The Comforts of Home

When he returned from seeing William off, Jacob, like all slaves and servants, entered the house through the back or cellar door. He might have been comforted by the familiar smell of wood and spices. In his corner room, he unrolled his bed tick stuffed with cornhusks and spread himself out on his coarse wool blanket. His skin might have itched because the mattress and blanket were probably infested with fleas, lice, and bedbugs. Perhaps Jacob, or one of the older domestic servants, knew of the herbal remedies that the Holland Pierpoint family had relied on to reduce his discomfort. Tired from his day of work, Jacob drifted off to sleep.