The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-12-27
Letter from Iowa.
MOULTON. Iowa, Dee.

MorLroN Iowa. Dee. H. 1871.
DEAR JOURNAL From my long silence you
may perhaps think am gone to the spirit land
but although am buried lin the brllsh) vet trust
| am still in the body. To-day finishes one month
of my stay i'll the country. and quiet month it
has indeed been But busy though for the duties
oc ne scll"vlr"orl, require busy BRAN, II not
sometimes powerful muscle The furniture Of
the schoolroom, of which your humble servant is
schoolmaaln is all OF nicely polished black walnut
home made to be sure, but yet neat and well con
structed The room is nicely ceiled with pine and
painted white The play ground is well fenced.
and some of the trees were left in the yard 1t is
i'll the edge of the brush, said brush consisting
Of hazel dogwood oak and few rlmS. East of
us, about mile is the Charlton river, one of the
branches of the Missouri SO we are far enough
from the river TO escape the malaria, hut near
enough to have pleasant view Of the timber on
the bottom lands and good farming country be
yond 1t would be d novel sight To an eastern
school boy to look in upon my school Of forty pu-
pills. The girls wear flannel linscy dresses,
made plainly, without the modern absurCties of
overskirts, collars, bows &c, except long slcev
ed apron of calico drilling, or shrting; coarse
calfskn boots or shoes complete the attire The
boys dress in home made Jeans or oyerals OF
denim, which were undoubtedly cut to tit some
older brother. But while the above mentioned
eastern school-boy might laugh at their dress and
manners he wonld soon find himself surpassed by
their superior knowledge Of the contents OF text
books and respect for the school maam, school
mist" as she is generally called. Hardly week
passes without an invitation from one to come
up and us Sunday. won't you schoolmist /"
And she goes to receive Il hearty welcome from
the Ma" pronounced man) and Pop The din
ner which of course is a most important object
with me, is generally chicken vegetables and corn
bread. Very few families keep flour for daily use
only for company or some holiday. Breakfast in
the brush means buckwheat cakes and strong
coffee, with the usual fruit and sauces The chill
dren, many of them, bring cold buckwhea cakes
for dinner to school. But the teacher always
boards where there is plenty OF every thing, and
when she goes out to visit s treated to the best i'll
the house. The principal drawback is sleeping III
the same room with the family, but as the Irish
man says 1t is nothing after you get used to it "
Only a week Christmas and no SNOW yet
Yesterday the sehoo!house door stood open all
day, and the sun shone in warm and bright Bad
times these for chs but no danger here we are
too far from the river bottom. though can
the fog rising this morning.
1t is interesting to hear of the old settlers
tell of their emigration to this country. The stories
resemble each other in outline il not in detail
They came in covered wagon drawn by their
team of horses or oxen followed BIZ their cattle
and Young horses, it, fortunately. they possessed
any. Within the rough wagon the mother and
children We're closely packed. together with the
oMar indispensable articles Of housekeeping. A
few pieces of furniture, a bedstead or clock bed
ding. and kettle and spider all the most
particular needed. On the chosen spot was erect
ed log cabin pointed (plastereC) with mud.
stick chimney built and all was ready for occupa
ton. Then chairs and table must be made by
the father with no tools but knife. axe and draw
shave. Lucky and wealthy is he if he owns
stove for it is no small trick to cook over a fire
place with the rude vessels and implements for
cooking that they possessed. Preparing for rails
ing corn is the next in order, and if the family has
more girls than boys they must bear their share
Of blowing planting, and gathering the crop. But
] must close for my candle is burning out, warn
ing me that daylight is here and it is most time
for breakfast. Am | not industrious to rise
early MAE.