Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

CHAPTER VII
OUR SPRINGTIME
HE early days of March bring to southern
Ohio freeze and thaw in close succession. There
is a certain day, March 2, 1844, the weather
of which I well remember, though I was not
six years old at the time. It was during the
visit of Cousin Mary Jane Skinner and a rainy
afternoon when our parents decided to fulfil a
promise to us of some standing. This took us children, then
three in number, and Cousin Mary Jane to spend the night at
our neighbor VanZandt's. It was something out of the
ordinary for us to make a visit of this duration. To be with
the large family of VanZandt children for any time was an
event to be anticipated, and the four of us went with joy.
We stayed not only that night but into the afternoon of the
next day, March 3, when father came over and announced the
birth of a fine little daughter, our sister. It took but a moment
for us to get on our coats and wraps and start for home. The
rain of the day before had been checked by a cold wave; the
mud had frozen and the walking was very rough. Our eagerness
to see the Httle sister sent us with all haste down the road,
breaking through the deep horse tracks, mud and water flying
over shoes and stockings and up on coats and dresses; but
what cared we — a wonder and a gladness awaited us at home!
Upon the arrival we found some good neighbor women still
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