This is my second post about the book my great aunt Ella Kingsbury Whitmore wrote at her daughter’s request about her parents and siblings. I will exclude some portions of the book and at times will combine certain paragraphs (many of her paragraphs are only one sentence long!) but other than that, I will not edit her writing. I will occasionally insert a parenthetical comment or question, but for the most part I’ll close the post with my thoughts and observations about the portion of her book that I’ve transcribed and I’ll let her story speak for itself.
After explaining that her parents learned to read from Webster’s Spelling Book and giving a few examples of the maxims that were also contained in it such as:
“Labor makes us strong and healthy.”
“Every person should wear a decent dress.”
“Girls wear aprons to keep their frocks clean.”
Ella goes on to describe how her parents met and married. The following is from Salt of the Earth – starting on page 10:
Mother excelled in spelling and we might more easily refer to her than to Webster’s Dictionary, and with nearly the same assurance of aid. She had the privilege of one year of school in Worchester Mass., where she assisted in the home of a relative. She prized the opportunity and made the best of it. It was, however, a lonely year for her. Her shyness prevented her from making advances, and she made no young friends. Perhaps the memory of that lonely year, helped her become the gracious, friendly woman of later years.
One of the maxims of the Webster’s speller was evidently as appropriate as to young people of that time as it has been ever since (I have no idea what this means, so if anyone reading this does, please leave a comment!):
“Youth may be thoughtful, but it is not common.”
Mother in time became a teacher. The pay was extremely small, less than two dollars a week. She “boarded around” among the families of the neighborhood. Sometimes this was quite a pleasure and sometimes quite the contrary.
After years of helping on farms, and other years of apprentice work, to learn a trade, my father became a carpenter. While building a barn for Mr. Robinson, he met the stepdaughter of the home, Hannah Brown. He thought, as she sat in the Jamaica choir, that he had never seen so sweet a face. Her uncles, the Browns, were musicians, and played the violin and bass viol in the choir, in an age when it was not thought quite proper, by the more strict of the parish, to have such ungodly instruments in the meeting house.
I value an old hymn book of that day, Zion’s Harp, “comprising the most approved spiritual hymns, with chaste and popular tunes.” Many of them are of such worth, that they continue to be found in most of our hymnals: “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord, Morning Light is Breaking, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, and Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove.”
Then two of my father’s special favorites, by his favorite author, Lowell Mason: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” and “Thus Far the Lord hath Led Me On.”
Father was also very fond of the poems of Mrs. Hemans, such as “The Landing of the Pilgrims,” with its thrilling question and answer:
What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war? – –
They sought a faith’s pure shrine.
Aye call it holy ground,
The spot where first they trod – –
They have left unstained what they found,
Freedom to worship God.
From Felicia Dorothea Hemans work “The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in New England”
Ella continues her account of her parents marriage in the chapter entitled Teachable Twenties – 1847- 1857
One can picture the young Vermont couple, Joseph with his dark hair and eyes, tall, and thoughtfully serious, Hannah, short and plump, blue-eyed and earnest, as they grew interested in each other.
Her voice was a rich soprano, full and true through the years, such as is rare. His was bass, sweet, but not strong, and before many years, was but a whisper. His love of music was deep, and one can imagine them singing the old time hymn.
Together let us sweetly live,
I am bound for the land of Canaan;
Together let us sweetly die,
I am bound for the land of Canaan.
Simple in their tastes and habits, their wedding was on the same order. Hannah’s sister Mary and husband accompanied them to the minister’s home, where they were united in holy bonds of matrimony. United indeed they were, to be as one, in thought and aim, for fifty-seven years on earth together.
Joseph aspired to wear, for the event, a tall silk hat. He purchased a fitting one, to be delivered in time. When he put it on, it dropped to his shoulders. So his one attempt at distinguished attire was doomed to failure! That affair was always enjoyed by us all, more than if he had been able to wear the hat.
The young couple started at once for the far west, going to Cherry Valley, Illinois, Joseph having some relatives in that locality. Their worldly possessions were a strong tool chest, filled with carpenter tools, a small trunk of Joseph’s make, containing his wardrobe, and a “big box” of Hannah’s store of clothes and bedding, and keepsakes. She had two large silver spoons, and six silver teaspoons which she had earned and had engraved with her initials. They had youth and health, and habits of frugality and industry, and a good share of the rare quality, common sense.
They secured for a home a “car house,” shaped like a car (I assume she means a railroad car) containing two rooms, quite a contrast to the large colonial buildings in their native state. They soon made good friends, some of whom continued through their lifetime. Joseph worked at his trade, and they were prosperous enough to enable them to make a visit to Vermont, with the little Cherry Valley daughter, Mary.
A daguerreotype picture of them at that time shows three earnest, thoughtful faces. The young mother and little daughter have their dark hair parted over their broad foreheads, and smoothly combed over their ears, not very different from the style of the young people of today. Just a glimpse of a black broadcloth head-dress, a wonderful memory of my youth, with its perforated design, appears at the back of the coil of my mother’s hair. Their grave, serious faces are a decided contrast to many of the grinning portraits of our day.
After a good visit with the Vermont relatives and friends, they again hear the call of the west and return to their newer friends and interests.
As someone who did not inherit the musical ability of my ancestors (although many of my cousins did) I am struck by how much of Ella’s memories of her parents involve hymns and poetry they liked. She can recall her parents’ singing voices many years after their deaths. Singing and playing musical instruments must have been an important part of their lives.
You also know the next thing about this passage that grabs my attention – the daguerreotype that was made when Joseph and Hannah visited relatives in Vermont with their first child, Mary. Mary was born in Cherry Valley, Illinois in 1853 so the visit back to Vermont was probably a few years later in the mid-1850s, which is about ten years after the first daguerreotype appeared. What a treat it would be to find that daguerreotype!