The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-09-20
MRS. BAILEY'S PAPER.
Child Hood Life in Pioneer Days
Compared With To-day.
The following paper was read b

i ~ aOAONN%@o FNF~~ -
4 fore the recent old settlers reunion:
i Compared to the conditions of child
!, life of the present, the life of the
child of the pioneer was barren in the
extreme. Though child nature remains
lmuch the same in all ages and condi-
tons, our foreparents. for the most
Ipart, were strict disciplinarians and
believe in the adage, "That children
should be seen, not heard" and / am
sure that the children OF fifty or sixty
Years ago never dreamed of taking
liberties such as are taken by the
children of the present day and time.
Children were expected to do as
they were hidden, honor age-not in
lterrupt when others were speaking,
nor be unseemly boisterous to the an
noyance of their elders; to be honest
and love the truth for its own sake
Some memories of my childhood life
are: That we never dared answer
what when called, but there" and
Sir" and though father was always
most mild and affectionate, we learn
ed that when he looked over his
Specs" as we called it, twas best we
should be a little less noisy, and not
wait for second bidding.
AS a natural consequence, the hard
ships of the pioneer were entailed up
on the child, yet we had diversions,
such as they were. and have always
maintained that we were, with our
rude and harmless pleasures, as gen.
timely happy as are the children OF
this progressive age. where ignor-
ance is bliss, it's folly to be WISE" is
an axiom applicable to the life we
lived as a child three-ffths of cen.
fury ago. Our toys were very few, In
deed, and the numerous and complica-
ted kinds manufactured for the juven-
lie of the present age, am sure had
not then ever entered the mind of the
most ingenious inventor. Though my
early home was not one Of poverty,
yet we ate our bread and milk from
tin cups, with iron spoons, and as
families were in those days such as
would delight the heart of Teddy
Roosevelt, it was the universal GUS
tom for the children to wait till the
second table. The reason for this, l
think, must have been that the tables
were small, which of necessity they
had to be, to fit the small cabins
in which they were to be spread. Our
table had always cloth Of plain
homespun linen, and for extra occa-
sions, the birds eye" pattern, which
spotless production of the weaver's
skill was always used when the
preacher came for two days meet
ing.
Among my first attempts at real
work were the handing of threads to
be drawn with hook through the
gears" whenever a new piece was to
be put in the loom, and the early in
PRODUCTION to a set of knitting need
les. And to this day I think it was
capital plan to Undue the child with
habits of industry. Yes, our garments
were for the most part, home woven
jeans, flannel and linsey, and 1 could
point you today to persons, prosper
Gus, and to the forefront of modern
modes, whose suits, Sunday suits and
all, were spun, woven, dyed and
stitched by the busy hand of the
faithful mother herself; and venture
the assertion that those very persons
are not ashamed of the fact. One peg
in the wall was all sufficient to hold
the child's clothing, as but few had
but one change at time.
The small children of the family of
the small cabin home passed their
happy dream time in the small trun-
die bed, which was of morning
showed under the larger, and hidden
by the balance during the day. Where
now our great grandchildren hear the
thrum of piano, we heard the thud,
thud Of the loom, and the wheel" of
their grandmother's was the eyer-busy
whirring wheel, that spun the yarn
that made the cloth woven in that
loom.
What the eye don't see, the heart
don't grieye AFTER" in truth applied in
our case, for We were content with
the then present conditions. All were
on the same social plane, not living
exalted one above the other, and l re-
peat, that our enjoyment was as true
as it is at the present epoch of child
evolution. No, We had but few idle,
Sinking boys in those days, as they
were taught to put a shoulder to the
wheel. Remember, there were no In
ventions to tighten labor, but every
piece Of work had to be done by the
exercise of pure muscle and Drawn.