THE ROTHROCK HOME

THE memories ot some or my happiest childhood hours are linked with the Rothrock home.

Edith and Cora were among my best friends, and Horace just my age.

In those far off days, we didn't go to play with a friend for a few hours in the afternoon, but since there were so few months of school in a year, we children had more free time. We went to see our friends and stayed a day or two. We thought it a great pleasure to "stay all night" with a friend.

On the Rothrock farm was a huge barn — in fact, two huge barns connected by a machine shed. There were enormous hay mows in the barn, as well as over the machine shed, making a wilderness of hay. When we ran out of other entertainment, we played "hide and seek" in this hay mow. Even after we were nearly grown, and other young folk were there, a game of "hide and seek" in the hay mow was always a delight. It was a lovely place for a whispered confidence between girls, or a bit of love making between girl and boy, as we sought to hide from the one who was "it."

Then there was the Rothrock garden, all fenced in by a picket fence, with the well, where the stock were watered just outside in the lane to the fields. In this garden, there were rows and rows of luschious red currants to tempt us, and sometimes a few straw grew in a damp corner. Then, too, there were all sorts of vegetables growing there. Sometimes when I visited, the children would have to weed the garden, and I would help them. The Rothrocks also had one of the first orchards to come into bearing in that fruitless neighborhood.

Mother Rothrock was a sweet, gentle lady, a gentlewoman, through and through. No slang, nor misdemeanor ever got past her. I sure that her gentleness and refinement helped me to want better things.

I want to tell this story of Horace, and hope he doesn't mind.

The three young Rothrocks were visiting us young Tates. Everyone got up early, and children get so hungry, especially after walk for miles across the prairies. So on this visit Horace told our mother he was hungry, and asked for a piece of bread and butter, which she gladly gave to him. But his sisters were horrified, and reported the incident to their mother when they reached home. Mother Rotfirock promptly scolded Horace soundly, and told him he was never to ask for food at a neighbor house.

The next time they came to visit, Horace grew hungry again. He remembered his mother's warning. It had sunk deep into his being; but the sense of hunger was deeper. It seemed he couldn wait until dinner. He looked up at my mother with longing in his eyes and said,

"Wish I'd got a piece of bread and butter before I left home."

He got the bread and butter.

Again, when the Rothrock children and the young Putmans visited us Tates, we took our lunch and went into the woods to play.

We built a wonderful playhouse under a lordly old fir tree, whose branches reached almost to the ground.

In arranging the "play like" families, with father, mother and children, both Lettie Putman and Cora Rothrock cast eyes at my brother Revvie. It seemed that this one boy was desirable, and the girls quarreled angrily, as to who would have him as husband in her play family. The spat was finally settled, the play families apportioned, and we played happily tile remainder of the day.