| page 4 |
 |
He drove the hitch white horses to the wagon with the boys all in He pulled in front of the store up to the hitchen rack tied the team "Get out kids! he yelled, here's where we all get dressed up. fer Jimtown- My! They were a happy bunch of boys - Just as they started into the store Pa looks around to see down the hitchin rack. Anold neighbor Mr."Edgit" and 7 boys all his own. Now my dad was a very convincing man. He said " Mr. Olsen spose you're gettin yer boys dressed up fer the season as it was right threshing time and thats when the farmers usally clothed theri familys. "Vell. Mr. Cook see ve got yus dozen meybe ve get em sheaper dat vey" Now when I read that book "Cheaper by the dozen"- I recalled this very incident of when my dad purchased the suits and hats-fer Jimtown. Mr Edget baught 7 hats 7 sits Pa baught 6 suits for himself. I will never forget the hats very shallow crowns a narrow turned up brin a little tin watch and red feather on each one Den as he was always called the investugator handyman. Well he decided to investigate the watches he picked Floyds for the experiment he broke the hadns off which caused quite a fist fight. One thing Dad always taught us to stick up for our rights but first be sure youre right. The suits as I remember were all made of same material except one coat which was a loud check Harry took to it so dad let him have his choice Ma said she tho't some day Harry would be an actor on the stage as he liked to wear the latest out and look out standin Pa said it was hard to decide on where to start with long pants Den took short knee Eude shart pants now the boys' were all rigged out except for underwear Pa purchased one bolt of checkerd outing flannel Ma made all the underwear by hand a draw string at waist and at bottom of the drawers at ankles dont understand the draw string at bottom unless to keep out the sandburs dust and sand during one of those big wind storms in spring Now Pa's suit was right pretty very tight trousers with a satin stripe sizzor tail coat of black Alpaca I think it was called. a white stiff bosom shirt and a bow tie Dad really looked mighty fine dressed up. Maybe you think this wasn't a hard day shopping Now for the luggage. He looked around to find just what he thought would do to carry the lunch for 10 he tho't the biggest size telescope very long one had to be packed bene so as to balance correctly he purchased 10 tin cups 1 gal jug 1 coffe pat all to be tied on the outside of telescope this Pa said he would carry this typw of luggage had to be handled with care said he could never all get off and get on again in 10 minutes as that was the time for eating at Fred Harveys. said he'd never take that chance on loseing us . so now that piece of luggage was all taken care of. One large size carpet bag for Jace and his guitar one a trifle smaller for Harry next was a bird cage a largeone for Floyd to carry the jack rabbits in the boys wanted to show their cousins the rock mountain Jack rabbits. Den carried a big trantular in a cigar box pinned down to bottom of box It was a dead one but looked very much alive they had holes in led to look through. As many of us as could keep step and hold onto a handle had to carry some kind of traveling equipment. Pa took us through a course of training on travel He worned us to keep up stay close to him and not talk when we saw a policeman just let him do the talkin and he said we'd be safer that way. none of us had ever seen a big policeman but had heard about them. Pa said we'd have to obey his whistle which was a shrill one he did on two fingers in his mouth we knew his signals by heart and was on our toes in a second Now that took care of all rules he had layed down. Nest to be dressed for the trip was mother Elsie and I our hair cut short. She tho't some false hair would look right pretty for herself say bangs pinned on over eye brown knda low all curled. a very small hat with two long hat pins high crown I think we have some of them left today. Pa baught her a gold necklace with a gold locket her dress for traveling was butttons down front ofbasque which was gored to fit very snug. a full sweeping shirt. My She was so pretty we all tho't she was the most beautiful woman in the whole world She was so happy and pleased with everything and a smile for everyone. Chapter 8 The Night we all went to Church Big Bend One morning my aunt Mary came over it was just before we started on our trip She said now Joe you have the children all dressed so well and nothing to keep you and Hattie from attending our protracted meetings at Big Bend (a large school house where Jason and Harry Floyd and Den went to school everybody in the comunity attended. So Dad finely said he's take us all once anyway. Said he lowed it might do us all good- Be what he was looking for as he had felt all along he was leaving something important out of his life and that was a Christian training for the family. he said to his sister Mary I believe you are right mabe we should go and hear this preacher I never thought much about religeon 'till I started to raise my family and I was a thinkin that is what they need. So I'll go tonight. Well he got the team hitched Mother had us all ready to start very early Pa always said never be late for church and always said never take a back seat in church and laways go up where you can hear the preacher he might tell you something you wouldn't want to miss. So off we went we children in the back of the sitting on the new green hay dad had piled in and a big comforter spread over it as we all got placed Mother and Dad in front spring seat with baby "little Joe". We arrived early Dad placed us in the seats near rhe front not one word out of any of you he said be very quiet. He and Mother sit close to us. after the service the preacher saked if there was anyone in audience who wanted to make a change and serve God and follow him My dad and Mother stood up. My dad said I have never prayed nor thought I'd need prayer tho' I have found as we go on trying to raise a family we need something more and this must be it- a family for God. The tears fell from his cheeks as he had never prayed He fell on his knees he asked God for wisdom and courage to take his stand and train his family in the right direction. He said he knew all these years that he had left something important out. Mother had sent us to Sunday school tho' we could not quite understand why Mother and Dad did not attend as other parents. Now my dad took us home that night I believe the happiest man in all the world Next morning things had changed He said Hattie we must get bibles for all these children I'm sure there is a great many things they should learn and a good one for myself. I'll start right now and we will read a Cahpter each moring and night we'll pray and do our best to raise our family for God. Dad become a constant reader of the Bible He purchased every good book on the market he was an avid reader I rememberhe always said He believed he found more hard boiled wisdom in the bible than any other book. One day as he had been reading to mother and trying to search out the meaning of each Chapter he begin to read in John 14 the Chapter "Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my fathers house are many mansions--- My dad stopped reading. There! There! Hattie is what Eliza meant when she came back to talk to me: Mother asked what do you mean Joe? "Now I understand why she came back. All these years Hattie something has haunted me I have never been satisfied to go on living just for myself. I knew I could never raise these children without the help of God. Now everything seems so clear. Mother did not quite understand it all as he mentioned Eliza his Sister. So he said now I'll tell you my story. It happened many years ago when I was only 20. Many times I have heard him tell this true story of my aunt Eliza's She after being amrried a short time become very ill. The family Doctor came to find her very low he called two other doctors they held a consultation having decided to opperate, which they did. Aunt "Liz" a we called herwas a very beautiful and always kind and good as dad said he loved her as she being the olest took the place of his mother. Now this day she become so very ill the Doctors performed this opperation right on the kitchen table as was the custom No hospitals then no opperating tables just in the home of the patients. So while opperating she passed away the doctors having pronouced he dead they layed her out on two wideboards s back into the big parlor there she layed 24 hours with a sheet spread over her while some friends watched as it was the custom to sit up with the dead. |
 |