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The PioneerLast week I wrote about being descended from David Phillips whose father-in-law fought in the Revolutionary War. The same booklet that reassures me I am, indeed, a Daughter of the American Revolution, also offers up some interesting tidbits about other ancestors living in French Creek, WV.
Here’s one about David’s brother, Elijah Phillips, and his son Edwin’s dog. I’ve put it down word-for-word, simply because no one writes like this any more. Or, at least, no one should.
“Edwin owned a dog named Lant, which possessed remarkable intelligence as illustrated by the following incident: One night Edwin was awakened by a distant barking of his dog, and supposing that a raccoon had been treed, dressed himself and went into the woods from whence the dog’s voice came. Upon reaching the place, however, he found old Lant walking behind Elijah Phillips, his father, and barking at frequent intervals. This was unusual conduct on the part of the dog toward one with whom it was well acquainted and would indicate the opposite of intelligence under ordinary circumstances; but when it is explained that the aged man who the dog followed had lost his mind and was apt to go wandering from home and become lost explains the act. No possible motive can be assigned to this act of the dog except a desire to warn his master of the danger which attended the wandering of the feeble and mentally helpless old man.”
The booklet goes on to describe Elijah as being, “Low in stature with dark eyes and hair, inclined to corpulency, full of life, a great talker, a man of good sense.”
And there you have it. Proof that I come from a LONG line of storytellers. Although I hope I’ve learned to be a little more . . . succinct . . . in my telling!