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happy vivacious disposition and entered into her new
life with great enthusiasm and wholeheartedness. The
novelty interested her. She found much to do and in
doing, forget herself. Madison shortly became an in-
corporated village with a population of 600. They were
a good class of people, many of them from her own state.
"Hospitality" was their watchword and newcomers were
treated like old friends. One of their neighbors was a
graduate of Hamilton College, in New York, but his
family was afraid of thunder storms just the same, and
when one threatened they made haste to take shelter, so
when they appeared over the brow of the hill, my mother
knew without consulting the weather report that a vio-
lent storm was imminent. The dreaded Indian by now
safely in his reservation, except for a few stragglers. One
would appear semi-occasionally walking in unconcerned
and asking for pork. 'Indian John" was the last of these
to disappear. At this time my mother's life was sad-
dened by the death of her mother at the old home. So
she induced her young sister, Ellen Field, to come on to
Wisconsin and join them at the farm, which she did and
was joyfully received. Then things began to move. The
farm horses were turned into equestrian steeds. A
dancing class was formed, a singing class was organized
and led by a man who stammered, but not when he sang.
Under his tuition a serenading group 'was formed to be
used when occasion required. It came when my father
and his brother took opposite sides in the election for
governor. My uncle was a fierce and rabid democrat.
My father had gone over to the newly organized republi-
can party. It was a contested election between Mr. Bars-
tow who was on the democratic ticket for re-election and
Mr. Bashford on the republican side, which almost re-
sulted in civil war. Finally the courts decided in favor
of Bashford, the republican. When the serenaders re-
ceived the news the next evening they appeared in full
force before my uncle's door with many other musical in-
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