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

1 86 ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
when we went over to Waynesville and found the Myers family,
who were mutual friends of ours and the Morrises. We had
a pleasant time with them; they were among William's Hterary
friends. They knew more of books and poetry than they did
of the practical business of life. We stayed over Sunday with
them, and on Monday morning it took them about two hours
to get breakfast, so our start back to the Green Tree was late.
On returning, when I greeted Mrs. Morris with "Good morning,"
she told me it was afternoon. We were to return home
that day, so we had a lunch, fed our horses and started with
all haste, for we knew how anxiously our parents would look
for us. Before we reached home it had begun to grow dark,
and as we came dragging in we found our dear father at the
gate, having heard the approach of our wheels as they rumbled
over the frozen ground. Mother had a good, warm supper
waiting, for which we were ready with keenest appetite. They
were eager to hear the recital of our experience and we enjoyed
the telling.
The summer after WilHam taught school in the neighborhood
of Green Tree, JuHa Morris, who was to become our
sister in October, came to visit us. Our parents were quite
desirous to know more of the one who was so soon to become
a member of our family group, so William was to visit Green
Tree and bring Julia home with him. We were well pleased
at the prospect of this visit, and she was a much anticipated
guest. It was the summer of 1858. Mother was a woman of
many cares, and that summer the work had accumulated on
her hands, so it seemed good to her to find in her prospective
daughter-in-law a willing helper. Among other pieces of
work a quilt was to be quilted and was placed in the frames
upstairs; I think JuHa herself did every stitch of that task,
when quilting was a fine art and very elaborate. In other ways
the little woman lightened our burdens during that visit.
How the weeks did fly for the lovers — how they dreamed
love's golden dream, looking for a future full of happiness!
They felt no forebodings of coming ill, so entirely lost were
they in mutual love and devotion. At this distance, since the
history of our elder brother and his wife is closed, I see the