Union Township (part 8 of 8)

"Nancy A. Park was a woman of mild temper, and a patient sufferer, but communicative and pleasant. She was an ancient Briton by descent, but American born. Her maiden name was Edwards. Her husband - my grandfather - was an Englishman by descent, whose ancestors were among the colonists of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607-8. My maternal grandparents were from the county Antrim, in Ireland, and emigrated to this country at the close of the war of the Revolution. From this you will see that J, in my humble person, represent the*blood of different nations, but it will not be supposed that my European predilections are very strong, as I have an American lineage of more than two hundred and fifty years. Iwas born in Union township, November 21, 1810, and at four weeks old, in midwinter, was taken into a green beech cabin, without floor, door, or chimney, which, however, was soon made comfortable by the industry of my, then, young parents. Nor did I enjoy the luxury of a nice baby-crib set on rockers. I was cradled in a sugar-trough, and often lulled to sleep by the notes of the owl and the howl of the wolf. But, even then, the sweeter songsters of the forest, such asthe mocking bird, the nightingale and the whip-poor-will, sang just as sweetly from our wild forest surroundings, as they do now from the fancy groves of our finest villas. The attempt to resurrect and place upon record the history of our pioneer fathers and mothers, has caused me to live much of my life over again. The scenes and associations of my youth have many of them been brought vividly before my mind, as in other years. The old-fashioned log cabin with puncheon floor, clapboard door, wooden chimney, warmed by a massive log fire at one end, and lighted by oiled paper windows; the chimney corners hung full of jerk; the rich, juicy, fresh venison, broiled on the end of a sharp stick; the noble wild turkey, roasted for Thanksgiving and Christmas; the occasional feast upon a fat coon or opossum ; the johnny- ~ cake, baked on a board; the rich and healthy coffee and tea, the product of the garden, the field and the forest, and made doubly palatable by rich cream and maple sugar. The pleasant social gathering of our fathers and mothers around the cheerful log fire, relating the incidents and anecdotes of their lives; the hilarity sometimes produced by the exhilerating effects of egg-nog or warm toddy; the happy associations of the young folks; the trippings to the charming notes of the violin; the cabin-raisings, the log-rollings, the corn-huskings, the wood-choppings, flax-pullings, the sentimental songs, the jumping, hopping, wrestling and foot-racing exercises of the young men; the quilting parties of the ladies; the buzz of the spinning-wheel in the cabin ; the whack, whack of the flaxbreak at the barn ; the guns, the dogs and the chase, - all, all of these have been brought freshly to our mind, and we areina great degree permitted to live over again the happy days of our innocence and youth; and that, too, with the most happy reminiscences of those youthful associations. But amidst these pleasant reflections there are some sad thoughts. These revered fathers and mothers have all passed away; more than half of our youthful associates are numbered among the dead, and those that are left have lost the vigor and elasticity of youth and are blossoming for the grave. The school children of to-day greet us as grandparents, and we, too, must soon be numbered with the dead."