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

CHANGES IN THE OLD HOME 197
for a great many things. I remember the evening in October
when I first saw it. We had been looking out admiring the
bright stars which spangled the sky and watching first one
and then another flash out, when suddenly, whde looking toward
the north, we saw a new one with a luminous vapor about
it. We called motlicr and she thought it might be a comet, so
we talked much of our discovery and looked for it each evening.
We noted the fact that it grew and changed its place in the
heavens until it seemed to race after the sun and appeared in
all its brightness as soon as twilight left the sky.
The papers of the time had a lot to say about the magnitude
of this wonderful comet. Some conjectured that it might
strike our planet and destroy it; others saw famine or predicted
war. The spirit of the times certainly justified the latter
prediction. The internal ferment of the day was great.
Political phases grew more and more to be the topic of con-
versation everjrwhere. The North was divided upon the
subject of slavery — some thought we should let it alone to
take its course, while others noted the crowding desire for
more slave territory. The "Solid South" called for a dissolu-
tion of the Union, and some were eager to fight it out; and I
remember that one so-called "fire-eater" declared that "only
blood to the bridle bits" would satisfy the South. All those
drastic words and fierce disputes were leading our country on
to the darkest day in her history, and thoughtful men were in
terrible suspense.
To return to our desolated farm — father and mother
and Ida prepared to move to Harrison, while we three, William,
Julia and I, went to Green Tree. Brother Joe was then working
for Cousin William Utter; we were indeed scattered from
our nest. While I was at Green Tree Julia and I were invited
to her Uncle Spencer Hunt 's to spend the night. Here opened
up an experience of no ordinary interest. The Hunt family
was related to the Morrises through Aunt 'Rusha Hunt,
daughter of Benjamin Morris, who married Spencer Hunt.
We were introduced to her at Green Tree on our former visit.
In the olden time she had lived in her own ample home, a
mile south of Red Lion and not far from Green Tree. They