REVERIES...GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL
By Edna Foley, R.R. 3, Farmington

     Up until I was six years old, we lived at Hazel Run, a five hundred acre rental farm.

       My oldest sister and brother were old enough to attend school so there came the time for mom to do some sewing.

      Neighbors were scarce, but there was one who helped mom with her sewing. One day in August, mom took my two sisters and me and material for two dresses to this neighbors to sew. Old Fan was mom's gentle riding horse. Mom placed my oldest sister and me behind the saddle, then she mounted the horse from the still block and picked up our younger sister. My oldest sister also held the material for her dresses. We spent the day at this neighbors and started home in the afternoon.

      There was a creek near this neighbor's house that had to be forded. Instead of holding on to me, my sister had torn a hole in the package she was holding and was admiring her new dresses. There was a slight bank on the other side of the creek. When the horse started up the incline, Jessie fell off, sliding over the horses tail, carrying her new dresses with her!

      I started screaming, mom stopped the horse, but sat on her. She saw that Jessie was alright, the creek was shallow. There stood Jessie, dripping wet and crying because her dresses were floating away. Mrs. Kennedy heard the scream and told her daughters to run! Florence rescued Jessie and the dresses that had lodged against a watergate. We all went back to Kennedys and they had some clothing there that a girl had left.

      Jessie was changed and we all got back on old Fan and proceeded on our way. This time Jessie held to me!

      Old Fan lived a long time, faithful until she died. Mom kept riding her. Another little sister was added to our family and she sat in mom's lap when mom was riding. When mom picked up the reins, she would cluck to Fan. That was the starting signal.

      Lucy, the little sister, learned to cluck, too.

      School time brings back many memories.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO,
Thurs. August 28, 1980.