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

122 ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
communicated his fears to our mother, who exhorted him to
leave all in the Lord's hands and bade him go forth to the
call of duty. I can still see how he looked over the stovepipes
to see if they were in order and quite safe, and after he had
done all he could to insure our safety, he took the carriage and
his two little bay horses and placed his carpetbag of clothes
for the journey under the back seat, and stood at the front
gate ready to leave. The trusty little horses waited for their
driver while he took an affectionate leave of us all. Finally
the hnes were gathered in his hand and he was soon out of
sight, going over the slippery roads in the direction of the
Little Miami River, from whence he was to go to Clinton
County and beyond to a new field of labor. He left us all in
our usual health.
A few days later mother boiled a pot of beans with pork,
a dish of which grandfather was very fond, and he ate of this
rich, strong food with great relish. We all retired rather early.
Mother was the last one, and she it was who covered the fire.
About midnight she heard grandfather making a noise in his
room, which opened off the sitting room. She at once went
to investigate and found that he was in a hard chill. She
made haste to open the fire and get a kettle of hot water ready,
then wrapping grandfather in a quilt she soon had his feet in
hot water and gave him some herb tea. The chill passed, to
be followed by high fever. When the sun rose the next
morning we children gathered about our grandsire's couch
with an interest new to us, for we could see how ill he was.
In one of his lucid moments he called for our sister Ida, who
was his favorite. He had given her the name of "Maggie."
I can yet see her, a small child of perhaps six years of age,
standing by his bed while he stroked her sunny hair and
called her endearing names. The fever ran high, with a hard,
dry cough and delirium.
Now all this time our father, unconscious of our anxiety,
was going on his way, getting further from us every hour.
During the day grandfather grew rapidly worse. When our
good neighbors heard of his illness they were at once by his
bedside, ready to render assistance. Sam, the hired man, was