Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-01-25

preciate tho fact that tho United States
was losing the services of a great man
when George Washington retired to
private life. She was ten years of age
when she attended the funeral services
held in her native village in memory OF
the first President. To her last day she
remembered asking her father why the
clergyman in the pulpit wore a broad
white sash with black bows over his
shoulder, and the answer: because the
great Washington is dead"
She awaited with impatience the in
telligence of the outcome of the first
Napoleon's latter battles, and she was
seventeen years old eighty-seven years
ago when, believing in the predictions
made, she prepared to view the only
total eclipse of the sun ever visible in
this country before noon. That was the
time when fowls went to roost in the
morning, and the ignorant and super
stitious insisted that the worlds end
had come. In her early girlhood she
was accustomed to hearing her mother
refer to "his Majesty tho King" and to
the idea of a monarchical rather than q
republican form of government.
For quarter of a lifetime war-talk
in her family had reference to the revo-
luton. She saw the United States
change from an experiment into fact.
She watched its growth very nearly
from the beginning. She read with
pleasure, in the papers of the day, of
the bravery and success of Scott at Lun-
dy's Lane, and so we'll were her faculties
preserved that she was eager for the
latest details concerning the Johnstown
sufferers, and no heart in the country
sorrowed over their trials more than
hers.
Her hearing was acute, her eyesight
good, and she was in the best of health,
mental and physical. She took care Of
her own apartment, made her own
clothes and walked about the house
with considerable ease. Her memory
was prodigious, and her sense of humor
noticeable. A recently arrived clergy
man called upon her last summer, and
began his conversation with: 81 hear
that you are good Presbyterian"
"Well " she replied, 81 am certainly
Presbyterian, but l don't know that 1
can call myself a good one." Then,
while the minister was turning to the
twenty-third Psalm, which he said he
would read, she repeated the entire
chapter from memory.
Among the old lady's Christmas pres
ents for the past twenty-five years had
always been volume of sermons, but
last year she rebelled. She said that
such literature had formed her mental
food for three-quarters of a century,
and she thought that she had now ar
rived at time of life when she was en-
titled to something lighter. Mrs.
Beattie was asked few months ago for
little sketch of her life, together with
her autograph, and in complying with
the request she wrote for Frank Leslie's
Illustrated Newspaper the following:
''I was born in Hebron, Washington
County, June 0, 1889, but my parents,
whose name was Cruillshank, came from
Ireland along about 1850 or 1855, l think.
1 rather imagine they were quite prom
inent people at home, for l have heard
my mother say that one of her brothers
was Presbyterian Clergyman, another
a surveyor, third a lawyer, while the
fourth was called an overseer. Itspeaks
badly for the manners and customs of
those days and that country that my
uncles, Notwithstanding their superior
advantages and education, felt that the
burdens of home and farm life should
all fall upon the shoulders of the women
of the household.
"In my own home it was not great
deal better. 1t was work, work, work,
and it seemed as though /, the oldest
girl, must do the greater part Of it. I
frequently helped my father in the
field, for there was no machinery to
it and wove it into garments for all of
us, men and women alike, and 1 tc ok
entire charge of the house. 1t can thus
be seen that my opportunities for going
to school were few. Still did go some
and made the most of my time while
there.
81 married at twenty-four, and wnen
my husband died at an early age he left
me with eight small children and three
farms to take care of. l looked after
every thing, reared my family and was
farmer-general as we'll. / did washings
that would make the laundress of to-day
stand aghnst L milked a great herd of
cows and made butter and cheese. The
property 1 governed was only mine in
trust, consequently 1T was many years
before my vacation came; but when it
did arrive 1 enjoyed it. For more than
quarter of a century now have had
every comfort with my son, Judge Beat
tie, in Schenectady, and can look back
on my time of toll with a smile.
81 am sure that can't tell what has
given me such II long life, unless it is
because 1 have been temperate in every
thing and have known no excitement.
have never touched a stimulant in my
life, and even now never think of tast-
ing the wine that some old people con-
sider q necessity; still have had no set
rules, but have simply obeyed either my
inclinations or necessities. have eaten,
and eat now, the meals prepared for the
family. Physicians say thatcondiments
are hurtful, but l have used them all
my life. 1 can hardly tell whether
I. 4 H. T..