Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-21

Visit to New England Home of
Farmer Dicl1ie and Wife, Who
Fear God, Work Hard, Live
Plainly and Rejoice Over the
21st Baby As Over the First
One, Born % Years Ago.
BY MARLEN z. PEW.


CANAAN, Me.-Over a few short hills
from the sleepy village lies the hard
scrabble farm of Charles L. Dickie 1t is
rock-littered and much of the land is
covered by tangled bush. IN which, now
and then, a black bear or deer may be
! seen feeding.
The Dickie farmhouse is a pitifully
patched and weather-beaten structure.
! two rooms below and an apology for i
! sleeping room under the roof. The kitch-
en- stove heats all in winter, when Maine
| winds blow great guns, and snow drifts
up a good eight feet arOunc the house.
Look at the unfertile fields and you will
| wonder how a man can make comfort
able living from them; look at the house
| and you'll be convinced that he can't.
But this poor 1O0-acre farm has produced
| the greatest and IL Roosevelt is right,
the finest crop of any home or farm in
America.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Dickie are the parents Of
| 2-count 'em-2 children, all born singly
! in the old house. all living, all in good
heath, all bright-faced. all obedient, and
all home-loving. There have been as
large families in this country, with twins
and triplets counted, but the crop of
Dickie birds, considering single births,
beats all known records.
MOTHER MARRIED AT IA
Dickie at o. married his neighbours
daughter, Fife Eta Estes. then II. She Is
the mother of this wondrous ram1ly of q,
and she is only AZ years of age today.
Therefore In Is years, the little woman,
still comedy of face and figure and with
courage to wear a rat in her hair and q
tight belt between her sateen skirt and
starched waist, has gone through the or
- a
years excepted. Each time she has gone
10 the brink of death, but always, she
says, she has arisen a stronger, ADLER wo-
man. Her last baby is a month old, and
she says she has never been in such
splendid health as now.
Here is the amazing history of the
Dickie family:
Charles L. Dickie, born August II, 1858,
of Yankee stock, married Miss Estes, Au-
gust Is. 1851. She was born of Yankee
stock, Irish in the background, September
%, 1867.
And here's the procession or Diekie
children:
Mrs Diclxie. surrounded by u of her
children. the others being away, was get
ting dinner in the bare. but clean, kitchen
when the writer drove up to the door.
She insisted that the horses be put out"
and fed and the writer stay to dinner. At
once we fell to taking about the chill
dren. and IL was interesting to watch the
womsn's clever mana cement of them as
well as her scheme of housekeeping. Evil
lima had the new baby on her lap nursing
1t from a half-pint medicine bottla. with
nipple attached The children have all
been raised upon cows milk, being for
the most part weaned when they were
from three to FIVE weeks old. When the
baby Bonnie cried too hard the mother
gave her little dose of a patent sooth-
ing syrup.
The children under ten were in their
bare feet; the others wore good shoes
and stockings. Because company had
come Mrs. Dickie had the family wash up
and comb hair and put on clean frocks or
waists, and every little barefoOted tad
had to go to the pump and wash his feet.
The older children helped the little ones
and the house ran like clockwork. The
woman said she was behind In her mend
ing, and would I please excuse the rags;
indeed, that was easy, for the rags were
clean. She washes every other day.
With so many mouths to feed Mrs.
Dickie says she cooks large quantities of
one vegetable or meat. not having time
for varieties. and they can't afford much
meat. For dinner we had splendid bread,
untrimmed coffee. string beans. farm but
ter and milk and blue berries and cream.
OBEDIENCE RULE OF HOME.
1t was noticed that the children. even