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MOTHER SOLD OUR HOME WE MOVED INTO A SMALLER
HOUSE FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND SHE AND MATTIE AND I WENT TO
INDIANA TO SEE HER MOTHERS MRS BEVERLY. MOTHERS MAIDEN NAME WAS
HOUVER BUT HER MOTHER MARRIED HIRAM BEVERLY.
WHILE WE WERE AT GRANDMA BEVERLYS THE BIG
CANNON AT ATTICA, INDIANA WERE FIRED ANNOUNCING THE CLOSE OF THE
WAR. WHAT A TIME OF REJOICING. ALL OF OUR YOUNG MEN RELATIVES
CAME BACK HOME WITH OUT A SCRATCH.
GUSS HINSDALE (25) MY SISTER MATTIES SWEET
HEART CAME ALSO. THEY LOVED EACH OTHER ALL OF THEIR SCHOOL DAYS
AND AFTER HE CAME HOME FROM THE WAR, THEY WERE MARRIED. THEY
HAD TWO DAUGHTERS, LOUANA AND FREDERIKA OR FRITZ THEY NICKNAMED
HER.
WHEN WE CAME BACK FROM INDIANA MOTHER RENTED
THE WHOLE UPPER STORY OF A LARGE FARM HOUSE OF A RICH FARMER
UNTIL THE BOYS CAME HOME AND SHE WOULD THEN KNOW WHETHER TO BUY
ANOTHER FARM OR NOT. SHE BOUGHT ONE AND SOME TIMBER LAND NOT
FAR FROM HER FARM, BUT THE EXCITEMENT OF THE WAR AND ABSENCE
FROM HOME AND HOME DUTIES CAUSED MY BROTHER TO FEEL UNEASY AND
DISSATISFIED SO HE DID NOT TAKE TO FARMING VERY MUCH.
WE HAD ONE SUMMER WHEN IT RAINED ALMOST ALL
OF THE TIME WHEN I WAS 8 OR 9 YRS OLD. IT SEEMED AS IF THE SUN
SIMPLY REFUSED TO SHINE, SO HE WAS DISCOURAGED, MOTHER IT SEEMED
TOO (26) (SEEM TO ME) NEVER SPENT AN IDLE MOMENT. SHE KEPT 2
COWS AND MILKED THEM AND SAVED ALL OF THE CREAM NOT NEEDED FOR
THE TABLE OR COOKING AND MADE BUTTER AND SHAPED 1/2 LB CAKES AND
PRINTED A SHEAF OF WHEAT ON ONE SIDE OF THEM. WHAT SWEET FRESH
BUTTER AND WHAT WONDERFUL BREAD SHE MADE.
SHE NEVER BAKED BISCUITS BUT SHE MADE
PERFECTLY LOVELY LOAVES OF LIGHT BREAD AND I NEVER SAW SUCH
SWEET SALT-RISING-BREAD AS SHE COULD MAKE. SO WE ALWAYS HAD
GOOD BREAD AND GOOD BUTTER.
NO ONE CANNED FRUITS OR VEGETABLES THOSE
DAYS BUT WE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD SUPPLY OF PRESERVES AND DRIED
FRUITS. AND ALWAYS SORGHAM MOLASSES AND QUITE OFTEN MAPLE SYRUP
AND MAPLE SUGAR PLENTY OF GOOD PICKLES.
WE LIVED WELL. AND I ONLY WISH I COULD KEEP
MY HOUSE AND ALL OF MY WORK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE DONE
UP AS WELL AS SHE DID. HER GARDEN WAS A BEAUTIFUL (27) THING TO
LOOK AT. SHE SPADED IT DEEP AND WORKED THE DIRT UP FINE THEN
SHAPED INTO BEDS AND PLANTED SEEDS IN ROWS ACROSS THE BEDS. ALL
LAID OUT WITH PATHS BETWEEN SO EVEN AND NEAT. THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF HER GARDEN HOW WELL I REMEMBER THAT BROAD SMOOTH WALK
WITH A BORDER OF SHORT GREEN FOLIAGE COVERED WITH LITTLE PINK
FLOWERS THEN JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, OLD FASHIONED
FLOWERS.
MARIGOLDS, BATCHELOR BUTTONS AND I NEVER
COULD NAME ALL OF THE KINDS THAT SHE HAD. THE BALSAM OF SO MANY
DIFFERENT COLORS AND SPOTTED ONE RAGGED LADIES ETC. THEN A
FLOWERING CURRANT BUSH SMELLING SO SWEET & SPICY A CYPRESS VINE
WITH SUCH LOVELY STARING RED FLOWERS, MORNING GLORYS AT THE
WINDOW, ROWS OF HONEY LOCUST TREES THAT SURE CALLED THE BEES IN
WARM WEATHER WHILE THEY WERE IN BLOOM. THOSE WERE MY HAPPY
HAPPY CHILD HOOD DAYS. I USED TO LOVE TO GATHER WILD FLOWERS
WHICH WERE TO BE HAD IN GREAT ABUNDANCE.
I HAD A PET YELLOW HEN WITH A RED BROWN HEAD
& NECK. MARY WAS HER NAME. SHE ONLY HAD ONE EYE. I COULD HOLD
HER AND SHE WOULD STICK HER HEAD ON ONE SIDE AND LOOK UP AT ME
(28) IT MADE ME LAUGH AND SHE WOULD TALK HEN TALK TO ME. I
LOVED MARY.
I HAD A LITTLE BROWN RAT TERRIER, HE GOT THE
WIGGLES SO BAD WHEN YOU TRIED TO HOLD HIM AND PET HIM. HE WAS
NOT VERY MUCH COMFORT. HE GOT TO SUCKING EGGS, SO I FINALLY
MISSED HIM AND ASKED WHERE TIPPIE? SO THEY SAID THEY KILLED
HIM. I CRIED OF COURSE.
THEN MY BROTHER WENT TO A NEIGHBORS, WHERE
THEY HAD LOTS OF SHEEP. THEY HAD SO MANY EWES THAT HAD TWINS &
TRIPLETS THAT THEY WENT AROUND KILLING ALL BUT THE BEST LAMBS.
MY BROTHER BROT ME ONE FOR A PET. IT WAS ALL WET FROM THE RAIN
AND CHILLED BUT MOTHER MADE A NIPPLE OUT OF A GOOSE QUILL & RAG
AND PUT WARM MILK IN A BOTTLE AND DRIED HER NICE AND DRY.
IN A FEW DAYS SHE WAS WOBBLING ABOUT PRETTY
WELL. WHEN I CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL SHE CAME TO MEET ME IN THE
BACK YARD. WE HAD A CAVE OUT THERE AND IT WASN'T LONG UNTILL
LUCY (THAT WAS HER NAME) AND I (29) WERE RUNNING AND JUMPING
WITH ALL OUT MIGHT UP & DOWN & AROUND THE CAVE AND I WOULD RUN
UP THE STEPS AND INTO THE KITCHEN AND LUCY RIGHT AT MY HEELS.
AFTER AWHILE SHE WOULD RUN AT ME AND BUTT ME OFF OF MY FEET.
WE SHEERED HER AND SOLD THE FLEECE AND
MOTHER GOT ME A BEAUTIFUL SKIRT WITH SO MANY STRIPES OF GAY
COLORS IN IT AND A LONG STRAN OF SPARKLING GLASS BEADS THAT WER
CUT SO THAT THEY SPARKLED.
I HAD NO CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH BUT I HAD A
DOLL I CALLED JULIA. I MADE CAPES AND THE FUNNIEST LOOKING HATS
FOR HER. ONCE I MADE A HAT OUT OF PASTEBOARD AND PUT RED CALICO
STREAMERS ON IT AND RED TIES AND I WENT UP TO OUR OLD TURKEY
GOBBLER AND TIED IT ON HIS HEAR. I DON'T KNOW NOW HOW I EVER
DID IT, BUT I REMEMBER HOW SQUIRMY THOSE LUMPS ON HIS NECK FELT
TO MY FINGERS WHILE I TIED HIS HAT ON. AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE HE
STRUTTED AROUND WITH THAT SILLY HAT ON AND MOTHER SURE DID
LAUGH.
MOTHER SOLD THE (30) FARM AND I WENT OVER TO
VISIT THE FOLKS WHO BOUGHT IT. THEIR NAME WAS TOMPSON. THEY
HAD ONE CHILD, JENNIE, SHE WAS A YOUNG LADY. WE SAT DOWN TO
DINNER. THEY ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE A PIECE OF EAT, I SAID
YES. I ATE IT IT WAS TENDER AND SWEET AS COULD BE. THEY SAID
HOW DO YOU LIKE THE MEAT, I SAID IT WAS GOOD. THEY SAID THAT IS
SOME OF YOUR LAMB. I WAS ALL THROUGH. I ATE NO MORE DINNER.
IF THEY HAD SAID THAT WAS A PIECE OF YOUR GRANDMOTHER I DON'T
BELIEVE I COULD HAVE FELT ANY WORSE.
WE MOVED TO KELLOGG A LITTLE TOWN BETWEEN
NEWTON AND GRINNELL. WENT TO SCHOOL WHILE THERE. WE MOVED FROM
KELLOGG IN A YEAR OR SO TO WAMEGO, POTTAWOTTAMIE CO, KANSAS.
MOTHERS SISTER IN LAW AND HER HUSBAND AND FAMILY HAD MOVED OUT
THERE JUST OUTSIDE WAMEGO ON A LITTLE FARM AND WANTED US TO COME
TO KAN. THERE WAS A GREAT BOOM ON THERE AT THAT TIME. ALL
SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY POURING IN. (31) A
LOT OF PEOPLE FOOLED TOO. HARD-PAN SOIL AROUND THERE AND GREAT
BUFFALO WALLOWS, BLACK JACK TIMBER, COARSE BUFFALO GRASS, AND
SCARCITY OF GOOD WATER. WE ONLY STAYED ABOUT ONE YEAR. |
