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CHAPTER XIV.
MARTHA DYER.
Martha, the ninth child of John and Amelia Shofner, was horn August 5, 182!). At about the age of seventeen she was married to Edwin L. Bryan, who was a cabinetmaker. They lived in Shelbyville and Nashville for about seven years. No children blessed their union; and on August 24, 1854, Hr. Bryan died.
After his death, she went to live with her brother, Loton Shofner, whose wife bad died. Mere she stayed about two years, when she again married, her husband this time being Mr. Felix Mot low, of Lynchburg, Tenn., he being several years her senior, lie had a number of children, some grown and one small child?a boy whom she took to her heart and loved as her own; but he was taken from them by death in a few years.
Mr. Mot low was a large slave owner; and his wife, who was energetic and domestic in tastes and a fine example of the old-time country housewife, led quite an active life in supervising the work necessary for the maintenance of a large household. This being in the days when clothing was made at home for the most part, carding, spinning, and weaving, cutting and making of garments for so many slaves, as well as the family, formed no small part of the work.
There were grown daughters in the family not many years younger than Mrs. Motlow; and with these she