After my suggestion that stories from the audience should not be too long, too boring or too off color, Helen’s son said: “My mother has good stories.” Helen claimed she couldn’t tell them. “Are they off color?” I asked.“Very,” she said. But with encouragement, she told a couple.
In the olden days, she said, children were born, grew up, and moved away to make homes of their own. All but the youngest, who stayed on the farm with the old folks. Daniel, the youngest, stayed home like the good youngest son he was. He had some age to him himself when his folks passed away. Left all alone on the farm, he thought he might like a family of his own. Consulted his minister, who didn’t see why not, and sure enough, Daniel courted and married a younger woman from the village.
On account of Daniel’s advanced age, the newly weds consulted the local doctor about the possibility of having a family. The wise doc didn’t see why not. “But Daniel,” he said, “you’re getting on in age and you’ve got an awful lot of work to do on the farm, why not take on a hired hand?”
Daniel agreed that was a good idea.
A few months later. Daniel and his wife consulted the doc again. “My goodness, Daniel,” the doc said. “Your wife is pregnant!” Then, “Did you take on that hired hand like I recommended.”
“Ayuh,” Daniel said. “She’s pregnant, too.”
Helen also told the story of Aunt Minnie from the Midwest who always wanted to see the ocean. In old age she got the chance because her nephew was stationed at Pease. Minnie flew to New Hampshire and the nephew took her to Rye Beach to see the ocean for the first time.
As they stood on the sand looking at the water, the nephew noticed that Minnie seemed a little down in the mouth. “What’s the matter, Aunt Minnie?” he said.
“Oh,” she said, “I had an idea it would be bigger than this.”
Thanks, Helen. And thanks Sue Wheeler and Maggie Moore for inviting me to the Dover Library to swap stories. How we laughed!
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