Discusses dad's burying of cabbage in garden to store them. Also stored apples & potatoes underground in garden.
FARMHOUSE
Things froze in house in winter. Wood-burning stove used to heat house. Other house had coal-burning stove. Picked up coal with wagon & shoveled it into house. Houses were not built well; just 2x4's & lath. Describes sheet iron heating stove that would heat a house pretty good.
CHILDHOOD WORK
Boys' chore was to get a week's worth of wood to the house. Describes sawing wood for stove, sometimes before school. Describes injuring hand on stove.
HEALTH
Several Doctors in Raymond that took care of farm families. One, Dr. Easley, was probably from KY who delivered all Bert's siblings. Doctors drove horse & buggy all around countryside to care for people. Talks about getting on horse to get Dr. in Raymond to come to deliver sister.
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Played checkers & a "goose game." Not enough checkerboards to go around. Father read to family. Father, who was a Christian, did not allow use of playing cards. Played game called "Author." Also played banjo, fiddle. Mentions brother who lives in Mattoon was a good fiddler. Dad got daughter Nell an organ. Had singing bees with neighborhood kids. Plenty of entertainment. Bert read a lot. Mentions several authors. Dad read C. Dickens. Family was given cheap novels by others.
