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I sought for my wardrobe, but this too I found was under Mr. Packard's lock and key, and not even a decent pair of winter hose would he allow me from it, because in his judgment a useless worn out pair was all I needed.

One morning as I was doing the chamber work up stairs, I saw a bunch of keys left by the thoughtlessness of some of the children, who used them when they wished, in the closet door where our family stores and bedding and wardrobe were deposited to keep them from me; and I took them into my custody, assuring myself that I, as my husband's partner, had some right to carry the keys part of the time at least, and I concluded now was the time to test this principle. As locks and keys were an article introduced into my family during my banishment, I ventured to leave the door so much used, unlocked, so that the keys would not be necessary to their comfort or convenience.

But when, behold! the keys were missing, suspicion at once fell upon me, and Packard ordered my person and my room to be searched; which was done most thoroughly.

Now I saw the wisdom of not having my papers in my trunk, for he took an inventory of every article, and would doubtless have taken my papers had they been there, and he might have done as Dr. McFarland advised, "Burn them!"

But the search for the keys was all in vain -- they were nowhere to be found!

This search was not confined to my person and my room merely, but the entire house and premises were most carefully and diligently searched in every corner, nook, and crevice -- even the embers of my stove were examined. Both the front and back yard were also included in Packard's "search-warrant" -- every stone, leaf, and shrub were upturned to find the missing keys -- but all to no purpose! He could not find them, for the simple reason he did not look in the right place!

He then locked me up in my nursery so I could have no opportunity for using them.

Thus was my imprisonment in my home secured, whereby a writ of habeas corpus could be legally obtained. Thus, this my painful imprisonment of six weeks was the stepping-stone to my freedom.

I never was allowed to eat at the table with my family afterwards. My food was sent to my room in as good order as such cooks could prepare it. My health suffered much from confined air, as my windows were nailed down so my room could not be properly ventilated.

Mr. Packard cut me off from all communication with the community, and my other friends, by intercepting my mail -- refused me interviews with friends who called to see me, so that he might meet with no interference in carrying out the plan he had devised to have me incarcerated again for life.

During the day he allowed my four children, Samuel, Elizabeth, George, and Arthur, to occupy the room with me, as my scholars, and great was the proficiency they acquired during this their short school term of six weeks, in the knowledge of arithmetic, grammar, algebra, reading, spelling, writing, composition, and elocution -- Samuel especially being enthusiastic over his attainments during this school term -- said he: "Mother, I have learned more here this winter under your teaching, than I learned during one whole term of twelve weeks at the Academy at Kankakee."

While in my room I demanded and received from all my children the respect and obedience due me, as their teacher. But when I attempted to dictate in reference to their personal habits in relation to their bathing, toilet duties, hours of rising and retiring, and their wardrobe, Mr. Packard required them to disregard my directions, whenever they conflicted with his own plans or wishes in these matters.

The door of my room was not kept locked during the day, when the front outside door was securely fastened and the back door sufficiently guarded to prevent my escape; but at night it was always locked by himself.

One evening I proposed to my children that we clean and polish our cook-stove in the kitchen which Mr. Packard now used as his study, to which they readily consented. And to avoid disturbance during the time, Mr. Packard removed his stationery and papers to my room to study by himself by my warm stove.

When our merry polishing party had completed their task to their entire satisfaction, insisting upon it that "Black Prince" looked now just as bright as he used to shine when mother was housekeeper, we cleaned ourselves and all retired to my room to warm before retiring for the night. Our entrance was the signal for Mr. Packard's leaving, of course, and in his haste or carelessness in gathering up his papers he overlooked a package of letters, which he left behind upon my table. These I did not notice until all had dispersed and Mr. Packard had locked me up for the night.

My first thought was not to examine them, as they were undoubtedly left by mistake. But upon second thought I concluded it not only right to see my husband's papers, but also to avail myself of every lawful means of self-defense which lay within my reach. Accordingly I spent several hours of this night in carefully reading these letters, received during my incarceration and since my discharge. From these replies to his own letters, his platform of action, both past, present, and future, was distinctly portrayed, bearing most fearful and unmistakable evidence that I was to be entered in a few days into Northampton Insane Asylum for life!