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

OUR NEIGHBORS 133
She had some womanly fcehngs that cropped out in a way
that surprised us once. It was when our Httle sister Ida was
about three years old that we missed her one day and searched
the house in every corner — the cellar, the barn, the yard,
and tlie orciiard — when it occurred to us that she might be
visiting Aunt Isabelle. Sure enough, when we entered there
was before the fire a cozy little bundle, head on pillow and
nicely tucked in as to feet; sound asleep was baby sister on
Aunt Isabelle 's floor. She had come to see the old woman,
and as the little one had become drowsy Aunt Isabelle had
made her comfortable, and there she was. She begged us
not to awaken her, but let her get her nap out, and so we did.
Our home was on a road that seemed to be a highway for
beggars, and many queer experiences did we have with these
strays or professionals; some were mendicant friars, some the
harmless insane who in those days were allowed to wander as
they pleased, others were what we now call tramps. One
day some one knocked at our door when mother was busy, and
she sent me to open it. There stood a young friar with a
begging letter in his hand, which I took to mother to read.
This explained that the bearer was dumb, and mother gave
him a large copper penny current in that day. He nearly shook
his head off when I presented it, indicating unmistakably
that he positively declined it. As he was not advertised as
deaf, our mother said, "I think it is a shame that the hordes of
Europe are thronging here to beg our hard-earned money.
A strong man like you should work and earn his living." It
was then he found himself freed from his dumbness, and said
with a brogue that he knew he could earn a dime, but he could
get one without working too. Then he told a story by that
time well known to us, namely that the river Po had been up to
its old tricks again, having inopportunely overflowed and
driven him afar to shine on the shores of America.
Before they built asylums for the insane I recall diff'erent
ones who with wandering minds and feet came to our house.
They radiated from the rapidly growing city of Cincinnati to
all parts of the country. I think it was about the year 1847
that one morning, after our mother had prepared breakfast