The Republican journal., 1912-12-26
Personal "reminiscences.


in Portland, Me-, l spent few days
with his son John, who owns farm
about IL miles out of the city and travels
winters in the South as agent for hard
ware firm. | am now with my mother,
sister of John Lane, Jr. She, in COM
pany with her daughter, Sadie l.. Lam
der, and very affectionate family spend
many happy hours in summer traverslng
the Pine Tree State in an automobile. A
few DAYS spent with their brother, G. +.
Lane of Brooks, 72 years old, reveals the
fact that he is too busy with insurance
and other business to attend Quaker
meeting any more and it appears almost
doubtful whether he will be able to stop
to die on time Their sister, Mrs. A. e.
Dow, is often seen in the Va. stores, and
her husband, M. J. Dow, does not grow
old very fast, especially when seen in the
company of young people,
A few days at the Stiles ranch reveals
ideal conditions in many respects. Their
son Robert has not only enjoyed the best
educational privileges OF the present day,
but the unusual privilege of his grand
parents having lived and died in the
same house. When l met his sister in
Portland a few weeks ago for the first
time, without giving my name told her
that was almost as closely related to
her mother as a brother, as ] was
brought up in the same neighborhood,
school and church, and often in the same
Family. She said: 81 do not remember
aver having seen YOU Such are the
changes which more than one fourth
century has brought about. Her moth
er's grandfather and my grandfather
were twin brothers and their wives were
twin sisters, all married the same day.
On a former occasion spoke of seeing
nv grandmother's sister. Her husband,
Elijah Cook, had preached evening after
evening in East Thorndike and Jackson,
and though gone over the river still lives
IN the hearts of his countrymen. Grand
mothers brother, Tobias Jones, lived
many years on Sprout Hill in the town OF
Brooks. He could doubtless have told
many stories of the hardships of pioneer
life. His granddaughter, Eva Gould,
and son, now own hundreds of acres OF
that fertile Sprout Hill. She says she
sanioys attending Quaker meeting as we'll
as her ancestors, but the cares of life
prevent her from often enjoying the
privilege.
NV old schoolmate, Mrs. Frank Phil
brick, and her husband, still enjoy the
privilege of wrenching the precious dol
lars from the fertile acres of their an
cestors. 1t might be proper to pause
here and remark the difference between
the Maine table and the western pioneers
table. 1t is nothing unusual in the west
to have half bushel of doughnuts and
other things in proportion for Christmas
and then have the plainest of fare the
remainder of the year. But here in
Maine we have Christmas seven days in
a week, all the time.
The remark has been made that the
time is not far in the future when the
Young man who has not inherited fort
une will be unable to support family.
Every lady wants the finest of every
thing, regardless of income or the needs
of old age Possibly old age pensions
might be remedy for many of the ills
in life. 1t would be perfectly fair for
me to contribute to the support of the
aged if am to receive similar aid when
[ get old. Such system would obviate
che necessity of providing for old age.
So large proportion of the people have
proved themselves incapable of making
such provision that this system would
aid in placing humanity on more CON-
mon level.
Carrie A.Ferguson and Cheney Higgins
and wife, after having spent more than
3Oyears in distant lands, have returned to
the haunts of their childhood to enjoy
the ripe experiences of life, We spent
an evening with Ross c. Higgins, who as
a faithful son all these years, has main
saana3 the hospitable paternal mansion
with dignity and sobriety. 1t is an IN
usual event that our class in the little
red scnoothouse has not been broken dur
ing the last 80 years, but all are still liv-
ing to read The journal, and Joseph Hig-
gins. in his Gath year, was able to husk
nearly 100 shocks of corn the past fall.
Those who grew up with me here in
the Pine Tree State are scattered to all
parts of the earth, and some of US have
returned to meet again in the land of our
. birth. We hear them tell of handling
goods by the carload, driving nine yoke
81 oxen on the western plains, and OF the
huge joke they have found this life, as
1oiayed on us poor mortals.
Sunday morning, Dec. 9th, we met at
the Friends meeting house in Brooks,
where our, fathers have worshiped for
generations. The subject of "Jesus, the
Lignt of the World" was ably handled
according to present standards. 1t was
alluded to as reflected light, which is
the popular theory. 1t might be we'll to
oone;rlor and investigate whether or not