they had passed through a town and, tell her

they had passed through a town and, tell her to look at the people that were “going back,” No sir, he wasn’t going forward, they were “going back;” and the next question was probably: Where’re they going, mother? Whyrre they going back?” ’ ’ _Once in Missouri, the Masons moved into Macon County. There, they rented a. farm, and were soon at home, raising familiar crops in addition to tobacco. They found the “Golden West” not too different from their little native county. Only a few people appeared to them as “uncivilized” according to the learned definition.

For 9 years little Rhoda and her family remained in Missouri. The young girl entered a one-room school there. Then due to the ill health of Mrs. Mason, they returned to Sperryville, by train, on much the same route that- they had followed on their covered wagon —trip to Missouri. They lived in Sperryville, where Atha f?rowTn now lives. Later they moved, to Laurel Mills, where Miss Rhoda met and married Frank Cooksey. For 5 or 6 years, the couple made their home in Laurel Mills, then moving to Viewtown where they lived for only a short time. From Viewtown, Mr. and Mrs. Cooksey and family moved to their home near Washington, where Mrs. Cooksey now lives, with 2 daughters, Miss Annie Cooksey and Miss Allie Cooksey.

A witty little lady of 87, she easily recalls the happenings of yesterday and in another moment, converses on current events in Rappahannock and adjoining counties.

Her brother, “Jim” makes his home in Laurel Mills. He still has the bridles used on the horses during the Western trip. To Mrs. Cooksey and her brother, the covered wagon trip is a treasured bit of family lore. .To those who live mostly in the day of jet planes, 3-D and the atom, it is an almost unbelievable tale of another ag<*.

But about it lingers something familiar:

Mrs. Cooksey remembers in particular, her parents talking of