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

2i6 ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
John Boggs' paper, The Christian Lumi7iary. Mr. Boggs
was a great friend of our father, he who had such a large social
nature and loved his friends so warmly. I remember this
Christian editor visited us while we lived in the Blinko cottage
and I helped my mother prepare the good dinner, and I recall
just what we spread upon our table more than fifty years ago.
During the summer our people had gathered wild blackberries
and elderberries in neglected fields, and mother had a lot of
these wild fruits canned. There were fine apples from the
orchard on BHnko. Then we had squashes and sweet potatoes
and fried chicken. I remember yet with a grateful thrill how
Brother Boggs complimented the elderberry pie I had made
and mother's bread. He seemed to enjoy the simple feast,
and what a fine visit we all had as we sat in the evening about
the open fire. "Tears do unbidden start" at the memory of
such sweet simplicity. A few have yet the art of entertaining
simply, graciously, and spontaneously, and within some home
circles is yet a "feast of reason and a flow of soul."
After my return home mother wanted to go to Antioch,
so we took our horse Kit and started to drive. We had a
long, tedious journey, taking us about all day. A meeting
was in progress at the church, which gave us a good opportunity
to meet our old friends. We had, without planning, made
our visit on that never-to-be-forgotten first Tuesday in November,
i860. Every hour that day was making history, and
Abraham Lincoln was elected to the presidency of the United
States; the last time we could say "united" as we did before
or as we have since those four sad and bitter years of fraternal
strife. As Antioch was an abolition center, election day
passed off quietly.
Before I tell of our farewell to Blinko Shades I must record
with what enthusiasm the Easter boys entered into school life
and what commendable progress they made. It was amusing
to hear them call each other Greek nicknames, as "Hippos"
and "Nepos." They organized a literary society and named
it "Cresciendo." Mr. Easter had built a mill on Blinko, and
near it was a large cabin with a big fireplace, and of this de-
serted building the boys took possession for their society.