Page 82, to 86
32 SARAH LAIN was born 1789 and married her first cousin, John Lain by whom no children came to brighten their home; so they became sort of foster parents to all their nephews and nieces. The above picture is a crude sketch of their home as we remember it. They came from North Carolina with Ralph Heath and family and remained a couple years in Wayne county after which they settled on the adjoining farm south of Ralph Heath. Their home and homelife is familiar to everyone who lived in that neighborhood during their day. They kept up the old fashioned genuine southern hospitality. Seldom, if ever, a caller left their hearthstone without having a glass of old Uncle John's superb cider, preserved with mustard seed, which gave it a fine flavor and then a piece of Aunt Sally's excellent pumpkin pie, with the pumpkin about an inch deep and flavored with cinnamon and allspice. My but we can taste that cider and pie yet. Wouldn't it be a treat tho, just to go back there and try it over? Alas that cannot be and we will have to hang that grand old picture on memory's wall and bless the old people who made their home a bright spot in a hungry boy's life.
In appearance, Uncle John reminded me of the pictures of Walter Scott. He never wore any beard nor parted his hair but always wore his hair straight over his forehead. A Methodist preacher who was quite a reader of character said he had the most honest face of any man he ever met. He had a peculiar idea about loaning his money. He would never charge more than 6% when other people were getting 10% but he would only loan to church members and they had to be in need of the money to pay a debt and not for the purpose of a speculation. He was an expert in the use of the Hickory withe making it take the place of many bolts and hinges. The withe consisted of a green hickory stick twisted in the shape of a loop. He always jerked his corn from the stalk and piled it on his barn floor where he husked it out during the long winter months. One thing he never learned to do and that was to drive a team with lines. He always rode the lead or near horse when working on the farm or going to the mill. He always kept a tenant to do his plowing. He and Aunt Sally would occasionally ride out on nice summer days to see the country or call on some old neighbor; and Uncle John, as usual, was on the lead horse and about two rods ahead, apparently thinking that Aunt Sally was in the wagon behind. He raised his own tobacco and always kept a tin pail full setting under the corner cupboard, with three clay pipes in it, which was drawn out and passed around after each meal, and they all had a smoke and talked about the weather and guessed who the people were they saw passing and wondered where they were going and how their folks were and etc. They took no paper but the Christian Advocate and that didn't give much local news. The only pictures adorning the room was a picture of Lincoln on the lower part of the door of an old Seth Thomas clock standing on the shelf over the old fashioned open fireplace. Another picture was at the top of a small mirror which was a crude painting of a white house with red roof and green windows in front of which was a green lawn.
Old Aunt Hessie, his sister, lived with them; she and her husband having dissolved partnership in N. C., he taking her money and leaving her without means of support, she came north to live with her brother, John. She was a character for an artist, not for her beauty, but her peculiar dress and habits. She was still wearing the linsey woolsey dresses she made for herself when a girl; the waistband coming around just under the arms and the skirt lacking about ten inches of reaching the floor. She always wore a sunbonnet, indoors and out, and at the dinner table when visiting at a neighbors. She was just as peculiar in her speech as in her manner of dress. She told of visiting at Tomy Heath's and his cellar under the front porch. She could just stand straight in it and in walking across the porch a board turned and one foot went down and just scraped the bottom of the cellar, and of course came very near straining her back. I should think it would. She was very industrious and often went out among the neighbors to gather up carpet rags to cut and sew at two cents per pound; and a half pound made a good days work for her between smokes.
Across all the streams where there were no bridges there were foot logs with a hand pole, but Aunt Hessie was afraid her head would get to swimming if she tried the footlog, so she sat down on the end of the log and took off her shoes and stockings and waded the stream, then put on her shoes and stockings at the other end of the log. One time their tenant took all three in the lumber wagon to Muncie to have their pictures taken. When they reached the Buck Creek bridge, she had them stop and let her out until the wagon passed over safely, then she walked across and got in. She was not insane, but just peculiar, "like everybody else except you and me and we sometimes think you are a little peculiar, too." Did you ever hear that story?
Aunt Sallie died about 1875, age 86. This broke up the home and Uncle John died, April 16, 1877 and Aunt Hessie about a year later.
North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868
Bride: Sarah Tomlinson Groom: John Lain
Bond Date: 12 May 1823 County: Guilford Record #: 02 254
Bondsman: Enoh Tomlinson Witness: Jno Hanner, Clerk of County Court Bond #: 000057122