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In those primitive years； before any town but Salem had been named； this whole region was known as Cape Ann Side； and about ten years after Winthrop's arrival； my first ancestor's name appears among those of other hardy settlers of the neighborhood。 No record has been found of his coming； but emigration by that time had grown so rapid that ships' lists were no longer carefully preserved。 And then he was but a simple yeoman； a tiller of the soil； one who must have loved the sea； however； for he moved nearer and nearer towards it from Agawam through Wenham woods； until the close of the seventeenth century found his descendantsmy own great…great…grandfatber's familyplanted in a romantic homestead…nook on a hillside； overlooking wide gray spaces of the bay at the part of Beverly known as 〃The Farms。〃 The situation was beautiful； and home attachments proved tenacious； the family claim to the farm having only been resigned within the last thirty or forty years。
I am proud of my unlettered forefathers； who were also too humbly proud to care whether their names would be remembered or not； for they were God…fearing men； and had been persecuted for their faith long before they found their way either to Old or New England。
The name is rather an unusual one； and has been traced back from Wales and the Isle of Wight through France to Languedoc and Pied… mont； a little hamlet in the south of France still bearing it in what was probably the original spelling…La Combe。 There is a family shield in existence； showing a hill surmounted by a tree； and a bird with spread wings above。 It might symbolize flight in times of persecution； from the mountains to the forests； and thence to heaven； or to the free skies of this New World。
But it is certain that my own immediate ancestors were both indifferent and ignorant as to questions of pedigree； and accepted with sturdy dignity an inheritance of hard work and the privileges of poverty； leaving the same bequest to their descendants。 And poverty has its privileges。 When there is very little of the seen and temporal to intercept spiritual vision； unseen and eternal realities are； or may be； more clearly beheld。
To have been born of people of integrity and profound faith in God； is better than to have inherited material wealth of any kind。 And to those serious…minded； reticent progenitors of mine； looking out from their lonely fields across the lonelier sea； their faith must have been everything。
My father's parents both died years before my birth。 My grandmother had been left a widow with a large family in my father's boyhood； and he； with the rest； had to toil early for a livelihood。 She was an earnest Christian woman； of keen intelligence and unusual spiritual perception。 She was supposed by her neighbors to have the gift of 〃second sight〃； and some remarkable stories are told of her knowledge of distant events while they were occurring； or just before they took place。 Her dignity of presence and character must have been noticeable。 A relative of mine； who as a very little child； was taken by her mother to visit my grandmother； told me that she had always remembered the aged woman's solemnity of voice and bearing； and her mother's deferential attitude towards her： and she was so profoundly impressed by it all at the time； that when they had left the house； and were on their homeward path through the woods； she looked up into her mother's face and asked in a whisper； 〃Mother； was that God？〃
I used sometimes to feel a little resentment at my fate in not having been born at the old Beverly Farms home…place； as my father and uncles and aunts and some of my cousins had been。 But perhaps I had more of the romantic and legendary charm of it than if I had been brought up there； for my father； in his communicative moods； never wearied of telling us about his childhood； and we felt that we still held a birthright claim upon that picturesque spot through him。 Besides； it was only three or four miles away； and before the day of railroads； that was thought nothing of as a walk； by young or old。
But； in fact； I first saw the light in the very middle of Beverly； in full view of the town clock and the Old South steeple。 （I believe there is an 〃Old South〃 in nearly all these first…settled cities and villages of Eastern Massachusetts。 The town wore a half…rustic air of antiquity then； with its old… fashioned people and weather…worn houses； for I was born while my mother…century was still in her youth； just rounding the first quarter of her hundred years。
Primitive ways of doing things had not wholly ceased during； my childhood； they were kept up in these old towns longer than elsewhere。 We used tallow candles and oil lamps； and sat by open fireplaces。 There was always a tinder…box in some safe corner or other； and fire was kindled by striking flint and steel upon the tinder。 What magic it seemed to me； when I was first allowed to strike that wonderful spark； and light the kitchen fire！
The fireplace was deep； and there was a 〃settle〃 in the chimney corner； where three of us youngest girls could sit together and toast our toes on the andirons （two Continental soldiers in full uniform； marching one after the other）； while we looked up the chimney into a square of blue sky； and sometimes caught a snow… flake on our foreheads； or sometimes smirched our clean aprons （high…necked and long sleeved ones； known as 〃tiers〃） against the swinging crane with its sooty pot…hooks and trammels。
The coffee…pot was set for breakfast over hot coals； on a three… legged bit of iron called a 〃trivet。〃 Potatoes were roasted in the ashes； and the Thanksgiving turkey in a 〃tin…kitchen；〃 the business of turning the spit being usually delegate to some of us； small folk； who were only too willing to burn our faces in honor of the annual festival。
There were brick ovens in the chimney corner； where the great bakings were done； but there was also an iron article called a 〃Dutch oven；〃 in which delicious bread could be baked over the coals at short notice。 And there was never was anything that tasted better than my mother's 〃firecake；〃a short…cake spread on a smooth piece of board； and set up with a flat…iron before the blaze； browned on one side； and then turned over to be browned on the other。 （It required some sleight of hand to do that。） If I could only be allowed to blow the bellowsthe very old people called them 〃belluses〃when the fire began to get low； I was a happy girl。
Cooking…stoves were coming into fashion； but they were clumsy affairs； and our elders thought that no cooking could be quite so nice as that which was done by an open fire。 We younger ones reveled in the warm； beautiful glow； that we look back to as to a remembered sunset。 There is no such home…splendor now。
When supper was finished； and the tea…kettle was pushed back on the crane； and the backlog had been reduced to a heap of fiery embers； then was the time for listening to sailor yarns and ghost and witch legends。 The wonder seems somehow to have faded out of those tales of eld since the gleam of red…hot coals died away from the hearthstone。 The shutting up of the great fireplaces and the introduction of stoves marks an era； the abdicati