2O AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



My father, in early life, I have been told, taught 

 school one winter and singing school for several 

 winters, using the " buckwheat " note-book. When 

 he was about forty years of age he ceased to work 

 regularly on the farm with the hired men and con- 

 tented himself with cultivating an excellent garden, 

 cutting up some of the wood after it had been 

 hauled to the house, and in winter with feeding a 

 portion of the livestock; he generally worked mod- 

 erately in harvest and haying time. He was a 

 great reader and kept himself well informed on 

 the happenings of the day, but he talked little and 

 was rather reserved toward the neighboring farm- 

 ers. The picture of him that rises in my mind is 

 of a dignified country squire in his high, light- 

 colored hat stored with letters and papers, high 

 boots and a " shad-belly " coat. I never knew him 

 to wear either overalls or a blouse when at work 

 these might be suitable for the hired men and the 

 boys, but not for the landowner. It will be seen 

 that he still kept some of the dignity and exclu- 

 sivehess of the old country gentleman and land- 

 owner of England. 



My mother, Elizabeth Burroughs, was also born 

 near Harbortown, New Jersey, August 16, 1800, 

 and came to East Varick with her parents when 

 they settled there in 1812. It was she who stood 



