Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-05-12
THE HOME AND FARM.
BRIGHT SIDE OF FARM LIFE.

In the country seem to look only upon
the dark side Of their home life. / lived
in the country until / was twenty Eve,
and in the memory there is far more
sunshine than shadow, in fact l often
look back upon those days with an in
describable longing.
Many farmers are SO grasping and
spend so little money on luxuries, or
frequently even necessities, that to their
families life is anything but bright. Or
they may live OF the frontier, far from
church, schools or towns, and thus be
deprived of many privileges. But Civ
en- a good farm, out of debt, the pro-
duce of which more than makes q bare
living, schools, a good neighborhood,
and a farmer with a soul above hoard
ing every dollar toward the purchasing
of more land, and you have the happi-
est, most independent life imaginable.
Such a home was mine. | was the
only sister with four brothers, and truth
compels me to add | was shown no par
TALLY or favors. | did about every
thing my brothers did. l climbed to
the top of cherry and apple trees to
peep into bird s nests. l rode a foot on
each side. | waded in the creek. We
would step in the mud two inches deep
for slippers, above our ankles for shoes,
to our knees for boots, and Oh the joy
usnes of riding into the barn from the
fields on a greatload of hay, and hunt
ing eggs in out of the way corners and
away up in the big haymows, and then
sliding down o hole to the floor below
ON to a pile of hay. would not be be-
hind the boys in daring exploits, and
the hiding away of dozens and dozens
OF eggs in the wheat fan OF under the
hay for Easter.
We walked just one mile to school,
and we did not pass a single house on
the way. We had to climb high fences
and go through three gates and cross a
small creek without any bridge. If the
creek was up we crept over it on the
swinging, swaying w~atergate. Many a
winter morning we had to trudge
through a deep snow which had fallen
the previous night. The boys would go
first, single file, each trying to step into
the same tracks. l was next to the
youngest, and perhaps the snow would
reach to my knees. I never had an
overshoe or a gossamer. On bad morn
ings mother would pull a pair of long,
coarse, home knit wooden stockings
over my shoes. The holes in heel and
and toe did not matter, and on reaching
the school house l would pull them off
and be all dry, unless l had been SO I'M
lucky as to have slipped on the stepping
stones in crossing the creek. If that
happened twas remedied by sitting be-
fore the fire till dry. In going home
we would track rabbits or have snow
ball battles.
l helped milk night and morning and
strained the milk into the pans and set
In the cool drain in the milk room with
the cold water from the spring flowing
through it. Then the skimming and
churning and working of the sweet,
golden butter. If l had a dime for ev-
cry time l MIXED and churned | could
buy myself something very nice.
was also the family chambermaid,
and had to do patchwork at night to
teach me industry. I really loved to
darn, and nothing pleased ME better
than to repair table linen, and see if 1
could not do it so nicely it would scarce
ly show at all.
We had a good country church near
us, and there We had as successful ice
cream %socials, ETC., as / have ever seen
anywhere since in large towns or cities.
Never since have l seenin city life such
a table as our country neighbors set.
Fresh eggs, chickens, ham, rich milk,
golden butter, delicious buttermilk, cot
tage cheese, mutton, fresh sausage,
spare ribs and backbone, (such as a
city butcher never dreamed of, honey,
berries, sweet corn, faky biscuit and
both nIain an1 rich no1yaa @Iotua
do honor to the Presidents table, flank
ed by such %jellies, preserves, sweet
pickles, mangoes, and marmalades as
would delight an epicure.
l had a piano-a present firm tn un-
Gle for whom l was named. We all,
fether and mother as well as we young
folks, enjoyed the music. Father would
walk up and down the floor and sing
bass, but to hymns only. He was only
a plain farmer, not a rich man, but he
loved to see us enjoy ourselves and be
happy. He was our stepfather, but to
each of us he was loving and tender.
My mother loved to read aloud, and
In the long winter evenings we sat
around the big fireplace in the dining
room, heaped up with logs till the room
was aglow. We ate nuts and roasted
apples while we listened to mother
reading. The cook and two farm hands,
all of whom had been trusted servants
and real friends, though colored, had
been in the family many years. They
sat with us in the back ground, and of
ten had some thrilling reminiscence of
slavery times to relate. l taught them
each to read. We had authors and
other games. Our friends enjoyed Wis
iting us because we made them have a