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Show 264 of them had some college training, and most of them achieved academic degrees and were able to work in the areas of their preparation. When it came to spelling, Bardella's father was a real bear and would not tolerate misspelled words. She confessed that she had more than the usual amount of trouble with spelling and that she was the target of much "not even good-natured" criticism. "Ignorance was a crime to him, and he would accept no excuse from the unlearned." His own cultural accomplishments included playing the piano and violin by ear and writing some poetry. Milford, in his middle years, became quite a gardener and won prizes for his home production when he was not away on a mission during the growing season. There was a friendly, competitive spirit among the neighbors with respect to their gardens, and Milford rarely took a back seat. As fine a gardener as he was, Bardella said that there was one vegetable with which he was not totally familiar. For three years in a row, he cut out Lizzie's asparagus, thinking it was a furry-fronded weed. Another yarn also belongs to Bardella's collection of family experiences. It seems that Milford had slaughtered a pig. The weather was cold and he felt the carcass would do well to hang out over night to freeze. Apparently Milford then left. Toward evening when Lizzie recalled seeing a suspicious character lurking in the area that day while the porker was being drawn and dressed, she and a sister wife cut the rope and dragged the heavy carcass indoors. |
