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

138 ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
the fire and boiled the dinner in kettles hanging from the crane
and swinging from the pothooks. All is silent now; in our
childhood the poultry had nests in the fireplace and bedrooms
— the family had moved into the brick house which came with
the growing prosperity. Bruin's barn was located on a high
piece of land in a direct line with the back part of our house.
When at breakfast in the early morning, we would watch the
sun as day by day it moved toward the north; and I remember
how glad we were in summer days when it took its position
just back of Bruin's barn, and as it arose enveloped the large
building in a halo of glory. I had that same barn connected
with my dreams of the end of the world, so much talked of in
1844. I thought of the appearance of the Father and the
shining angels as being in the east, just over Bruin's barn.
You may smile at the fancy of a child, but I dare to speak now
of my youthful visions. One night when I looked from the
east chamber window I saw a great shining light and two large
books with a bow and arrow laid across them surrounded by
a halo of hght; I expected every moment to hear the trumpet
call and see the King coming in His glory with all His shining
train! I thought: "Oh, where is mother.? If I can get my
hand in hers I know I can face the Judge without a fear;" for
I felt she would be accepted and that she would take me with
her.
North of us in the early times lived a Scotch family by
the name of Brown. They bought the land, built a brick
house, planted the orchard, and tilled quite a prosperous farm.
I recall old Father Brown as a quaint figure in the gallery of
my childhood remembrances. He wore a Scotch cap, knee
breeches, and knitted leggings, and his shoes had buckles on
them. He spoke with a heavy brogue, and how he used to
entertain us by teaching us Scotch words! He would pronounce
words for the ears and nose of a dog, using an old striped
bulldog he had brought with him as an illustration. This
had the desired efi'ect of amusing us greatly. I was still but
a little child when this family moved out to Illinois, but they
sold their farm to a relative of theirs named Matthew Brown.
This family, too, were good neighbors and strict Presbyterians.