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MY FAMILY, TAKEN JUST BEFORE THE MARRIAGE OF A. A. MOORE, JR. (1898)

Back row, standing, from left to right: A. A. Moore, Jr., Ethel Moore, Stanley Moore
Seated, left to right: Mrs. A. A. Moore, Margaret Moore, A. A. Moore, Jacqueline Moore,
Carmen Moore

ber "Tam O'Shanter's Ride," "Lady of the Lake," "Gilpin's Ride," and sundry Mother Goose selections, but when eyes grew heavy with the dark, the mother sang "Watchman, Tell Us of the Night," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," "Sweet Hour of Prayer," and like sweet melodies of the time. Every Sunday morning we stood and sang, under lead of the father's voice,

"Safely through another week

God hath brought us on our way.
Let us now his blessing seek

Waiting in his courts today."

And then we kneeled in prayer. Always on the morning of the New Year, my father, as we stood, led us in the song,—I think it was called Laban"Come, let us anew our journey pursue,

Roll 'round with the year and never stand still
Till the Master appear.'

The parents were not gloomy nor saddened by religion. They were always good to us and took pleasure and pride in us. I love to think of their kindness, but, too, I love to contemplate them at religious service, their dear voices sounding in song and thankful prayer. Their faith sufficed them, too, without shadow of turning. They thought they knew of "the greater weight of glory" following the dread dignity of death. When my mother's sister, Aunt Susan, died, my mother, with brave voice, cheered her in the "hour and article of death," and the last earthly sounds she heard were:

"Lift up your heads, Oh

ye Gates!"

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."

Their faith was one to die by.

Myself, I have not since childhood belonged to any church, nor since leaving home attended church service. In my professional life I have wanted Sundays with my family. And, too, I got distaste with the practice of many professional and business men who, as it seemed to me, traded on church affiliation to forward interests not connected with the saving of their souls. This has been common, and the pity is that it drives many away. I am persuaded, though, that religious training and study of the Bible in youth makes for character.

CHAPTER II

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BELIEVE the "Egypt" of Illinois to be the most delightsome place in the world in late spring and early summer. In my garden in Oakland grow the year

'round unfrosted roses, carnations, heliotrope, smilax and other flowering plants, with banana, camphor, tree ferns, maple, oak, palms, birch, rubber tree, magnolia, bamboo, lime, orange, and other shrubs and trees, but it is not like "Egypt." The air is not so good, the perfumes and taste are lacking, or not the same. There is no day in the world to me like the early days of summer at my old home, as I remember them. I could not live there now, though, for the Germans came, and by gradual degree took the land, and I have no ties there save the graves of my kindred. But it may be said that the winters there were pretty bad, and midsummer awfully hot. The California climate for the year around is much more comfortable, even with its sameness. California is my home, too, and that means everything.

That place (Post Oaks) when we left it was acquired by Dr. Copp. When I was there last it was occupied by the widow of Hubert Copp.

The winter of 1852 and spring of 1853 we were getting ready for the long trail to California, and about April, 1853, when I was ten years old, we

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