The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-08
EARLY DAYS IN BENNINGTON
CONTINUED from second pagel


When my little Edward was three
weeks old my father and mother
came from Pennsylvania to see me,
the only time that | ever saw my
mother after my marriage Provi-
dence so ordered events that I saw
her this once had removed from
White Creek here and she came
from Pennsylvania here. sixty miles,
and was in feeble health. She re-
turned home and died in three weeks
after she left me. After a life of
toll and trouble, beloved by all that
knew her she sank to rest on the
26th of May 1918. A short time be
fore her death she said q believe
that my work is all done; have
nothing more to do" And thus she
breathed away her life without
groan or struggle. She did not
even straighten herself in bed Sister
Sabra remained with me during this
summer and went to her home in
Pennsylvania in August, DR. J. Purin-
ton being her escort.
In December 1913 my husband took
his horses and sleigh and carried me
and my two little ones to my fathers
in Pennsylvania. The second day af-
ter my arrival there at about one o.
clock in the morning my little Ed
ward died-died in the bed with me
and ! knew it not at the time but
about 4 o'clock in the morning 7
awoke, put my head on his face and
il was cold My brother was out the
| DUnninn hofnrn l.
that time he heard its death strug-
giles. AS he neared the house they
grew fainter and fainter and when
he came in it was all still, Ibis spirit
had taken its fight and | knew it
not He was buried by the side of
my mother in a graveyard in Penn
sylyania where they will rest togeth-
er until the resurrection morn.
We returned to Locke During the
two years that we resided in Locke.
1913 and 1914, my husband owned
four places. He built nice snug,
frame house and repaired two log
cabins and in 1916 in February we
/ left all--well sold out--and removed
to Susquehannah county, Pennsyva-
mia. We started the 18th of Febru-
airy, 1915. My twin babies were only
six weeks old | carried one and my
sister Sabra the other We removed
into the house with my father and
stayed until June when we went on
to our own place in 81 yer Lake town
ship, about y miles from DR.. Roses
country seat. II looked rather des
olate-there were IA acres cut down
and burned over-1k acres sowed
TO rye. There was timber out for a
small frame house on the place when
we bought It. Ny husband and
brother William framed the timber.
put M the house and shineled It and
planked it up, threw down a loose
floor put three windows IN and then
we moved in without doors or FIRE
place, the day that my twins were six
months old. | cooked out OF doors
until October OF 1915 when Edmund
! T. Locke built us 2 chimney and Oh,
what a luxury II was to me to have
a fireplace and a good hearth and a
nice white ash floor and to have two
good outside doors made and hung
and then j took down the blankets
that We had used for four months for
doors and then how nice It was
when | could open the door and go
out and shut It when came in.
One afternoon in the month Of Feb
ruary 1916 | left home to visit Mrs.
Bryan who lived one mile west OF our
house. My way lay through the
woods and my road was "bazed''
trees. ! found my way there without
any difficulty as ! had often passed
back and forth. About o'clock D.
M, just as the sun was setting !
started for home. / started towards
home in something OF a hurry and
had not come one-fourth of the way
before ! found that | was lost-there
was one place on the way home that
was little blind. AS soon as dis
covered that | was lost I tried to re
trace my steps to find where first
lost the track but all in vain; could
find no trace Of the road. ! walked
on thinking that should soon find the
road but every step carried me still
further wrong After wa king an
hour or more | concluded to sit down
and wait until morning. But Their.
was a difficulty attending this. there
was nearly foot OF snow on the
ground and walking through the
brush and over the logs, my feet had
become very cold. and / concluded
that to sit down and wait for morn
ing that | should freeze.
Just then the moon shone out and
then ] thought that | should soor
find my way towards home, moi
doubling all the time that I was go
ing towards home. Now my Difficult
ties increased, the moon clOuded In
and | had no guide and after a few
moments of deliberation | concluded
that would take the north star foi
my guide. | followed on and some
times It appeared 10 me that was
going directly south. yet knew that
II was the north star that was fol
lowing and II | travelled all the while
directly north, | should surely find
my way out. I was very much agi
tated when ! first discovered that
was lost and remained so for some
time, but after I concluded to take
the north star for my guide I was
calm | kept walking with my eyes
, on the star when, behold I came out
In clearing II was all very strang.
to me and did not know the place