When I came inside, I had to account for where I had been. Alas, I did not strictly keep to the truth, but told that I could not find my way back the first evening and had tried to find shelter in a gravel pit and came straight from there. My father left telling the man that it was best that I remained there – till he mistreated me again! The wound in my forehead healed over the next months, and life continued on the same path as before – and beatings on a regular basis. When my mother came to visit me on February 18th, I complained my grief to her and she then complained to the man saying that he ought to treat me better, but he just grabbed her by the neck and threw her out. She then came to the barn and took me with her home. A few days later I was summoned to the court of Vestervig. I was alone and I could not refuse his claim to return to my services. At this time another day was scheduled, where my father was to be present at the court, which he was. In court I refused to return, but after the court meeting he persuaded my father to go to the inn with him and by giving him drink, he made him promise that I should be back within two days – a decision which made me profoundly sad. As I then returned, he greeted me in an rough manner and requested my servant’s conduct book, which had been moved to Kobberø, and since I did not bring it with me, I was sent back to fetch it and have it signed by the parish executive officer, and when I returned with it the next day, he took it and wrote as follows: “The aforesaid, Jens Frederiksen Svinth, signed to serve from Nov. 1st, 1863 till Nov. 1st 1864 left his service without valid cause on February 18th, induced by his mother, for which reason I had him summoned by the police court. Settlement was tried, but not reached, however, on the evening of March 1st, his father Frederik Svinth came to me and asked that I take the boy back in my service and give him the 18 rix-dollars that we had agreed on, and I gave my consent, if the boy would behave in a proper manner.
Memories from My Life
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