When I was ready they all gathered round to say good bye and my good mother seemed most concerned.
She said--"Now you must be a good boy till we come in the spring.

Mind uncle and aunt and take good care of the horse, and remember us.

May God protect you." She embraced me and kissed me and held me till she was exhausted.

Then they lifted me up into the spring seat, put the lines in my hand and handed me my little whip with a leather strip for a lash.
Just at the last moment father handed me a purse containing about a dollar, all in copper cents--pennies we called them then.

Uncle had started on they had kept me so long, but I started up and they all followed me along the road for a mile or so before we finally separated and they turned back.