AS  I  REMEMBER  DANCYVILLE ~ Page 2

By  Peggy J. Dancy Paschall

As I Remember  DANCYVILLE  (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)

Papa would usually be hoeing weeds in his garden. I can't remember where the garden was located in relation to the house but everything would be wet and cool with dew. Papa had planted flowers in the front of the garden and he taught me the names of some like zinnias. He also had pole beans growing up his corn stalks which I thought was neat, like growing bean corn, I said.

After that we would go to the lot. Papa would go drive up two or three cows and I would wait for him in the wagon. He would walk out a way and they would come to meet him. He would always carry a bucket of water with him and would wash the udder of each cow, in a stall, and then squat on a stool and milk them. He gave me my chance but I could not get the slightest bit of moisture from those faucets. I know there were always three or four cats standing around meowing. He could aim a spray of milk right in their mouth, of course it would splash all over their head and face.

Before we took the milk to the house we would shell some corn in a bucket and he would let me take it to the house to feed the chickens. They would see me coming with that bucket and come running from all directions. I would throw the corn to them by the water well. That was so special for me to get to do.

By far and above, the most memorable things I have done in my life, were the trips to the watermelon patch and fish pond. I know it was one of the most special things I had done up to that time and remains one of the most memorable of my life.

I remember going with Mary Priscilla, Betty, Aunt Mil, Buddy and some times Daisy. Some times two or three of those tired, bored dogs would travel along with us, single file down a well worn path. We would reach the watermelon patch first. Papa would go among the melons, thumping and turning them over. He would pull several and place them in the shade along the side of the patch.

Then we would move from the patch on to the fishing hole. Papa brought along with him, a tin can with dirt and big fat worms, and a bucket. At the fishing hole there were cane poles leaning up against a bank of weeds and a wooden cigar box of hooks, floats, string, etc. We would pick our poles and Papa would help us get them strung and in the water. He taught me to bait my own hook. The worms had a small band on them. If  you stuck the hook outside that band, goo came out of them. If you stuck the hook through the band no goo. Not liking that goo, I went into the band. Believe it or not, we would catch a fish or two, even though there were kids splashing their feet in the water, from time to time, dogs wading in and out to cool off, people hitting the water with their pole, kids laughing and talking. Papa would tell us fish did not like noise or moving around. Papa didn't fish, all his time was spent getting our hooks untangled out of the weeds, putting on worms and taking off fish. Some times the worms were bigger than the fish we caught and we had to throw them back. But if they were BIG, you know 4 or 5 inches long, Papa would put them in a bucket of water and take them home. We put them in a tub of water out by the cistern but I am sure when we left, Papa took them back to the pond.

Late afternoon we would head back toward home and the watermelon patch. Papa would uncover the melons and cut about half way through with his pocket knife and then pick up the melon and drop them to split them the rest of the way through. Talk about Nectar of the Gods! Those were the reddest, sweetest, best watermelon I have tasted before or since. That would include the goo because I don't remember any hand washing procedure on the menu. I just remember sticky, sweet juice running down my chin and spitting out a seed from time to time. I probably swallowed as many seeds as I spit out.

The next morning I would wake up and be dying to go to the bathroom. I'd have to do battle with that mean rooster before dawn. I well remember a few times I'd sneak behind one of those trees or Huck's Model A, in the front yard to keep from facing that rooster.

Papa took me several times to town to the grist mill. Whether I actually saw the horse drawn hearse or not, I don't remember. If I did it did not impress me, it was just there. I've heard stories about it and think I remember seeing it.

I remember Doc Clark well. He would sell people 5 or 10 cents worth of cheese and sack bologna and some crackers, and they would go sit outside on a bench and eat it. I could not figure out why they did that. And when and why did sack bologna have to go away. It was oh, so good.

I remember once when Papa took us up town, about dark, to the road beside a 'Holy Rolly' Church. We had flash lights to see by. We sat in the rut beside the building and watched them "carry on" as Papa called it.

Papa was one of the very few, best men, I have ever known. To know him was to love him. He was so kind and good to me and was always teaching. Although short in stature, (with a serious limp that I was told happened to him when he tried to ride a cow or calf, as a boy and the animal bucked him off and injured his hip or leg), his greatness and goodness came from the love inside him and not from anything outside.

I also remember him at church. When he sang, although not a good voice, he put his whole heart and soul into every word and note. It was easy to see how much his church and religion meant to him.

Take care, will call you soon.

Love,

Peggy

Names Legend:

Peggy Paschall ~ Daughter of  Beulah 'Bibe' Blackwood & James H. Dancy, granddaughter of  Isaac Bradley & Lena Hughes Dancy.
Buddy ~ Brother ~ James K. Dancy ~ Son of  Beulah 'Bibe' & James H. Dancy, grandson of  Isaac Bradley & Lena Hughes Dancy.
Malone-Huck ~ Kerr Malone 'Huck' Dancy ~ Uncle Huck, son of Isaac Bradley and Lena Hughes Dancy.
Daisy ~ Daisy Cain Dancy ~ Wife of  Kerr Malone 'Huck' Dancy.
Mama Lena ~ Grandmother ~ Maggie Ethlene 'Lena' Hughes Dancy ~ Wife of   Isaac Bradley Dancy.
Daddy ~ James  Hughes Dancy ~ Son of  Isaac Bradley and Lena Hughes Dancy.
Papa ~ Grandfather ~ Isaac Bradley Dancy, Son of John Henry and Louisa J. Kerr Dancy.
Aunt Mil ~ Mildred Ethlene Dancy Duck ~ Daughter of  Issac Bradley & Lena Hughes Dancy.
Mary Priscilla ~ First cousin ~ Mary Priscilla Duck Stripling ~ Daughter of  Augustus D. and Mildred E. Dancy Duck.
Betty ~ First cousin ~ Betty Carolyn Duck Byrd ~ Daughter of Augustus D. and Mildred E. Dancy Duck.
Mary-Tee Tee ~ Aunt ~ Mary Elizabeth Dancy (nick name - Tee Tee)  Daughter of   Isaac Bradley & Lena Hughes Dancy.
Doc Clark ~ Rudolph 'Doc' Clark ~ Long time Dancyville store owner and operator.

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Posted  May 20, 2001