The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-11-07
"0UR WI FOLKS"


Mrs. Montague was the mother of
thirteen children, all grown up eX-
cepting the two youngest. and mar
ried and settled within visiting dis
lance of the old homestead. Mr.. Non
tague seemed like one of the Did patri-
archs when the children and granlchil-
dren all came home to Thank sgiying;
II Mrs. Montague was addressed by
the minister when he called as "a
mother in Israel"
The Montagues were very well off
now. Mr.. Montague had for years
been adding acre to acre and field to
held; but he and his wife had begun
poor, and there was as much differ
ence In the bringing up of their Oldest
son ana their youngest one as If they
had belonged to different families.
There were three ons born before
there was q daughter in the house;
consequently the oldest boy from his
remembrance had been kept at work
both In doors and out. "When he was
only three years old" his mother said,
81 used to tie Nelson into a little low
rocking chair and give him the baby
to hold. He cheerily sans DO IA do
ra' and was a happy child But his
strong healthy parents little realized
how the child Nelson dreamed DIT night
of rocking the baby and was still at
work even while he slept. His par
entS never seemed to realize that his
little legs could get tired, running here
and there on errands all over the farm
and all over the house. There was al
ways so much to be done on a New
England farm.
Mr.. and Mrs. Montague were always
up early and late. There were the
cows to milk, the butter and cheese
to be made, blowing, planting, having,
harvesting; then When winter came
though there were plenty Of apples
and potatoes in the cellar, with corr
and nuts in the attic, there was plenty
of work still. The wood To ne got up
and chopped, the apples TO be pared
and dried, spinning To DE done, pnd a
pile of stockings to be knit for the
many little feet that kept coming to
their home.
AS one of the girls said, long after
ward, when relating IN incident of
her girlhood: 81 went TO our neigh
Dor Blossoms and took The baby with
me; | do not remember which, there
always was one" She met q ycung
h~'h u 'HiS hSiS ~ . Jus ' = llo it-
companied her part of the way rome
and carried the baby. That )uug man
she afterward married. And his Tart
of the story was: "Ethel looked so
matronly with that sweet child in her
arms that l wanted t. propose at
once"
Little Nelson had none of The leisure
moments that generally lads Of his
age enjoy. The farm house was by
no means furnished with modern CON
veniences. Nelson had wood and wa
ter to bring from a distance for his
mother, who not only lid the house
! work for all the family, but also cut
and made by hand all he garments
that were worn by them; though she
did not spin and weave and dye the
cloth, as her mother mad done, and so
her tasks We're, accordingly, consider
ed light by contrast. In those DAYS
there were no sewing r~lacnines heard
of. Thus the winter evenings as well
as the summer days witnessed no idle
moments.
Early In his young life there was a
little rake provided for Nelson. who
thought it very manly t. rake after
the cart; and his father boosted that
his little boy saved him 10 cents per
day in hay time. The consequence of
all this was that their oldest son grew
up hardy and tough, though Lis growth
was checked by overwork. His par
ents saw too late that they had kept
him, when almost a baby, turning the
g%rindstone, picking up apples and po-
tatoes, and while yet IA growing lad
had expected a mans constant hard
labor from him, their first-born; but
with their Industrious habits and am
bition to get on in the world, they had
not realized that the accomplishing
child was being Stunted in his growth.
But 1t was far different with his
youngest brother, who was more than
twenty years his junior. Little Eben
bad no younger brother to care for at
home and at school. His evenings
were free to read the juvenile publ
cations that We're %abundantly supplied,
and plenty of such books as never en-
tered the house while Nelson was at
home; for Nelson had married young,
and had now Il home of his own. but
was still q Woodworking man. Laugh
ingly he often said: Il must have
been born on Saturday. To work hard
for a living has been my lot
Later, Eben, the youngest, was sent
to college. After having had the ben
eft Of a classical education he studied
for a profession, but ultimately be.
came a teacher in a high school, where
his life work was appreciated by par
ents and pupils. Nelson was proud of
of his Young brother, and never man
Tested "A particle of envy that so
much more had been done for Ehen
than for himself. Memories were his
Of the h~ardships of his parents, and
he was glad that it had been his priv
ile"e to be an assistant to them in
their early struggles.
Some members of the Montague fam
lily had married DOOR. and, with little
families growing up around them, they
often came home asking mother for
this or that that was lying unused
about the old home and which would
be. of great convenience to them. The
mother always gave freely and cheer
fully, and encouraged their asking;
vel, from force Of habit, she almost
invariably said: Yes, you can have
it; but ii you wasn't our own folks
you'd not get it." Or, Il suppose, be-
ing our own folks, you must have it,"