard the footsteps",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of my children at the door,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And I rose right up to meet them,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But I fell upon the floor.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And I heard poor Jakey saying,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Oh, mammy, don’t you cry!”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And I felt my children kiss me",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And bid me, both, good-bye.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then I had a mighty sorrow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though I nursed it all alone;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But I wasted to a shadow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And turned to skin and bone.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But one day dear Uncle Jacob",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "(In heaven he’s now a saint)",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Said, “Your poor heart is in the fire,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But child you must not faint.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then I said to Uncle Jacob,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If I was good like you,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "When the heavy trouble dashed me",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I’d know just what to do.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then he said to me, “Poor Chloe,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The way is open wide:”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And he told me of the Saviour,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the fountain in His side.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then he said “Just take your burden",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To the blessed Master’s feet;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "I takes all my troubles, Chloe,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Right unto the mercy-seat.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "His words waked up my courage,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And I began to pray,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And I felt my heavy burden",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rolling like a stone away.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And a something seemed to tell me,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You will see your boys again⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And that hope was like a poultice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Spread upon a dreadful pain.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And it often seemed to whisper,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Chloe, trust and never fear;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "You’ll get justice in the kingdom,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If you do not get it here.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}