10 Naturalist at Large 



whereas Mother's family were not at all convinced of the 

 righteousness of the Northern cause. They were in fact 

 Copperheads. 



While Mother did not play any musical instrument, she 

 had a lovely soprano voice and took music lessons to well 

 within the years of my memory. She and Father had the 

 same seats at the Opera for many years and I remember 

 particularly the pleasure she derived during the last years 

 of her life from the Bagby Concerts which she attended 

 very regularly. 



Mother was just, as I have said, but she had a sharp and 

 flaring temper and she thrashed us youngsters on number- 

 less occasions. I remember that she had a giant hairbrush 

 which had belonged to Grandfather Barbour which was 

 specially reserved for spanking. Warren terminated its use- 

 fulness permanently when he surreptitiously slipped a flat 

 stone inside the seat of his pants and the hairbrush was 

 shattered once and for all, to our great joy. 



She went to the Adirondacks with Father from a sense 

 of duty and while she liked to row a boat about the lake 

 herself for exercise she never fished or hunted, nor do I 

 believe that she could have told a beet from a carrot when 

 they were growing in the garden. She had no knowledge 

 of or interest in the country — no interest in nature, in 

 birds or flowers, nor in woods or fields. 



Father on the other hand inherited his mother's love of 

 outdoor life, her love of shooting and fishing, and a very 

 considerable knowledge concerning the birds and animals 

 which he, came across from time to time. He passed this 

 enjoyment of shooting on to his sons. His father acquired 



