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

134
ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
and we were clearing the table, one of the roving insane presented
himself at our door announcing that the Lord Jesus had
sent him there for his breakfast. Mother in her calm voice
answered, "He sent you to a poor place, as I am out of bread."
Another character was "Crazy Charlie Havens," though
generally his surname was omitted. He had been sent over
the mountains from New York by his wealthy relatives and
consigned to the care of Dr. Pierson. These relatives sent
money for his board, but finally in some way he became a
rover and struck out to take the road. Our father could recall
his first appearance in our neighborhood when he was
himself a young man. "Crazy Charlie" was at that time
dressed in good clothes, presumably once the property of
Dr. Pierson, even to a tall beaver hat. Thus he roamed over
southern Ohio, coming to our place about once in six weeks.
He was a silent man, who would come quietly along and open
the back door and slip noiselessly in; if he found a fire in the
fireplace, he would take his bundle of rags for a pillow and lie
down with his feet to the fire in fine content. One time when
Neighbor Brown gave him a bed he grew angry and declared
that he was used to better treatment, even to lie on the floor
before the fire. The Browns were new in the neighborhood in
those days, and the kind and hospitable mother of the family
thought she would give the poor fellow a good bed once; but
he plainly made known his preference for the fireplace and his
pillow of rags.
More than one morning on rising we have found Charlie
stretched out before the fire with his favorite pillow. He always
slept in all his clothing, and he wore two complete suits
of outer garments too. It used to take an hour for him to eat
bread and coffee, then he would lay in a good supply of meat,
and potatoes. After keeping the table for him for a long drawn
period he would look in the coffee-pot in quest of more "cool
coffee;" into what remained he would pour water from the
teakettle, and then fill three or four bottles of various sizes,
from vials to pint flasks, with the diluted coffee or just warm
water; these receptacles were then stowed away in his rag pillow
and numerous pockets. This poor demented creature