Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-09-29
MY AUNT'S x *
PEWTER PLATE
BY G. M. REED.

HOW pleased we were when it was
Ii decided that Pitsie, Nell and I
were to spend the winter with Uncle
Alex, Aunt Emma and dear grandma,
away down in Maine.
Mamma had been very i'll and the
physician said she must go south and
have perfect rest, SO Aunt Emma had
promised to take charge of us and
we were to start in the morning for
the farm. q
We had never been in the country,
except in summer, and Aunt Emma
was kept busy answering our questions
while packing our clothes and making
other arrangements for our journey.
Early the next morning we babe
mamma goodbye" with fearful eyes
and sorrowful hearts, for such a long
separation, but when we reached the
station we were chatting merrily
about what we we're to see and do at
grandma's, and our good-byes to papa,
who accompanied us thither, were
much more cheerful than one would
have thought possible, who had seen
our woe-begone faces when starting
out.
There were so many pleasures to
anticipate, skating and coasting among
outdoor sports, cows, calves, sheep,
horses, swine and hens to be seen at
the barn, all remarkable and full of
interest to us city-bred children, and
indoors, games, books, popping corn
and, best of all, grandma and her
stories.
Grandma liked old-fashioned ways
ana things, and neve would consent
to have coal stoves, and insisted on
keeping her open fireplace in her
room ready for a fire, summer as well
as winter.
She always had plenty Of company
evenings, for when twilight came the
little ones flocked in there, tired with
their outdoor play, delighted to cud-
die down before the pleasant blaze,
and listen to one of her delightful
stories.
On the second evening after our ar
rival we were all gathered around the
fireside popping corn and roasting ap-
pies, when Pitsie said, Grandma,
please tell us a story about when you
were a girl"
"Oh," said grandma, will you never
be tired of hearing those old stories?
You must know them by heart by this
time; you might tell them to me in
stead"
ooh! do tell us a story" chorused
all together, "a nice story about bears
or Indians, or anything like that, you
know" rather vaguely added Nell,
who revealed in exciting, blood-curd-
ling stories.
Cant you tell us a real, truly
story?" said Pitsie, somewhat anxious
ly, she, unlike Nell, being somewhat
timid, and frightened by the mag
mary horrors in, which Nell delighted.
II think perhaps l a suit both of
you," said grandma, musingly. did
l yer tell you how the pewter plate
in your Aunt Emma's cabinet came to
have one side melted off"
mo, indeed, you never did," said
Pitsie promptly.
II don't think I ever noticed the
plate" said Nell, jumping up from
the floor where she was sitting, tend
ing the apples, 'can / get it now?"
YES" said grandma, "bring it here
for us all to see, and then l will tell
you how the melting happened; my
grandma told me, the story SO many
times, when l was young like you,
that now 1t almost seems to me that
l was living at the time, myself, and
saw it, as she did, for she was a child
about u years old, and remembered
distinctly every event of that memoir
able night"
Nell brought the plate and it was
duly inspected with much curiosity
by us children.
"Why, l always thought that was
a tin PLATED" exclaimed Pitsie, look
ing at the plate rather doubtfully.
1T looks just like the tin plates they
use at the Children's Home"
1T is heavier than tin" I inter-
posed, "and has something stamped
on the back, | can't just make tout
what it is, some trade mark, I think"
do let me look!" exclaimed Nell.
why, that is a lion and unicorn,
and" more slowly, II think, a crown,
but 1t is rather dim, almost worn off"
Yes" said grandma, you are cor
rect, Nell, it is of English manufac-
ture, and very old, just how old I an
not say. 1t belonged to q set, all Of
which were melted except that and
n other, at the time I am about to
tell you of, nearly 20 years before the
revolutionary war.
MY great-grandfather, William
Woodleigh, settled at what is now
called F~reeport, then a part Of Var
mouth, living in a log house in a clear
ing he had made In the dense forest;
his nearest neighbor being about four
miles away, and the nearest garrison
Or block house nearly five miles In