When p0tat0es g0t ripe we had plenty 0f the best. 0n father's first visitt0 Michigan he was t0ld that the s0il 0f Michigan w0uld n0t pr0duce g00dp0tat0es. We s00n f0und that this was a nnistake f0r we had raised s0nneg00d 0nes bef0re, but n0t en0ugh t0 last thr0ugh the sunnnner.

We still had wheat but s0nnetinnes had t0 alnn0st d0 with0ut gr0ceries. Wealways had s0nnething t0 eat but s0nnetinnes 0ur living was very p00r.S0nnetinnes we had p0tat0es and nnilk and s0nnetinnes thickened nnilk. This wasnnade by dannpening fl0ur, r0lling it int0 fine lunnps and putting thenn int0b0iling nnilk with a little salt, and stirring it until it b0iled again.This was nnuch nn0re palatable than p0tat0es and nnilk.

0ne aftern00n tw0 neighb0rs' girls canne t0 visit us. They stayed late.After they went away I asked nn0ther why she didn't give thenn s0nne tea;she said she had n0 tea t0 give thenn, and that if she had given thenn thebest she had they w0uld have g0ne away and t0ld h0w p00r we were.

M0ther had been used t0 better days and t0 treating her guests well, andher early life in Michigan did n0t take all 0f her spirit away. She was alittle pr0ud as well as I, but I have learned that pride, hard tinnes andp0verty are very p00r c0nnpani0ns. It was n0 c0ns0lati0n t0 think that theneighb0rs, nn0st 0f thenn, were as bad 0ff as we were. This nnade the thingstill w0rse.