Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-10-24
THE CHILDREN.
UNCLE ROBERTS LETTERS TO CHILDREN.
One thing tant L have been glad of.

DEAR CHILDREN, WHO READ THE WEST
ERN ADvocATE,-In my last letter, some
time ago, said l would tell of a thing
which always think of with pleasure
1t was this way. One day, when l was
small boy, went to see some cousins,
who lived mile from my fathers house.
After Samuel, and Thomas, and l had
played till We were tired, we thought We
would 90 into Mr.. Bradwel's store and see
what was going on. There We found an
other boy named jeff Manard. His faith
er lived on hill about three miles off, and
he had come to the store with his father
and mother and brother and three or four
of their neighbors.
These people were very poor and very
ignorant. They lived great way off from
the Church, and never went 10 meeting,
and were reckoned as very low and good
for-nothing people. They were queer
set, and they dressed in queer, outland-
ish fashion, and talked in a fiat, ill-bred
way, and we're very often laughed at by the
village boys and girls. They had come to
the store with whole lots of country pro-
duce, and were bartering it off for Mr..
BradwelI's calicoes, sugars, tobacco, and
other things. If 1 could only tell you
just how they looked and talked, it would
make you laugh ready to die.
80, do tell US, uacle Robert" cries one
little girl at my elbow.
ave do want to hear about them so
bad," breaks 10 another, and you all begin
to laugh enough to kill you. Wait mo-
ment my little dears. Had YOU rather
have ME tell you funny things than true
ones, had you? You had rather laugh
than be proited!
"Wby, no, uncle Robert" hear you
all say, "wby no, we only want to hear
about those queer people"
All, that is the thing, is it? You want
to hear something strange. So do older
people. And precious little good it
does them when they get it. Something
true and good is better, and if men and
women would let what is strange alone,
and try TO know that which is true, they
would be all the better for it. Well, l
will tell you few things about these peo-
pie; if you will promise to remember some
other things all the better for it.
These Manards lived on poor farm in
an out-ofthe-way- place, where they did
not often have a school and they we're very
rude and Ignorant. 1t was said that the
old folks could not read and write, and
the children certainly had learned these
things. Mr.. Manard, or, as he was called,
"Old Ben. Mauard," was short, little,
red haired, freckle-faced man, with hol-
low breast and STOPPING shoulders. He
had small, long neck, bent forward,
long, sharp nose, and voice that sounded
like boys pumpkin-vine trumpet. His
wife was taller than be, and had black eyes
and broad shoulders, with pair of great
spectacles almost like saucers on her nose.
She had great brimmed bonnet, that
stuck straight up from the top of her
head like the cover of Virginia wagon
Two boys in brown home made tow jackets
and pants, and girl in gown Of blue
and white checked-cotton, were with them,
and were looking at every thing in the
store with the greatest wonder.
They had brought to the store three
chickens-a little roll or two of butter-a
few dozen of eggs-some very poor chees-
es-a peck or so of white beans-a few
bushels of potatoes-some onions-a
sleeps pelt or coon skin, and some cab
bages, and they wanted to buy in exchange
a couple of quarts of rum, some powder
and shot, some sugar and molasses-a lit
tie calico and ribbon, a hoe, a jack-knife,
and perhaps little pepper and tea. J