By Beatrice M. Hanson
The years passed all too quickly, as it does in a home where there is much activity and special events.
The eldest of the daughters completed their education, found paying positions, eventually meeting the man of their choice, to move away and begin their lives anew.
The mood of the day also changed. During the preceding years most country homes enjoyed electricity, running water and of course indoor bathrooms. In the early twenty’s bobbed hair became the current rage. Women appeared in "knickers" and short skirts. Cigarette smoking was on the increase and socially accepted as the habit grew. Boot-leg whiskey smuggled in for those who wanted it and knew where to find it. Questionable literature flooded the book stores. It was the beginning of a relaxed society that went along with whatever the style decreed, The pace picked up speed after the first automobiles came off the assembly lines. Those who could afford to invest in one were elated by the thrill of travelling further afield, and in less time then it took for other transportation, and with greater comfort.
When World War One ended, the peace brought with it hard times. Bread and soup lines in the cities. A wild sort of spirit sprung up among the young many of whom lost their beloved ones “to the cause”.
After our two boys finished their schooling, Papa decided to take his well-earned retirement, he bought a cottage home in a quiet town in New York State with enough acreage to allow him space to raise enough poultry to help finances and to keep himself busy.
At long last Mother’s time was her own!
Both our parents lived to a good age dying within a few years of each other They were buried in a beautifully kept cemetery on a hill overlooking the mountains that Papa had loved.
We believed we lived in an era where morals were generally high. Honesty a virtue. Happiness to us came from sharing the simple pleasures that came our way. “Way Back Then” is now a time of the past that can never be reborn or its values re-kindled.
