Lyddie is sent to work at Cutler's Tavern by her mother, Mattie Worthen. After her father left, Lyddie's mother started to develop serious mental health issues and had to be committed to an asylum. From there, she writes a letter saying that, as well as her brother Charlie being sent to work at Baker's Mill, Lyddie is going to have to go to Cutler's Tavern; the children need to work to contribute towards the costs of their mother's health care. In those days, it was quite common for children to work. And if some kind of catastrophe should befall a family, as has happened here, then the children of the house would be expected to do their bit to help out, even if it meant performing backbreaking work for little pay. As one can imagine, Lyddie is none too happy at the news from her mother and bursts into tears upon reading the letter.
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