The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-02-07
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
a. Nv mother was lady OF medium height, q
rather slight figure, with u large, brown eye,
luxurant brown HAIR regular features OF the
d GrecIan type, and her general expression OF
countenancc was one of bcnevolence, sweet
l.. ness and great sensibilty. My father was
stocky, five feet six inches high, and welghin 9
at this time about one hundred and seventy or
j seventy five pounds. lie had fine head and
!, a wealth of black HAIR, now slvered with grey.
lie had sharp twnklng blue eye, a massive,
J. smooth white forehead, round face and q
r dmpled, double chin He was the beau ideal
? of the old Virginia gentleman, jolly and good
natured But should anything disturb him,
1.-THE blue eyes would become sharp and pene-
= trating and dreaded, rs his temper was at
: times impcrious and brooked no opposition,
!, but when the trouble was passed all was
sunshine again. | called my father Napoleon
y Bonapartc, but am sure he was not so stern,
! and very much more cOurtcous-especlally to
the fair sex. Although man OF extensive
business habits and relations, | never heard OF
j. his dong dishonorable action. On the con
trary he was rcckoned among men the soul of
honor and the most puncilious of men. How
ever, you shall get better acquainted with him
RI if you have the patience to follow him through
! my long story.
! My eldest brother was named by his grand
: mother who was "A famous reader of ancient
: history, Clovis, from one Of the ancient kings
r Of the Franks. However, We called him Jar
wis., and he was the king of good fellows. All
the sweetness and patience OF the mother, with
the nobleness Of the father, seemed to have de-
scended or concentrated in their fair, first born
r SON He had the black haIr and blue eyes of
the father with the features and smile Of the
mother; quick, active and prompt, IL model in
I good manners.
The next was Mary, named 10y my mother
[ for the favored virgin of Judea. Perhaps my
, description Of this member Of our family will
be highly colored, as she was To me the favor
I, ed of the flock. With the form and features
s of the father she had her mothers wealth OF
p nut brown hair, and IA stock of sweetness and
patience far exceeding either parent. Early
= she left home and spent many years with an
c aunt and uncle in Eastern Virginia, attending
y the best school in the country. | was eight
T., years old when she returned and she RECALLED
my tond imagination with tales of the mighty
mountains the beautiful rivers and the pleas
i ant delightful valleys Of Eastern Virginia.
r thought her most wonderful parsonage, to
I have travelled SO far, yet content 20 return to
our prosy home, and sit by the hour and en-
u terrain us with stories of the wonders she had
n seen But my recoectons of this sweet sis
!, ter extended farther back than this, viz: When
{, was poor, sickly, nervous, miserable child,
. it was only her voice that could sOoth and
u quiet my troubled brain and induce sweet
$ slumber to visit the weary eyelids; that could
Y only fetch quiet peace and joy to my troubled
4 being. begged my sister to have Tom Uhe
black servanu carry me in my sleep to deep
pool in the meadow, and lay me down III Its
cool depths, and placing a broad rock upon
my breast, leave me there forever and then |
would be out Of my misery, and cause my
friends no more trouble on my account She
only laughed at my earnestness. But when
s0olhcd into quiet, | have known her, when
she thought forgetiulncss had overtaken my
rackcd brain and senslbilties, to glide down
at my bedside, and in sott-whispered accents
plead with the All Father to give returning
health, patience and joy to my childhood. A
childhood TO her without JOY seemed a won
derful calamity, for she was all gaiety and
sunshine-the offspring or result Of perfect
health of body and mind. But, dear reader
you shall know her but to love her." there
fore must go on to the third child, my broth
er Theodosius. (Another of grandmother's
" names from descendant of the great Constan
!. tine, king who repealed the Goths and Huns
| and swarms Of the North)
;f TheodosiuS OF course was brave, large, hand
u some and dashing, generous and free, bold
y the softer seX-a famous hand to govern the
d small fry" with tho rod" when our father
was absent on his long excursions to the East
to visit his friends and to buy goods, for II
u must be remembered that our father "once up
!, on a time" was a famous merchant in the city
r. of smoke, Pittsburgh-an there made the
;, money to buy his fine plantation in Washing.
ton Co. | longed very much for the time to
IL come when | should grow tall and strong, that
| might give this proud brother good "trounc
r ing" tor the many castigations that his free
hand had administered To me. The long de
: fered time came at last, but his generosity and
kindness entirely disarmed mc-moreovcr, he
r was married now TO the sweetest of women
n and had three of the most cunning youngsters
IN all the land; so he has gone To this present
day unpunlshed.
" But now comes Susie, my second sister, with
# robust form, firm, elastic tread, and imperi
n Gus way-but with all a kind heart and Joyous
smile. | remember her now, "a with close.
fitting riding habit. and seated firmly on the
e back of gentle George she dashed down the
avenue attended by the handsomeSt young
; Imam IN the neighborhood; or with bonnet
e tawry AS she dug IN the garden or made flower
n beds alongside the front walk, or fed the tur-
KEYS and chickens, ducks and geese in the
i barn-yard, with one daring hen mounted upon
= her shoulder and "A forward spring chicken
perchcd upon her massive head with its
= wealth Of wavey, black, glossy hair falling to
g her waist
nl Next came Alaric my next older brother,
! named for famous Gaul who invaded Italy
and, though defeated, endangered the safety
Of Rome. | told my grandmother plump and
l. plain that she made great mistake in giving
d my brother this name-it should have been
) Baal, or Apollyon or Satan, for as had good
{ reason to know he was possessed with about
Il seventeen devils, more or less,-l am still in.
II clined To think more. With powerful frame,
u broad and heavy, he combined twinkling,
) fun loving. mischievous blue eye, massive
e head literally covered with curling brown
- hair, an immense hooked nose, broad, high