THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 12

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

NINETY-THREE YEARS AGO. BORN IN LOG BARN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SAX FRANCISCO. January 3. Mrs. Mary Petorman gathered her family of (i(i. representing four generations. to celebrate her birthday on Christinas and litar again a story enacted 03 years ago. Her fa.ee. wrinkled by her 03 years. Mrs. Peternian smiled shyly as slie opened the Bible to her favourite chapter of St. Luke ami read and reread the story of the birth nf Christ in Bethlehem. Then she turned to her five sons and four daughters, the 30 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren and told her story:-— "My parents lived in Ohio. and. sightunseen, bought a farm in Huntington County in Indiana, for one dollar an acre. Father was anxious to see the new farm, so he loaded mother and their belongings in a cave led wagon. "The day before Christinas, 1845, was bleak and snowy. Xiglit fell early and they stopped at the sight of a light in a. clearing. Father went to the cabin and told the owner the circumstances, ami «sked if mother might spend the night in the cabin. The man refused, but said they could use the barn. "In the log stable were two horses and a cow and some hay. My parents' presence filled it almost to overflowing, but. as father often said, 'the horses seemed to understand, so they seemed to move over.' "In that little log barn I was bprn early Christmas morning. For three days my only cradle was a hav-filled manger. Then when the weather cleared and mother was able to go on, we continued to our new home."