OF A CERTAIN PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY. 53 



The Rode fraternity was derived from the feeble-minded father 

 (II-l) and the tubercular mother (II-2) and numbered 21, of whom 6 

 did not grow to maturity. Of the latter, 4 died at birth or in early 

 infancj^; a fifth, born with a harelip, died young; while a sixth was 

 scalded to death as a small child. They were born and brought up in 

 an old plank house on a few acres of poorly cultivated land owned by the 

 father. Many of the surviving children have been away from this 

 section of the country for so long that it has been difficult to fill out 

 their history. All informants agree, however, that the boys were all 

 feeble-minded and the girls superior to their brothers. They were the 

 butt of the community, the youngsters often going by to stone the 

 house, just to see them all swarm out like bees from a hive. They 

 showed great family affection and were very nervous and excitable, 

 an injury to one being enough to throw the rest into hysterics. As 

 they grew older the boys worked about for the farmers, and since they 

 had no idea of money values thej^ were often cheated out of their 

 wages. It was impossible, though, to trick the girls that way. They 

 were capable and knew how much they had earned and exacted full 

 compensation. All of the girls married, but five of the boys did not 

 marry. The reason for this, given in the terse phrase of one who knew, 

 was, ''they never could find anyone who was fool enough to have 

 them." They may be briefly characterized as follows: 



III-6, born about 1828. Very deficient and stuttered. Never able 

 to earn more than his ''board and keep." Stayed part of the time at 

 the county home and part with his sisters; was partly crippled with 

 rheumatism and finally bedridden. Died 1907 at the county home. 



III-7, born about 1830, also lived about on his relatives, though he 

 sometimes did such work as woodchopping when he could get it. Of 

 slightly better mentality than his brother, but as he grew older "went 

 off" of what mind he had. Would sit for hours playing with his shoe- 

 string or revolving one hand round the other. Finally died at the 

 county home in 1910. 



III-8, born 1835, was born ruptured and was never very strong. 

 Never married and used to say in explanation of that fact, "I never 

 loved anybody but Mam. Lucky for Pap that he saw Mam 'fore 

 I did. If I had set eyes on her first, Pap would sure never have got her." 

 Died about 1908. 



III-16, born about 1845. He lolls. Can not count to 5 or spell his 

 name. Does only the simplest errands. Cared for by his nephew. 



III-24, born about 1846. The most capable and quick-witted of all 

 these boys. Used to cut wood on a farm, where he always seemed 

 possessed to chop down a crooked, bent old tree, which his employer 

 warned would strike him in falling and kill him. One day he stayed 

 behind the others and felled it. His companions, hearing the crash, 

 rushed to the spot and found him crushed to death just as had been 

 predicted; date about 1865. 



