Pondering about Lullabyes and Fairy Tales

We always worry about things children hear and see today. Did you ever think about the VIOLENCE in the stories we heard when we were young?

For example, even the song most of us sang as we rocked our babies. Why in the world would anyone put the cradle IN THE TOP of a Tree especially with the baby in it? Sure, when the wind blows the cradle will rock!  How lazy can a mother be? Surely when the bough breaks the cradle will fall, down comes the whole thing. Would you call that child abuse or just plain STUPID? I have to admit I sang it to my babies, glad they weren't old enough to understand.

There was Little Red Riding Hood, even today most mothers wouldn't send a little girl into the woods to Grandmas, especially knowing grandma was sick,and to top that off there were wolves in the area [maybe they would, because there are a lot of Wolves around these days too]. The more I think about it the more things don't seem that different. Anyway, the little girl wasn't too bright if she couldn't tell her grandma from a wolf. If you remember, the wolf had already eaten grandma then ate the girl, was so full he fell asleep, who knows how much time passed when the wood cutter found the wolf asleep, noticed his big belly, cut it open and out came the two humans, in pretty good shape, just glad to be back in daylight and away from the smell.  Grandma even got her needle and thread from her sewing box, put some stones in the incision and sewed it back together. The three of them ran away before the wolf woke up. That's what you call a SOUND SLEEP!

Another thing was The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, housing must have been worse then it is now. She had so many children she didn't know what to do.  She should have known what NOT to do a few years earlier.  Anyway the poor kids were starving, trying to live on broth and not even any bread.  They should have been in foster homes or put up for adoption. Then to make matters worse, she whipped them all, whether they needed it or not, every night before putting them to bed. Now that's Child Abuse,she couldn't get by with that today.

We also should think about Animal Cruelty example Three Blind Mice, what harm could they do to the farmers wife, the poor little things couldn't see.  The more humane thing would be to take them to a Vet or just cut off their stupid heads and kill 'em out right, don't cause pain and unusual punishment.

That's probably what I'm causing you but these are things to ponder!!

Memories of Holly Grove

Angela asked me what's to see at Holly Grove, I said only memories for the one of us who grew up there. The main part of the town is not much bigger than one or two city blocks. There is a mountain, a road, and a few houses on one side of Paint Creek, the main part, as I remember is on the other side of the creek. Almost in the middle of that side is a hill that you can circle around.  Years ago it went all the way to the creek until the railroad cut through the hill that opened up the circle, on the creek side was called the Church Point. Years back, that's where a lot of the young people did their 'courting'.  There weren't many other places to go. I remember when there were oil lamps placed on the walls and a pot-bellied stove in the front part of the room. Walter preached many sermons there in later years. Sunday School was a big event, especially on your birthday when you dropped a penny in a container and ring a bell for each year. We always carried our money tied in the corner of a handkerchief, that you were never without. Many, many family members had funerals there before being taken to the other side of the tracks to the cemetery on the hill. I remember the Revivals and the Baptizing in Paint creek, sometimes when there was ice on the water. The church had been closed for many years, the last time any of us were there was at our family reunion in July 1999.  Doris and I stood in the pulpit and sang  along with my sister Kittie and several others who were there.  Many memories passed through our minds that day. Sometime after that the church burned. Sad, the "church on the rock" is no more.

The railroad was quite a busy thing back "when", mostly for moving coal from several mines up Paint Creek,  many railroad car loads were moved every day. Years back trains were used to fight miners as they tried to form Unions, in fact one man was killed at Holly Grove, being shot from a passing train.

There was a small passenger train called the Doddle Bug that ran every day. Before WW2 we had our own little post office and our mailing address was Hudnall, W.Va. that was run by Mr. Bill Hudnall.  Most of the town people were Hudnall,  Seacrist,  and Hope. The train picked up the outgoing mail every day.There was only a foot bridge across the creek, cars had to "ford" the creek when the water was low. When it was high it usually washed the bridge away.  At those times the only way out was to walk the the railroad and cross the railroad bridge to Hansford or to Pratt Jr High School,  that could be dangerous. The mailing address since the early forties is Hansford, located about one mile from Holly Grove.  One more thing "not to see" is the Rail Road, even the tracks have been taken up.

Now to the cemetery, the rest of the hill across the tracks. For many years it has been a free burial ground for the towns people.  The only care is by the families that still survive.  That means that so many families are gone so most of it is wilderness. I remember my mom and dad going nearly every Sunday weather permitting, to visit the graves of their children. That was the one time they showed affection in public, they would be holding hands.

There were lot's of hearts carved out with I LOVE so and so , on trees in sorta' private areas on the hill. For several years my Dad planted a garden on the side of the hill where there were no graves. This is one place that "still is" but not really.

There used to be a store or two in the town, people didn't have means to travel to supply their needs. Most ran accounts at a store, there was so little money.  When you paid your bill the owner would give a nickles worth of candy that would cost several dollars now. When I was young there was a Beer Joint and Billo's Tavern and dance hall. That too is NO MORE.

The house that my Dad built in about 1904 is still there, the outhouse still in the yard, my parents never had a bathroom Dad died in 1955, mother in 1965.  There was a two room school back of our house.  At one time to the 8th grade was taught there. There were people that lived in little shacks that didn't even have floors.  It was common to wake in the morning to see a house burning, times were tough. Those are NO MORE.

Don't get me wrong, there are still nice homes and beautiful people.  Most are of the Seacrist family, of course! lot's of family in the surrounding towns, Charleston etc. You've got cousins everwhere.

All but two of my siblings were born at Holly Grove.  Walter and Virgie's family,  too many to mention.  You can see what I mean about what is no more but the later generations are still around.

By the way, we did get a bridge sixty years ago, now I hear there is a new one that I haven't seen.

Memories of Walter and Virgie

My memories go back to when I was maybe four years old.  Walter was my big handsome brother.  He was so tall with sorta' curly black hair. Mother told me that he had named me Lois, after a friend [maybe a girl friend] obviously she was a "girl". Strange though I barely remember him calling me anything but Sis. I've heard that his health had not been good.  I heard the words TB and that he had to go away for a while until his health improved. The name Millie Meadows sticks in my mind, don't know where she fits in the picture. Sylvia always talked about his being spoiled.  That's what happens when you're young and sick. I can remember when he went to Brookwood N.Y., I think to study Public Speaking, even though I was young, he wrote letters to me and brought me a pretty ring, wish I still had them.

Virgie and her mother, Elsie Hancock, lived just a short distance from our house. Virgie had gone to college, at that time called New River State College, now West Virginia Institute of Technology, in Montgomery W.Va.  I don't know how long but she taught elementary school for a while. I remember well, tagging after Walter when he and Virgie were "courting" and I would crawl up between them on the front porch swing. I guess it was ok they didn't send my "butt" home.  I always loved being anywhere Virgie was,you might say I was a pest but she never seemed to mind.

When they slipped off and got married, her mother was very hurt and angry.  They didn't speak until after Doris was born. After that things were good between them and "Miss Elsie" loved those grandchildren.

Virgie loved having somebody comb her hair.  I didn't know for a long time that her hair was prematurely grey.  She kept it dyed black, that was kind of the fashion back then.  Anyway I loved playing around with her hair. She would let me wear her diamond rings as I worked. They lived in a little two room house next to our house. Doris was born in the front room at of our house. I'm not sure but Dr. Hansford, the same Dr who delivered most of us might have delivered her. She was a beautiful little girl with black curly hair. Walter took broom handles and two by twos and made their first baby bed. He painted it and it turned out to be very nice.  I doubt if it would pass inspection today. As she got older she would get the prettiest dolls and Walter would make a box for them with glass on the front and hang them on wall to look at. She seldom got to play with them.

I can't remember if Erajuana was next or the only little boy who only lived a very short time.  He looked like a little doll. Walter made a tiny casket and lined it with fabric to bury him in the family lot on the cemetery at Holly Grove.