Tenure with the Wylies

Lizzie carrying buckets, no date.

The Wylie family letters and diary entries mainly mention Lizzie in the context of her labor. Several mention Lizzie cooking, gardening, cleaning, as well as entertaining children eager to assist her with her duties. "Lizzie is very kind to them all," Theophilus wrote to his mother in 1878. Among the many examples of references to Lizzie's labor in the home, is a letter from Margaret Wylie, daughter of Theophilus and Rebecca, to her sister in 1859 that states, "Lizzie makes as good bread as Ma can." At the time, Lizzie was only sixteen and had been in service to the Wylies for just about three years.

As the Wylie family papers serve as the central primary sources on Lizzie’s daily life, her own feelings about her work and living situation cannot be accurately understood. It appears that she worked long, laborious days for the family. One 1906 letter confirms this, suggesting that Lizzie get some time off: "How would it do to send Lizzie on a visit to Ind. Let her take a little vacation. It might open Mother's eyes. No girl for 4 times the money would do what Lizzie does. Mother would be glad enough to have her back at the end of a month.”

Lizzie working in the Wylie kitchen, no date.

It is unclear whether Lizzie actually took this particular window of time off, but other letters verify that she was allowed to make periodic visits to her mother and "grandmother" (thought to be Ruvina Williams, whose exact ties to Lizzie and Hannah are not confirmed, though it is plausible that she was Hannah's mother or older sister). During these times, family members often express the desire to see her return to help Mrs. Wylie, particularly in the early 1900s when she was becoming senile. Lizzie, not young herself, also suffered from various illnesses around this time, including lumbago and a sharp pain in her leg. Physical strain likely took a toll on her as she aged. In fact, a notable letter from Louisa Wylie recounts staying up until 10pm as Lizzie pulled up tacks from an old carpet. The letter was written in 1902, meaning that Lizzie’s days were still lengthy and strenuous even at the age of fifty-nine.