12 



in to reap and shock uj* the prop. 

 The manner was for a dozen or toure 

 men to cut through the field, then 

 bang their sickles over their stouU 

 ders and bind back. The boys gath- 

 ered the sheaves together and the old 

 men shocked them uj*. The curii 

 crops were usually gathrrod in and 

 thrown in great heaps alongside of 

 the cribs. The neighbors were invi- 

 ted and whole days and into the 

 nights were often spent in husking 

 out a single crop. I have seen as 

 many as eighty or ninety men at a 

 time around my father's corn heap. 

 If a house or barn or stable was lo 

 be raised the neighbors were on hand 

 .'iiid the building was soon under 

 roof. Likewise if a man had a heavy 

 clearing, it was no trouble to havt; 

 an ample force to handle and put in 

 herps the heaviest logs. It was no 

 unusual thing for a man to need one 

 or two thous;it)d rails foi' fencing. 

 All be had to do was to proclaitn 

 that he would have a '■'■rail mauling''' 

 ori a given day, and bright and ear- 

 ly the neighbors were on tiic ground 

 aid the rails were made before sun- 

 ■ iown. This custom of mutual aid, 

 •ultivatfcd a feeling of mutual depen- 

 dence and brothefhood, and re8uit..(l 

 in the roost friendly and neighborly 

 int^rc<mrse. Indeed, each man 

 eeinevl to be oh the lookout for his 

 iieighbors' comfort and welfare as 

 well ae. his own. It made a commu- 

 nity of broad, liberal minded people, 

 who despite the t jngue of gossip and 

 an occasional fisticuff in hot blood. 



liverl in peace and good wii! .,»». i,>. 

 ward another. There w:is then l«h»» 

 selfisliDesH and cold formality than 

 now. Thi.»< differcnee is not for the 

 want of an) naurr:il disposition or 

 good impulses, but as a result of tbc 

 forco of custom aiid habit. Indeed 

 our social and moral tcn»pers are 

 very much tlie result of our hal»iis 

 and customs. Any method which 

 discards the habit of neighborly in- 

 terchange <>f good deeds and UKitua! 

 helpfulness, breeds and fosters self- 

 ishness. This leads legitimately to 

 the withdraw d «)f each family into a 

 sort of community of its own, uncoa 

 cerned for the comfort and welfare 

 of others. This, in its turn, affeet.s 

 the manners of a people. It fieczcb 

 out that warmth and good cheer 8i» 

 characteristic of our fathers of sev- 

 enty years ago, and brings upon the 

 stage a set of cavaliers in deport- 

 ment whose good offices are ren<lered 

 on the basis of pecuniary benefit. 

 Such is the change from the primi- 

 tive customs here referred to, to the 

 new method.s, and I leave the candid 

 reader to judge of the result. I am 

 free to admit that there has been im- 

 provement along some lines, such for 

 instance an that of education, the 

 building of church houses, style of 

 dress etc., but I am •»ure that there has 

 been none in tiie (>tern< r trails of 

 character, generosity, niaidiness, j)a- 

 Iriotism, integrity .and piiT)lic ^piri!.. 

 There was another custom in those 

 bygone days which t<> the present 

 generation seems cxtrenjely juiniiti; e 



