which you and I live iss a sealed book to them. The have never
read my books. What they value in me is what I have in common
with them, which is, no doubt, the larger part of me. But I
love them all just the same. They are a part of father and
mother, of the old home, and of my youthful days."--C. B.]


Mother's father. Grandfather Kelly, was a soldier of 1776, of
Irish descent, born in Connecticut, I think. His name was Edmund
Kelly. He went into the war as a boy and saw Washington and
La Fayette. He was at Valley Forge during that terrible winter
the army spent there. One day Washington gave the order to the
soldiers to dress-parade for inspection; some had good clothes,
some scarcely any, and no shoes. He made all the well-dressed
men go and cut wood for the rest, and excused the others.

Grandfather was a small man with a big head and quite pronounced
Irish features. He was a dreamer. He was not a good provider;
Grandmother did most of the providing. He wore a military coat
with brass buttons, and red-top boots. He believed in spooks and
witches, and used to tell us spook stories till our hair would
stand on end.

He was an expert trout fisherman. Early in the morning I would dig
worms for bait, and we would go fishing over in West Settlement,
or in Montgomery Hollow. I went fishing with him when he was past
eighty. He would steal along the streams and "snake" out the
trout, walking as briskly as I do now. From him I get my dreamy,
lazy, shirking ways.