Tusquittee Chronicles Part VI

Tusquittee Chronicles  Part VI

I Am Five

I probably slept late on by birthday for I was not accustomed to getting up early and doubtless dad had already gone to work. Mother never forgot to butter a few biscuits for us while there were hot for we had biscuits for breakfast nearly all the time during my early childhood. I would climb upon the fence in front of the yard to eat mine and occasionally someone would pass by and say, “Hello, Buddy.” Usually Maude sat on the porch while eating her biscuits.

Maud was a little girl but large enough to play with when one of us did not have to mind the baby or do some other chore. We had a rope swing with a little board seat attached to the limb of an apple tree, and we would take turns swinging or pushing the other, but Maud was so small that I had to do most of the pushing.  Aunt Lizzie came and brought Cora. I played by myself or with Tige, but when Jake came, Maud had to play alone most of the time. Jake would not condescend to use the little rope swing, but there was a grape vine on the hill behind the barn. It was much longer and we could swing higher, but we had to be careful and hold on tight with our hands for it had no seat.

By referring to a ready reference calendar, I find that September 29, 1880 fell on Monday. I had not been taken to church on the preceding day for the Methodists owned the fourth Sunday of each month, but on the next Sabbath, I would certainly go to “meeting,” for that was the day that belonged to the Baptists. I knew I would sit on a bench beside mother in the women’s section trying to keep still with my feet dangling in space while preacher Hall would talk about the “good world.” But he might also say something about the “bad world” and make me afraid. Grandfather Moss would also preach and dad would lead the singing. Someone would probably tell mother how well she looked for she was prettier than any of the other women. Dad would ask the preacher for dinner, and if he came we would have a lot of good things to eat.

Growing Up

My growth was at first very slow, and for awhile Maud was taller than me. When water was poured on a board resting on our heads, I was the one that got wet. Although I was nearly two years older, we were sometimes asked if we were not twins. People sometimes called my Tim as I reminded them of my sawed-off maternal uncle. During my early teens, I began to grow up and continued to grow until I was an awkward gangling youngster almost six feet in height at seventeen.

During the first four or five years of my young life, I wore a dress and a bonnet with splits to keep it in shape. I remember pleading for pants for quite awhile before I got them, and when my first pair was finished I was told that they would be given to Jake if I were not quieter. The pants barely came to my knees, and I continued to wear knee pants after other boys my age had full length trousers. This was mother’s idea, not mine.Anyway they were easy to get into. In the morning with one motion, I would swing out of bed into my pants, button them to the little waist I wore, wash my face and hands and begin to eat breakfast in about 60 seconds from the time I had been called. I was generally awake already for mother’s old coffee mill made a lot of noise.

My early childhood was occupied with alternate play, work and study, but as I grew up there was less play and more work. I had no brother with whom to play, but I did have a cousin who was a very good substitute for one.

Next week–Cousin Jake, Maud and work