When I was very small we seldom saw a horse until the Black Hawk War commenced. And then men came from northern Utah to help protect the people at Sanpete from the Indians and brought their horses with them.
When very small I think my health was not in good condition, and often I lay awake at night for hours or so it seemed to me. I felt afraid in the dark, and would try to awaken my sisters so that I could talk to them, but they were sound sleepers and could not keep awake. Then I would lay and wonder what there was to be afraid of. And I could not think of anything, unless there might be a little colt under the bed, and if there was, it might at any moment kick up its heels. Then I would try to reason, that there were no colts in the neighborhood, so there wasn’t any under my bed, finally along came the sandman and I was asleep.
On one occasion when I was 4 or 5 years old Tamer Washburn my brother Daniel’s daughter came to our house on a visit. Her mother lived at Fountain Green or Wales. There were two children in the family, Tamer and John.
Mother told me while Tamer was our guest it would be nice of me if I would let her handle my playthings to suit herself. Now though [Page 5] so young I was very particular with my things, and it was quite a trial to me to have her do as she pleased with them. And as she hadn’t brought changes of clothes with her, she had to wear my clothes when we went to meetings. In those days we wore pantalets which came two or 3 inches below our dresses. I had one very fine pair with tucks and lace on the bottom which I used just on Sunday for Sunday School or church, and on returning home they, and my best dresses must be taken off, and less valuable ones worn the rest of the day. Well fast day came while Tamer was our guest. We must all go to meeting. It was springtime, the canyon streams were all swollen, and it was very dangerous for children to cross the big creek, or any of the larger streams.
When we came to dress for meeting, mother told me to let Tamer wear one of my best dresses, and my very best pantalets, and I for once could easily wear something less beautiful. This was quite a trial but I did it uncomplainingly. We went with mother to church but after the closing prayer, Tamer was no where to be found. There was quite an excitement for everybody was afraid she had tried to cross the creek and had fallen in; and while everybody was rushing around searching the streets, and raking streams, I was so young then that I do not remember which I mourned the most about, my little niece, or my beautiful pantilets and new dress.
She was finally found down by temple hill, which was then the edge of town, she had gone out of meeting unobserved, and being so small, and in a strange place had wandered away. I was so glad that she was alive and that my lovely pantalets and new dress were not lost.
When I was 6 or 7 years old we had neighbors by the name of Crain. Sister Crain was a large woman.
A part of her dresses were sacks “a sort of blouse,” and skirts.
One day when she was not at home her daughter Ann who was about my age asked the neighborhood group to come to their house and play. We were all there, and seeing sister Crain’s clothes hanging on the wall we decided it would be lovely to dress up like big ladies. Ann said we might take her mother’s dresses if we would hang them up on the wall just like they were before her mother came home. We all made a rush for the clothing because we had never had such an experience before. But to our surprise the dresses were each large enough for two girls. What could we do. It was suggested that some of us could take the pillows and put inside the skirt band while others rolled up articles of clothing to make these skirts and blouses fit.
[Page 6] We had a glorious time parading around with the skirts dragging on the floor, and forgot that the afternoon was rapidly passing away. But Lo, we were reminded when someone stepped through the doorway. There stood Sister Crain. As she beheld us dressed in her clothes, she was filled with rage, and made a dash for us.
I never knew just how we got out of that only door in the house. But I do know that the pillows and clothing were left in the gooseberry and currant brush in the garden and that girls were flying in all directions to escape being caught. And when we congregated an hour later we could not imagine how any woman could be so angry and unkind.
A few days later Hannah Ware and I were making playhouses on Ware’s straw stack which was straight across the street from our home when we saw Sister Crain going home past our house. We felt a bit revengeful and decided to vent our feelings a little, by sitting down in the play house we had just made. And we thought that she could never guess that we had her in mind. So we sang to the top of our voices Chickama Chickama Crainama Crow.
Mother was an expert weaver and it was my every day duty to have the quills filled, and I could only play when there were enough filled to last a while. Well when I was busy filling the quills next day, and mother was weaving, my sister Huetta came in to talk awhile. A knock came on the open door, and Sister Crain walked in. I felt like sinking through the floor. She looked at me with that terrible look which was on her face that day when we were wearing her dresses. She walked up by the side of the loom and said to mother (by the way she couldn’t speak plain). “This gal orane of yours, and Hannah Ware yesterday had the himpudence to sing Chickama Craine a crow. I couldn’t see um but they were singing to me sure. I know they vere.” Mother very solemnly called me to her and said, “Lorena did you do that.” I said “yes.” Mother gave me a spanking - the only one she ever gave me. When she had given me a few hard strokes my sister Huetta said “Mother that is enough.” Mrs. Crain walked out and Huetta was vexed with mother for spanking me to please Mrs. Crain, but I never sang Craina my crow to that lady again.
It is interesting to recall childhood days when my time was so thoroughly occupied in building rock houses with the assistance of the neighbor boys who came hopping over the partition fence to help me lift a stone that was heavier than I could handle. I took great pride in building, thinking how comfortable my rag doll family would be in each new home I built. There was Susie, Mary, Jane, Anna and Clara, [Page 7] which had been made, and their beautiful calico dresses and white pantalets by my married sister Almeda while she was convalescing from a sick spell, and then she took a backset on account of over doing. My little heart just ached, to think she might be suffering from making my beautiful dolls and their lovely clothing.
One day Joe Dennis on jumped over the fence to help me lift a heavy rock, and as we went to put it in place the rock fell onto my toes, of course I cried a little and Joe ran as fast as though he had committed a crime and didn’t come back to our house for days.
My brother Parley, a small boy, was sent out to cut wood. The piece of wood would not stay in place when the ax hit it, so he got my sister Philena to put her foot onto the wood to hold it in place. Then he raised the ax thinking this time the stick would surely be cut in two, but alas the ax came down on sister’s foot, he was so badly frightened he jumped over the fence repeating, “thunder boys thunder, I have cut Philene’s foot.”
When I was a child skating and sliding on the ice were great pastimes in winter. My brothers made wooden skates for me, regular skates were very scarce. One day on the big creek I would have been drowned but for the quick work of Emiel Nielson. Mother had told me not to go on the creek sliding it was so dangerous, but one day when I went to school I forgot all about her warning. There were dozens of boys and girls sliding and skating. The creek was one smooth glare of ice for more than half a block from the bridge which I was crossing. At the far end of this glare of ice there was a dam about 3 feet high, where a part of the water was taken out to run the carding machine.
Forgetful of everything but the longing to slide, I ran onto the ice, and oh what a delightful slide, but, as I approached the dam I could not stop myself. Over it I went, and in spite of all my efforts I was going straight into the surging whirling airholes at the foot of the dam. Emiel was an expert skater and saw my danger, he came swift as an arrow and grabbed my arm just as I was going in. I never forgot the danger after that, and whenever I saw Emiel I felt that he was the angel who saved my life.
When I was about 7 years old my sister Almeda lived across the street east, and a half block south from our home. She had a small dog named Queen. It was a family pet.
[Page 8] Xmas time was approaching and I longed to do something to add to the pleasure of that good holiday which everybody looks forward to expecting some fine surprise. When I had racked my little brain trying to think out some way of getting a small gift for each one of our family, I finally knew that such a thing could not be done; then I thought I must do something which would start the day out with laughter, so I caught the little dog and with mother’s measuring tape took the measure of the length and circumference of her body, and the measure around her neck and head.
I kept my plans a secret. I watched mother’s sewing basket, and saw some white material which I thought was suited to my needs, and after some persuasion mother said if it is for something useful you can have it, but remember, do not waste it because it is valuable.
My playhouse was in the attic, and there with needle, thread, the measuring tape and mother’s best scissors I worked with a will until I had completed a hat and dress or body covering for Queen, the little dog. The hat was made of a round piece of material gathered to fit Queen’s head, with a ruffle almost 2 inches wide encircling the hat, tape and strings to tie it securely under her chin. (While making the outfit I was obliged to capture the dog and hold her down to fit the things to her body and head.) The dog dress was a complete covering for her back and sides, from neck to tail, with the 2 inch ruffle all around it and numerous matched tape strings to tie it underneath her neck, and body, and around each leg and her tail.
Bright and early Xmas morning while the family were dressing, I ran to my sister’s home and got the dog, took her to my attic, and dressed her in her new costume. Oh what a comical sight that doggie was, her dark little eyes filled with excitement peering out from under the ruffles of the white hat, and when I turned her loose in our living room her behavior was most amusing. She ran in circles, jumped in the air and almost turned summersets trying to extricate herself from that new costume. She barked and yelped while dancing around the floor with her ruffles waving in the air. The whole family came running to find out what the noise was all about. The roars of laughter that filled the house were the climax to the dog’s excitement.
Someone came rushing from the outside and as the door opened the dog gave a leap and went bounding over the snow in double quick time.
[Page 9] There was a cat hole in my sister’s door large enough for the dog to push through, she was through in a jiffy. As she ran home I followed close behind. And as I came close to the house I heard the laughter of my sister and her husband. The dog was still dancing in her new suit, which was so securely tied she could not dislodge it.
When my sister was able to control her laughter she said, “You young rascal how could you think of doing such an unusual thing. Why it’s as good as a circus.”
How We Procured the New Testament
When I was a child of 7 or 8 and 9 years of age, we received small tickets or cards, with a passage from the New Testament printed on them, each Sabbath morning at Sunday School. And when we had collected about 50 of those small cards, we could exchange them at Sunday School for a New Testament. We could also get those cards for reciting in our class chapters from the New Testament, or any good poetry.
My brother Parley and I put our tickets together, and each got a Testament.
Our sister Louisa who was married and lived in Washington, Dixie, was visiting at home during the winter of 1869 and 70, so we decided we would put our Sunday School tickets together and get her a Testament for a present.
We worked hard, I recited all the poems I could think of, and chapters in the Bible.
One morning I recited the 16 chapter of Mark. I repeated the names of both the Ancient and Modern Twelve Apostles, and was still lacking a few tickets to get the Testament. I told my troubles to my teacher and she said “Can’t you think of just one more poem to recite; it would likely be enough.” I told her I had one more, but maybe she wouldn’t like me to recite it to the class. She said “Oh go right ahead and recite it.” So I recited the following:
Oh may that cursed Jef Davis float
In open sea, in open boat,
To islands cold without a coat
Glory hallelulah
[Page 10] Without a compass, sail or oar,
A million miles away from shore.
Where mighty waves like mountains roar,
Glory hallelulah
Without a paddle, wheel or stern
Where sharks e’r wait at every turn
May the devil take the whole concern
Glory hallelulah.
It was enough. The teacher suppressing smiles, while others giggled, handed me the needed tickets, and after the closing prayer, I walked home with the New Testament.
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