Elm Tree Farm (cont.)

The next year, Sept. 27, 1851, the first baby arrived, Charles, he lived to be almost 18 mo old.  By that time the second baby, Fred Budrow, was little more than a month old.  He was born Feb. 4, 1853. 

Other children followed: Mary Elizabeth born Feb 26, 1856, Frank Benjamin, born Nov. 7, 1857, and Thomas Augustus, May 10, 1860. 

The children’s grandmother, Phoebe Forbes Dodge, lived to see them all except Thomas Augustus.  In April 1859, she left her home and family to the care of Louise and Catherine, and she too was buried in the Taunton school graveyard, not cemetery then. 

Six years later in 1857, the “white plague” had entered both the old homestead, and James’ home and Catherine and Mary were freed from their sufferings.

Catherine or Aunt Kate was very skillful with her needle.  She did the most beautiful embroidery on finest mull caps (Grandmother wore caps, collars, under sleeves, wristbands, ruffles, etc.)  When the terrible cough developed, of course she must be kept out of cold air.  No one in that day dreamed of the healing of fresh air and complete rest.  She sat in her chair by the window and embroidered - I supposed she literally stitched her life away.   

There must have been help there for Louise had married James Goddard of York, in April of 1861and was living in her own home. 

I do not know how long Mary was sick, but it was for some time.  Even when “Tommy” was born she was ailing.

I can picture the anxiety and grief of those years, at the thought of separation, and the thought of the young family to be reared and the mother not there.  I have heard Father say that he thought he couldn’t face it, and that when they knew that the end was near, he and Mary were one day talking about it, and she promised that if she was allowed she would come to him in spirit.  Father said he never felt in the least that she was near.  She died November 15, 1865, and she lay in Taunton graveyard.

There followed a period of hired help, and sometimes no help to be had, help from neighbors and home, and more hired help which seemed to be inefficient and rather flighty.

Father was lonely.  He needed someone to care for his family and he asked Lucy Hull Blakeslee to “be his wife and a mother to his children”.  She lived about three miles away, west of Creigsville in the town of York.  Of course the old love never died, but he did have a new and very genuine love in his heart, and on November  14, 1866 James and Lucy were married at the Blakeslee homestead in the town of York.

Minnie told me that when Mother came into the home they were all so glad to see her.  They thought she was perfectly beautiful.  I know she was a fine looking woman.  She was young - twenty-five - and well, and gay.  She came with courage and cheer in her heart, and on her tongue was the law of kindness. Her friend used to call Mother “Old Peaches”, I suppose from her coloring.

I asked Mother what she did when she first came into the house. “Oh,” she said, “I kissed them all around, and Tommy climbed into my lap - he was only four - and he put his arms around my neck, and I asked him if he was going to be my little boy now; and he said yes.”

Mother needed all the courage she could muster.  It was no easy thing to go into a home with a ready made family, even if she was heartily welcomed.

The first baby, Arthur Blakeslee, was born in the house on the corner, and the second one too, Alice Louise, but very early in Mother’s married life they moved to Grandfather’s home, where there was Uncle Jote and Grandfather left.  So Mother had a new element in her family; but she was equal to it.  Grandfather loved her, and they said would do anything for Lucy, often called “Lute”, or “Lutie”.

I couldn't for a minute think there were not little frictions and annoyances, what home doesn't have them where there are growing and developing young people and three generations in the home?  But there was love in the home, and the desire for peace and happiness and the good of others. 

Little Arthur Blakeslee, who was born April 26, 1869 lived only until the first of July 1870.  In the December (27th) of that year Alice Louise was born - a new baby for empty arms and hearts.  But she too died before she was two, in April of 1872.

Once when I had a sick baby of my own and Mother and I were talking about those two children that she had lost, I said to her, “I should think you would have felt what was the use of having babies, if they came only to die.”

“Well, I did feel that way”, was the reply.