Page:The Stephenson Family (1906).pdf/109

 her tongue. She called them low-down, thieving imps of King George. Her ten-year-old daughter, Margaret, struck one of the Tories with the poking stick. In these days of plenty and affluence there may be some who do not know what is meant by a poking stick. In the time of the American Revolution, and down to my boyhood days, iron shovel and tongs were luxuries which only a few were able to enjoy. In those days for fire dogs common rocks were used, and for tongs a hickory stick four feet long and one and a half inches thick was used. The shovel was made from a common clapboard riven from a white oak tree. The board was trimmed down to a handle.