FAMILY HISTORY: POETRY Collection written by Elsie Strawn ARMSTRONG
  
  File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Les Howard Strawn
  
  Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/
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          CHAPTER ELEVENTH
  
  And here I should say something
      Of what I came near leaving out,
  About a final settlement,
      And how it came about.
  
  In the penalty of five thousand,
      My brother went my bail,
  I'd ask him for no support,
      And in that I would not fail.
  
  He made him give five free holders
      In the same penalty,
  That he would never trouble
      Nor ask one cent from me.
  
  And I'd take seven hundred dollars
      For my right of dower,
  It was concluded and recorded
      About the self same hour.
  
  And when I saw my neighbors,
      They talked to me like this,
  And for my silly bargain
      They at me did hiss:
  
  "I was never more astonished,
      Have you lost your senses quite?
  To take a mess of pottage,
      Now for your birthright?"
  
  "Seven hundred dollars!
      Why, what a trifling mite!
  If you had got three thousand
      It would be nearer right."
  
  "And you should have the farm,
      For it was yours at first,
  And for you to rear those children,
      It should be yours at last."
  
  Another neighbor said,
      And his name was Robert Cross,
  And he was our class leader,
      Calculated for a boss:
  
  "I took you for a woman
      Of common sense to be,
  How you can rear those children
      I don't know how you can see.
  
  "To feed, to clothe and educate
      That large helpless family,
  You should have had the farm,
      If not the factory.
  
  "And for that afflicted one there
      Should have been provision made,
  It may take a farm for his support,"
      Thus this neighbor said.
  
  One morning with my father,
      Coming out of Beckwith's store,
  We met with Isaac Griffin,    
      Their class leader, at the door.
  
  "The horses we were riding
      Was standing near the door,
  When he kindly took my hand,
      Said this, and said much more:
  
  "I fear you don't consider
      What you are about to do,
  The suffering and the privation
      And danger before your.
  
  "For half of them that go there
      Die there the same year,
  And half of what is left, come back,
      And glad when they get here.
  
  "And I fear when you have buried
      A part of those nice boys,
  We will see you coming back again,
      Again from Illinois.
  
  "And I can see no reason why
      You should want to go away,
  For here you have all you want,
      And why not content to stay?
  
  "You have a good house and orchard,
      Milk house and garden too,
  And everything convenient
      And pleasant here for you.
  
  "And the choice of those fine horses
      As you like to ride or use,
  To stay with your aged parents
      You ought not to refuse.
  
  "And here you all are safe,
      From Indians and starvation,
  And why not be content
      When in a good situation?
  
  "I earnestly advise you
      To with your parents stay,
  Until your sons grow older,
      Before you go away.
  
  "I fear that you are going
      On your brother Jacob's say,
  And after you get there, you'll wish
      You had never gone away."
  
  "No sir, not exactly
      On my brother Jacob's say,
  For my brothers all have seen it,
      And they talk the same way.
  
  "As we were all brought up together,
      I, in most cases, think as they,
  And I expect to find that country
      About what they do say."
  
  My father answered thus,
      "If she does not like it there
  I tell her to come back,
      To her mother and me here."
  
  He gave me one hundred dollars
      To add to our little store,
  In order to assist us
      Till we could earn some more.
  
  I do not fear the Indians,
      And starvation I don't dread,
  For I never yet believed
      I should suffer for my bread.
  
  Of course I do expect
      To suffer some privation,
  But my hope is that each son
      May yet have a good plantation.
  
  I most earnestly desire
      To see them on clean sod,
  Where they may rise and prosper
      With the blessing of our God.
  
  And I have made up my mind
      We will go toward the west,
  For I firmly do believe
      It will be for the best.
  
  I can't see them grow up here,
      Their prospects are so poor,
  That away upon clean ground
      I have a right to look for more.
  
  And drop us where you will,
      If inhabited it be,
  I can take care of them
      And they can take care of me.
  
  And by the common blessing
      Of the Lord, I think you'll see,
  I can take care of them,
      And they can take care of me.
  
  When our business all was settled,
      And we were ready to start,
  I sent for my second son,
      That my children might not part.
  
  My third son took a horse
      To his brother in the night,
  And he rode on before us,
      And we all thought that was right.
  
  Till his father sent a messenger;
      When the message was received,
  From that source of trouble
      We felt ourselves relieved.
  
  Then he went on and told his brother,
      Then we all came together,
  Down the Ohio River,
      And that did seem so clever.
  
  For we thought it would be best
      To shun the Indiana mud,
  That was rough and hilly,
      But mostly dry and good.