ton ▁Academy , ▁in ▁Ben ning ton , ▁Verm ont . ▁Edu c ated ▁as ▁a ▁school te acher , ▁she ▁taught ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁She ▁started ▁her ▁own ▁school , ▁but ▁had ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁work ▁up ▁during ▁an ▁ill ness . ▁While ▁recuper ating , ▁she ▁applied ▁for ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁gover ness ▁for ▁General ▁Lewis ▁R uff ner ▁( 1 7 9 7 - 1 8 8 3 ), ▁a ▁wid ower ▁who ▁was ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁General ▁Assembly ▁ ▁and ▁community ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁Char l eston , ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁She ▁married ▁the ▁General ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 . ▁ ▁Book er ▁T . ▁Washington ▁Young ▁Book er ▁came ▁to ▁Mal den , ▁West ▁Virginia ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁Jane ▁after ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁Following ▁other ▁jobs ▁of ▁manual ▁labor ▁including ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁salt ▁mines , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁R uff ner ▁family ' s ▁house boy . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁his ▁aut obi ograph ies , ▁Up ▁From ▁S la very , ▁Mrs . ▁R uff ner ▁had ▁a ▁har sh ▁reputation ▁for ▁her ▁rig id ▁and ▁strict ▁manner , ▁was ▁fe ared ▁by ▁her ▁servants ▁and ▁could ▁only ▁keep ▁temporary ▁employees ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁dem ands ▁and ▁expect ations . ▁A ▁New ▁England - tra ined ▁school ▁teacher , ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁and ▁hard working ▁person ▁who ▁val