When all were
within, the coarse bread and sour milk were brought out for supper.
Then Mr. Stocking read from the Bible, and talked, and prayed with
the numerous family, and the women sat around me, while I tried to
do them good, till about ten o'clock. At that time, the mother of
the family rose, saying, 'Now we will settle it.' I listened to hear
the settlement of some family quarrel, but to my surprise her
meaning was, 'We will settle where to lie down for the night;' and
as I looked over the room I thought, surely some little skill in
settling is needed, if we are all to sleep here. But soon she took
out three of the children to an empty manger, where she put new hay,
and quickly settled them; they were covered with an old rug, and at
once fell fast asleep. She then returned, saying, 'Now there is room
for our guests,' and brought a piece of cotton cloth, which she said
was _all_ for me. In a short time, one and another was fast
asleep. They lay on mats, without either bed or pillow, and the
divers breathing or snoring of men, and calves, and lambs was soon
heard, all mingled together.
"I found myself sitting alone with the old lady, and so, putting my
carpet bag under my head, and drawing my shawl about me, I lay down
too.
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