There comes a time in every child’s life when they must step from being a child into adulthood. Watching this process is not always easy. I know. I have a 19-year-old son struggling with this right now. In a book for young adults, One Traveler, Alison Treat has captured the essence of the mistakes, indecision, and immaturity of that time.

Main character, seventeen-year-old Sidney Judson has reached that crossroads in his life. Actually, he got a shove into it. His parents have died. He could have gone on as usual, dating a neighborhood girl, planning on marriage, and living on his Georgia Southern plantation. Instead he made a wise choice of coping with his loss by spending time with family in Pennsylvania.

After arriving in Pennsylvania, Sidney discovers that his uncle helps with the Underground Railroad! Sidney is confronted with the conflict of Northern beliefs versus Southern beliefs on the issue of slavery. Next, the Civil War is upon him and he must make more choices. All of this adds up to an exciting story with mystery, suspense, and surprises.

Characterization in One Traveler is very good. The main character, Sidney, makes some good choices and some bad. He also has to make a decision about the girl he left at home. His feelings about a certain Northern girl confuse him. The chatty preacher’s daughter is endearing, and the story even has a villain. Loving aunt and uncle aren’t perfect people either, but I found myself rooting for them.

Mrs. Treat did an excellent job of keeping the romantic part decent. A few swear words caused me pause. I don’t like to read any, but the book contains less than a handful.

I find history so much fun to learn through the vehicle of historical fiction. The historical subject and setting, the Underground Railroad in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, drew me. When Sidney and his family chose different sides and a battle took place, I cringed. Wrapped up in the story, I felt like I had loved ones fighting there. After reading the book, I found I knew more about the Underground Railroad and the events leading to the start of the Civil War. Who needs a time machine when good historical fiction is available!

This book is as good as any written by Ann Rinaldi, in fact, a little better. I find Ann Rinaldi descends a little too far into darkness, at times. Although it is classified YA (Young Adult Fiction), this senior citizen enjoyed it immensely. One Traveler by Alison Treat would make a great present for the teen in your life who loves to read or who has to read to build a book list to show an evaluator. Check out One Traveler on Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/One-Traveler-Alison-Treat/dp/1936936046

P.S. I just found out that Mrs. Treat is a product of homeschooling. That makes her book even more special to this homeschool mama!

Jimmy Stewart

Recently, my husband indulged me with a road trip of my choice. Since I have such a fascination with history, I chose to tour some museums. One of the places we visited was the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Upon reaching our destination which is also Stewart’s boyhood town, we parked the car and put money in the meter. Across the street lay the museum. We walked to the street corner and waited for the warning hand to disappear from the opposite crossing sign. I laughed as a familiar deep voice with a slow drawl spoke to us from the crossing pole to our right. Jimmy Stewart’s voice told us when to walk!

We reached the museum, paid our admission, and began to observe the many exhibits about Jimmy Stewart. I learned that he starred in 81 movies from 1935 to his last movie released in 1991. In that one, he performed the voice of Wylie Burp, the sheriff in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. Our children loved that animated cartoon movie when they were small. His best known movie is It’s a Wonderful Life in which an angel prevents George Bailey (Stewart) from taking his life by showing him how his influence had touched lives and helped his community. The Jimmy Stewart Museum illustrates the vastness of this actor’s abilities from accordion player to airplane pilot to skilled actor.

Being an educator, I am especially interested in the details of people’s lives which might have helped them achieve greatness: their parents, their education, and other outside influences.

Jimmy’s dad appears to have been a hard working man. He owned a family hardware business that was so successful that they rebuilt numerous times after fire destroyed the place. Second of all, his parents seemed to encourage Jimmy’s interests. Among other things, he gave magic shows, sketched pictures, played the accordion, built crystal radio sets, and performed his own handwritten plays with his siblings.

Once he saved up his money and took a ride in an airplane owned by one of the “barnstormers” traveling the United States at that time. In the 1920’s, pilots called “barnstormers” flew into an area, landed in a farmer’s field, and stayed for the day to charge the local residents for a ride in their airplanes.

Even though Jimmy did not fulfill his dad’s expectation of having a son join him in the hardware business, his dad still supported his choices. In the hardware store window, Jimmy’s dad kept a display of Jimmy’s career. When Jimmy won an Academy Award, given for excellence in film making, his dad requested the trophy to display in his store.

Jimmy sent it home to him. His dad sat it right beside the cash register. 

Jimmy’s education interested me because he didn’t go to a typical public elementary school. Indiana was and still remains a college town. Indiana Normal School now Indiana University ran a model school so that their students could practice teaching. The school would have used the most current theories of education of the time. When I was in teaching training, I learned that anything new taught in college takes ten years to filter into the public schools. From first to ninth grade, Jimmy went to a school probably using the best methods available.

After ninth grade, Jimmy Stewart attended Mercerburg Academy Prep School where he took part in many activities. In the last stage of his formal education, he earned a degree in architecture from Princeton.

Besides contributing to his formal education, the local community played a part in his life. A neighborhood barber gave him accordion lessons. That accordion was a key in his becoming a performer. Jimmy belonged to a local Boy Scouts of America troop. He would have camped, hiked, and earned merit badges under the tutorage of people with a love of children. This probably contributed to the fine character that he developed. Evidence of Jimmy’s appreciation for his community’s part in his childhood appeared when the plans began for a museum in his honor. He requested that it be a hometown effort not one of Hollywood making.

So what made Jimmy Stewart achieve such greatness? First of all, he had God-given talent. Second, His parents encouraged his interests and supported him even when they didn’t agree with his choices. Third, he received a fine education and, fourth, his community influenced him in a positive way. The total effect allowed him to reach a potential that I am sure none of them expected. Jimmy Stewart was a good person who entertained multitudes for years and through his legacy of film making is still providing good clean entertainment today.

By the way, I am indebted to one of those Indiana, Pennsylvania, hometown people, Joy Behr, who provided such wonderful hospitality during my visit to the museum. I doubt if there is another museum worker in the world as thoughtful as she. After I told her that I was a writer, she told me stories, brought me extra hand-outs, and found my husband a comfy place to watch a Jimmy Stewart movie so that I could take my time perusing the museum. To top it all off, she set up a biographical video for me to watch and took our picture before we left. Thank you, Joy Behr. 

Valentine's Day Advice from Mr. Penn

I just finished reading William Penn’s letter to his wife and children. He wrote it as his instructions to them in case something might happen to him on his first journey to Pennsylvania.

Incredible! What a loving husband and father he was! So much of what he says still is applicable today. Those of you who are writing Valentines for your wives could take some lessons from him.

Look at what he says first to his wife, “My love, which neither sea nor land nor death itself can extinguish or lesson toward you…” And this is his ending, “Yours, as God pleases, in that which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor distance wear away, but remains forever.” Lesson One: Husbands, talk lovingly and poetically to your wives. Find a book of poetry if you can’t make up your own. We love that stuff.

Lesson Two, praise your wives to their faces and to others. Mr. Penn praises Mrs. Penn directly and to their children. To her he says that she is the joy of his life. To his children he said, “your dear mother, a woman whose virtue and good name is an honor to you.” After that, he goes on for a full paragraph about her good qualities.

Lesson Three, when Mr. Penn instructs Mrs. Penn, he does it kindly. I do believe she must have been a very kind person who others took advantage of. Listen to this that Mr. Penn said to her, “Guard against encroaching friendships. Keep them at arm’s length; for it is giving away our power; yes, and self too, into the possession of another; and that which might seem engaging in the beginning may prove a yoke and burden too hard and heavy in the end.” Leave the instructing stuff off of your Valentine cards but remember this advice it for the next day.

And last of all, Lesson Four, Mr. Penn didn’t expect Mrs. Penn to do all the instructing of the children. He accepted his responsibility of training and disciplining the children by also writing directly to them. He tells the children to be obedient to their dear mother and uses the last half of his letter instructing them for the moment and for the future. Remember, those of you with children, probably the best Valentine’s gift you can give your wife is to sometimes give up your own pursuits to help with the children.

I did not expect to see romance when I started to study William Penn this morning. How wonderfully inspiring! Where are my candles? Maybe a special candlelight dinner is in order.

Here is the site I was reading for those of you who are interested in reading more about Mr. Penn’s wisdom: http://www.hallvworthington.com/Penn/farewelladvice.html

William Penn and the Indians

The more I read about William Penn, the more I want to understand him. I encountered an interesting tidbit on Hall and Joan Worthington’s website where they have compiled four different earlier biographies of William Penn into one.

The interesting tidbit? One of the reasons that William Penn treated the Indians so well came from his idea that they descended from the nation of Israel. Yes, in other words, Mr. Penn believed them to be of Jewish origin.

He had studied their language and observed their physical looks. With what he knew of Hebrew and the physical characteristics of Jews, he believed that the natives in America at the time he arrived, looked and sounded like Jewish people.

William Penn valued Jewish people. For one thing, Penn’s moral state caused him to treat all people well. As a student of the Bible and what it says, he realized God’s value of people. God asks us to value all men as He does.

Second, Penn knew what the Bible says. I would venture that he knew the verse that asks those who read it to bless the Jews. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”

Remember the story of Balaam? Balak, the king of Moab, feared the numerous nation of Israel when they arrived in the plains of Moab on their journey to the Promised Land. Balak sent for Balaam. Balak thought Balaam could call spiritual forces to come against Israel. “Curse that nation,” Balak commanded.

Despite the fact that the true and living God spoke to Balaam and told him not to curse His people, Balaam insisted on going. An angel waited to kill Balaam. The donkey saved his life and God used the donkey’s voice to startle Balaam. After that, He showed Balaam the angel that intended to kill him.

The sum is that God is on Israel’s side. If any one is going to punish or rebuke them, it is going to be Him. We are to pray for the nation and stand up for them. William Penn believed in valuing all people. Each of us need to do the same.

Thomas Buchanan Read

“A Man of Many Talents”

I’ve sewed, knitted, crocheted, patiently tatted, tried oil painting, hooked a rug, glued tiny curls of paper, constructed fabric frames, produced stacks of calligraphy, collected postcards, created miniature furniture, and scrapbooked long before it became the thing to do.

At some point I realized that I need to focus on just a few things. That is still a hard for me to do. Now I’m into writing. I’m writing Pennsylvania history books, but other topics and genres still attract and entice me.

Yesterday, I was working on a biography of Thomas Buchanan Read. This morning I am thinking about who he was and what made him famous.

Thomas Read grew up in a little place called Corner Ketch in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he first worked for a tailor, At age fifteen, he worked in Philadelphia for grocer and also a tobacconist. After that he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to live with his sister where he learned portrait painting and sculpting. He began to work his way through the eastern United States, sometimes as a sign painter. After meeting Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who encouraged him to write, he published a book of poetry and created a serial story for a magazine. As a soldier in the Civil War, he wrote patriotic songs. He also took up drawing and produced thirty-seven sketches of an immigrant family living along the Susquehanna River.

Today, Thomas Read’s most well-known work is a lyrical poem called “Sheridan’s Ride.” and a ten-by-fourteen foot portrait of Union General Sheridan on his horse. Mr. Read, inspired by a photo in the newspaper and the accompanying account, wrote about General Sheridan’s furious ride from Washington, D.C. to Cedar Creek, Virginia. General Sheridan had been on business in Washington and learned of the engagement of his troops. On arrival at Cedar Creek, Sheridan found the Confederates had the upper hand, but he rallied his troops and won. Later, Mr. Read painted a huge portrait of Sheridan as he had appeared in the photo in the newspaper.

Should we work to develop many talents? Or do we miss the best by trying too many things? Would Thomas Buchanan Read still have been famous if he had stuck to one specialty? Or would he have been even more famous?

I don’t know the answers to those questions, but they make think of where my focus should be-- pleasing the Lord. In whatever I do, I need to pray and seek His direction to develop my God-given gifts for His pleasure and His glory.

Poor Versus Rich

On researching Winfield Scott Hancock, a United States general, I encountered an interesting story of his night at the Astor Place Opera House. Since I had already encountered this story when reading about the Pennsylvania born actor, Edwin Forrest, this piqued my interest. Edwin Forrest and British actor, William MaCready had an ongoing antagonism. While both performed in plays in England, the British took MaCready’s side. Now both appeared in New York City, and Forrest became the favorite of the Americans.

The particular night that Hancock attended the theatre, May 10, 1849, a riot broke out. The New York state militia, given the orders to fire into the crowd to stop the rioting, killed twenty-two and wounded thirty-six. Hancock and his three friends became separated and each feared for the safety of the others but left unscathed.

The commentary I’ve read about why the riot happened said that it wasn’t just about Forrest versus MaCready. They only provided the spark. This particular opera house’s location played a part as well as the Irish resentment of what was taking place in Ireland at the time.

The opera house, built in 1847, sat between Broadway and Bowery. Broadway represented the better part of town and Bowery the poor section. The rules at the opera house said that for a man to enter he had to have shaved and wearing evening dress including a clean waistcoat and kid gloves. Those on Bowery Street didn’t have the means to do that and resented the fact that they couldn’t attend a play at this opera house.

The Irish now living in America had a disliking for anyone British. Many had recently arrived in New York because of the Potato Famine in Ireland. (These included some of my ancestors!) Many Irish took part in the riots that night.

The poor resenting the actions of the rich is still going on today. One of my friends posted a picture on Facebook of the October 15, 2011 Occupy Lewisburg protest not long ago. She and her husband had been there and later we had the occasion to talk about why they went. She said, “I researched this movement and it has some bad sides, but I believe in some of what they are saying so we went. I am just tired of a small amount of people having all the wealth in this country while on my street are hungry kids.”

The other parallel is the little bit of Bolivian history that I learned when reading the book, Crossfire by Jeanette Winder. The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement took place in Bolivia in 1950’s. The revolutionaries overthrew the government and one of their actions was to redistribute the land, a Robin Hood type action of taking from the rich to give to the poor.

I don’t personally approve of such policy. Forcibly redistributing wealth is not democratic. The only result from the opera house riot that I can find is that the place soon went bankrupt. No one wanted to appear or attend a place where so many had been killed.

As to Occupy Wall Street? The outcome of this movement is not evident yet.

We can be sure of God’s word. II Chronicles 7:14 runs through my mind. We, who go by the name of Christian, need to consistently hold up our country in prayer.

Natural Bents

In the homeschooling circle we speak of enabling a child’s natural bent. What I mean is if he talks about cars constantly, teach him to change oil. If she shows an interest in crafts, get her the materials to create. (Sorry if that sounds sexist, but those are mini-portraits of my first two children.) One of the reasons I like homeschooling is that children have more time to follow their natural bents.

Several 1800’s figures showed inclinations at early ages toward their life works. Winfield Scott Hancock (1824-1886), who was born and raised near Philadelphia, commanded troops during the Civil War. First of all, his father and mother named him after another famous general, Winfield Scott. Second, in his early years at school he persuaded fellow students to practice marching and organized a company which named him captain.

Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857) born in Philadelphia is another example of this. As a child, he liked to try new things and especially loved a physical challenge. He also enjoyed the outdoors. What did he become? World known explorer! He visited Rio de Janeiro, the Andes Mountains, Bombay, Ceylon, Macao, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Africa. Kane became most famous for his travels to the Arctic regions, but he also ventured into the crater of a volcano in the Philippines.

A third nineteenth-century man showed his abilities early. Edwin Forrest (1806-1872) loved to recite for friends of his family. He was apprenticed at the age of ten to merchants, but still practiced his speaking and acting. He belonged to a Thespian society at the age of eleven and played the parts of children in plays. At fourteen he played a part that received requests for more performances. At seventeen, he began to act in New Orleans, where at nineteen he starred as the Shakespearian King Lear. He became very rich and famous performing in many major cities of the United States and in London, England.

So watch for your children’s natural abilities and encourage them. Who knows? You may be raising the next famous general, space explorer, or actor. Thinking about natural bents reminded me of song, “The High Chair,” by Steve and Annie Chapman.