USA > New York > Greene County > The "old times" corner : first series, 1929-1930 > Part 11
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"I know of two Frederick Saxes that were in and abont Kiskatom in 1810. My great-grand father was one of them. He came to Kiskatom in 1803, and died in the old house in 1832 and was buried in the corner of the orchard near the house. The other Frederick Saxe lived up on the moun- tain side back of Lawrenceville and was the grandfather of John H. Saxe who lives on the same place. My mother ( Betsy Linzey ) went to school by the place and knew old Uncle Frederick Saxe when she was a little girl. I often heard her speak of him. Peter P. and Peter C. Saxe lived across the flats from the Mt. View Farm House, and one of them was the grandfather of George Van Bramer who now lives in Catskill. He died on the place which came from his grandfather. This has gone on for a hundred or two hundred years -- many Frederick, John and Peter Saxes.
"Frederick SCHERMERHORN was my mother's great grandfather who lived back of the Round Top and was taken captive by Indians but finally got away and came home, married, and raised a large family. and was buried by his wife in the Round Top cemetery near the M. E. church back of Round Top 3 miles above Purling. \ man by the name of Schram built the house where the Mt. View Farm House now stands. I helped to tear it down in 1871 and this was built in 1797. but this man Schram died just before great grandfather bought the place in 1803. Schram was buried half way between the barn and Fly ('reek."
It will be recalled that the signers of the petition against a new county in 1786 included Christian. Jacob, Johannes. Paul and two Peters Sax. Here then is mostly an earlier generation; who can tell us anything about them ?- C. Apr. 21, 1930.
Information Wanted.
A correspondent seeks information about the Dutcher and Townsend families, and especially about a certain Jane Shepard (born 1810 7,6) who married (1830/9'15) a Minor Townsend. Whose daughter was she? Whoever knows, help us out.
The Dutcher Family
to which our correspondent refers, according to the records she has found. begins in Dover township, Dutchess ounty. with Derrick or Dirck DUTCH- ER, whose son David (born probably in Dover about 1760) resided in Cairo. Greene County, in 1799, but laier (805 or 1806) moved to Catskill, near Catskill Landing, and lived there about three years [he is listed in the 1810 census of Catskill] before returning to Dover township. Finally he removed to Cherry Valley, where he spent the rest of his life.
David Dutcher's wife was Jane (born about 1763) daughter of . Thomas and Jemima (Van Densen) Palmer, probably of Dutchess County. She died shortly after 1810. Their children were Jacob. Thomas. Jemima. Leah. Martin (1796-1872). Mathew Palmer (1799-163), and Dorcas (1810-1875). Of these. Jemima (horn probably about 1790) married a SHEPARD and had a daughter Katharine; Leah married Benjamin
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THE DUTCHER FAMILY
COTHARIN: and Dorcas married Joshua HAIGHT. Martin married Cynthia Ann Feagles. What Shepard did Jemima marry?
The son Mathew Palmer Dutcher was born June 12, 1799. in Cairo and was about six years old when his family came to Catskill to live. When his mother died (after 1510), he went to live with his uncle in Greenville and learned to be a tanner and currier, also a boot-and-shoemaker, the trade which he followed throughout his life. At the age of 18 he went to Coey- mans, Albany County, to live, and there ( 1821/9/18) married Sarah Ann Prindle (1802/9/30-1564/9/29) ; for the next ten years they made their home in Greenville, then moved to Broome. Schoharie County, and in 1838 to Somerset, Niagara County, where he carried on business. In 1864 his wife, who had borne him 3 sons and 10 daughters, died; and he later re- married. Mathew P. Dutcher died Oct. S. 188S. Who were the parents of Sarah Prindle?
The thirteen children of Mathew and Sarah Ann Dutcher were Daniel P. 1822, David Smith 1824 (died in infancy). Sarah Jane 1825. son 1827 (died unnamed ), Jemima 1828, Louisa Palmer 1831, Ann Eliza 1823, Caro- line 1835, Katherine 1837, Mary 1839, Hannah 1842, Mary Frances 1844, Emma Engenia 1846. [These long lists ought to be an encouragement to the rising generation.] Of these, Ann Eliza married Elisha Clapp Town- send, son of Minor and Jane (Shepard ) Tounsend.
This Townsend Family
goes back to Christopher TOWNSEND (1776 7/25 -- 1855/6/23) and his wife Bathiah or Bethia Rider ( 1777/9/20-1844/4/13) who were married in 1793 and were residing in Greenville, Greene County, in 1814. Who were their parents? Later they went to Cayuga County, and before 1844 to West Somerset, Niagara County, where both are buried. Their 14 chil- dren included Phebe, married a PICKETT; Deborah, married Philander HOPKINS; Matilda, married Isaac COX; Marilda; Samuel; Minor (1808/ 2/28-1872/3/31), married 1820/9/15 Jane Shepard (1810/7/6- 1881/12/6), the parents of Elisha Clapp Townsend, above mentioned; Jefferson ( 1880 ?- 1863/9/25), married Nellie N. Schutt and lived in Niagara County then moved to or near Kingston, N. Y .: Betsey Ann (1814/10/20, in Greenville), married James B. HOFFMAN and lived in Niagara County: Luther (S) of West Somerset, Niagara County. Names of the others unknown.
Descendants of either of these families, Dutcher and Townsend, who see this account will please let us know. They are of Greene County stock and we would not lose track of them, however far away now. And who can tell us about Jane Shepard, wife of Minor Townsend, and her parentage ?- C. Apr. 24, 1930.
Who Remembers Ben Shepherd ?
From far-away New Mexico comes a request for information about Mr. Benjamin Shepherd for Shepard ), who once kept a confectionery stand in Catskill. Hazy recollections of my boyhood associate him with the Vicinity of Main and Bridge streets or the foot of Presbyterian hill. His father John was a confectioner before him, and is said to have died in
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1902 here, the son of Charles Shepherd Jr. and his wife Mary Winters, sister of Mathew Winters. Who were Mary's parents?
Charles SHEPHERD Sr., born 1744, married Elizabeth Dyer, but where and when? Who will tell us more about these ancestors of our corres- pondent ? And who will put us in touch with living descendants ?- C. May 29, 1930.
Marcus Trowbridge was the editor of this paper in my boyhood. Some day } shall have more to say about him and his family, but just now I mention his name because it is his daughter .* wife of a very prominent clergyman of Rochester, who sends me the following note about the Shep- herd family in response to an inquiry three weeks ago in these columns.
"I have such a vivid picture of the Shepherds having family prayers. They lived across from my Uncle Charles' factory on Candle Factory Hill [ Livingston street] as we always called it. If I chanced to go down that hill in the early morning I could see John Shepherd sitting in the living room with his wife and his two children Ben and Mary, and he would be holding the family Bible in his hands and it quite thrilled me to see them all following that lovely old custom of having family prayers; also the very serions look on the faces of Ben and Mary made a deep impression on my mind. Of course the candy shop was a delight and I think it was just above the Baptist Church.'
Several in Catskill have recalled "Uncle John" Shepherd. and I am indebted to them for much information. But we still want to learn about his ancestry .__ C. June 19, 1930.
[*Mrs. Adelaide Crapsey. ]
Again We Mourn
a friend laid to rest, one whose features like her soul grew more beautiful with every passing year. Mary Bates, the widow of George Cramer Willis and of the late Charles E. Nichols, was the daughter of the Rev. Henry Howard Bates, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Oak Hill, where he died in 1868. It is appropriate at this time to recall something of the life and services of this man, who gave richly of himself to us.
From memoranda preserved by his family we believe that he was a descendant of James BATES. an early settler (1669) of Saybrook, Conn .. and supposedly a native of Wales. Later a James Bates lived in Durham, Conn .. and had four sons, John. Nathaniel, Jacob and David. The last, with his brothers Nathaniel and Jacob, took up farms in Middle Granville, Mass. David's first child was a son. David Ward Bates, his middle name the maiden name of his mother, who died soon after his birth.
Henry Howard Bates was the youngest of the seven children of David Ward Bates and his wife Susan Howard, and the only one born (Nov. 23. 18os) after the family moved from Granville, Mass., to Benson, Vi., close 10 Lake Champlain. Here he grew up, between the shadow of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, a lover of the sublime and the strenuous. and here he found his life-mate. Eunice S. Bascom, born Dec. 1s, Is11. in the neighboring village of Orwell.
Meantime, however, he had received his education at Andover, Mass.,
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REV. HENRY H. BATES
and Union College, Schenectady. In college, under the influence of Prof. Potter, he became an Episcopalian and went on to the general Theological Seminary in New York city to make preparation for the ministry. On March 17, 1840, he was married in Orwell, and entered that year on his rectorship in Blandford, Mass., his first parish. Four years later he transferred to Warehouse Point, Conn., for eight years, then served the church at Tariffville, Conn., for six years more. In 1858 he came to the still more important parish of Glens Falls, N. Y., the Church of the Messiah.
Then came the war and the patriotism of Mr. Bates would not allow him to stay idly at home enjoying the earthly reward of his faithful ministry. Turning his back on a Incrative parish, he became in 1861 chap- lain of the 22nd Regiment of New York State Volunteers, of which one of his wardens (Walter Phelps) was colonel. After one year he asked and obtained permission to leave his parish that he might continue with the army. At the second battle of Bull Run, while entering the hospitals with wounded soldiers, he was taken prisoner and was marched three days in front of the rebel army. He was then released by their General Wilcox, in which the fact that both were Masons may have played a part, but his pistol, overcoat and satchel were not restored to him.
With shattered health he returned to his family in Glens Falls when his regiment was mustered out, and under the advice of Bishop Potter he went in 1863 to Oak Hill, a small parish, to recuperate in the air and sun- shine of the mountains. Nothing, however, conld slacken the ardor of his service but death; and at the end of four and a half years he passed on (Jan. 14, 1868) to the larger ministry. In the church where he last labored stands the monument erected to his memory by the Masonie order.
In personal appearance the Rev. Mr. Bates, though of but average height, was noticeable in any gathering for his refinement of features and manner, his rugged physique before it was broken by the privations of the war, his enthusiasm and personal magnetism. Always thoughtful of the welfare and feelings of others, he left a host of friends in every parish.
In 1865 Oak Hill had only three mails a week. From a traveling man who was passing through the village, Mr. Bates learned that on the previous day ( April 9, 1865) General Lee had surrendered and the Rebellion was crushed. He hastened to the church. np to the belfry, and for half an hour rang out the glad news, bringing the people in haste from all roundabout to learn of the end of the war.
The three children of Rev. Henry Howard Bates and his wife Eunice Bascom were Henry Bascom Bates, Homer Bryant Bates now living in Catskill, * who married Rosamond A. Davis, and Mary A. Bates, Mrs. Nichols, whose memory will ever inspire all who knew her.
[*Since deceased. ]
It would not do to pass over wholly the wife who sustained him through many a trial, and who gave to her children another line of worthy ancestry. In or abont 1634, Thomas BAASCOM came to America, living successively in Dorchester, Mass., Windsor, Conn,, and Northampton, Mass .. where he died in 1652. His wife Avis (died 1676) bore him a son Thomas Jr. (1641-1689) who married in 1667 Mary (born 1645) daughter of
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Thomas Newell of Farmington, Conn., and Rebecca Olmsted his wife (who came from England to Boston in 1632 ). Their son was Thomas 3rd ( 1668) who in 1691 married Haimah Catlin (died 1746). The Catlin family has been prominent in American history. Hannah's father was John Catlin of Deerfield, son of John and probably grandson of the original Thomas Catlin (1612-1690) of Hartford and New Haven. .
Among the children of Thomas Bascom 3rd was Ezekiel ( 1700-1746) who married Rebecca Clary and became the father of Deacon Elias Bascom (1737-1833) married 1761 Eunice Allen of Deerfield. AArtemidorus Bascom, son of Elias and Eunice, was known generally as Dorus Bascom; he married Chloe Hulburd, and it was their daughter, Ennice Semanthe, who braved the labor and want of a minister's wife and nurtured her children in the fear of God and love of their fellow man. All honor to her name and memory, too.
Is anyone else in Greene County a descendant of any of these New England families we have named ?- C. May 8, 1930.
Help Is Wanted
+
by a correspondent to, find the list of children of Daniel CAMPBELL of Catskill and Lydia Ball of Deerfield, Mass., who were married August 12, 1795. Who can help us? Another wants to get the address of James Over- baugh, a descendant of Abraham and Deborah ( Voorhees) OVERBAUGH, or any information about the children of this Abraham and Deborah. Further questions for someone to answer are: (1) whose son was Ben- jamin Overbangh who married Eliza Van Hovenburg, (2) are there any descendants of Wilhelmus Emerick Overbaugh, (3) where is William H. Dederick, son of Alonzo Dederick, ( I) where does James Post live now, and (5) did Ethel Post marry a Chadwick? Who will tell us ?- C. May 15, 1930.
Two Thirds of a Century
is a long time to be happily married, but that is the record that Mr. and Mrs. Richard Van Hoesen of 26 King St., Catskill, have set and on October 2 [1930] they will round out full 68 years of wedded bliss. Can any other Greene County couple beat this?
The Van Hoesen Family
in this section of the world originated with Jan Fransze VAN HOESEN, spelled also van Hussum and van Hoeser, who came from Holland to Beverwyck in 1615 and died there about 1667 after the village had passed into English control and been rechristened Albany. It should be noted that the second syllable of the name, however spelled, is always correctly pronounced like our English word "whose," and from this it has come that the English later wrote it Van Roosen and Van Hosen, just as they changed Natten Hock (i. e. Chestnut Point) into the meaningless "Newton Hook."
This Jan Fransze (John Francis-son) van Hussum was a landowner at "the Klaver rack," living in and around Beverwyck with his wife Volkje Jurriaanse, who survived him and had much difficulty in managing
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THE VAN HOESEN FAMILY
her family and estate in those rough and ready times. Several times she appears as plaintiff in the court records, one record being of special in- terest. Appearing on November 26, 1668, before the whole court, composed of the honorable magistrates "Ryckart van Renselaer, Jacob de Hinsse. Jan Thomasz. Abraham Staas, Jan Verbeeck and Martten Gerrittsz [van Bergen, of Coxsackie]," "Volekie van Hoesem" prefers charges against Symon, the baker. "The plaintiff says that her little son served the defend- ant three years for board and clothing and that he has now come home very poorly fitted out. Also, that through the defendant's neglect he has got a lame arm, for which she demands reparation.
"The defendant answers that the boy tell from his horse and that he did not think it would turn out that way and that the boy has worked since.
"The honorable court order the defendant on the next court day to submit evidence that the boy worked since the date of the fall and in what way."
The next court day was December 10, and there came up the ad- journed case of "Volckie van Hoesem, plaintiff, against Symon Volckertsz. defendant.
"Case according to the foregoing minutes. The plaintiff persists in her former demand.
"The defendant presents an affidavit from which it appears that the boy worked after the date of the fall and as to the fitting out, he promises to give him a pair of underdrawers and a hat in the spring.
"The honorable court order -the defendant according to his promise to give the plaintiff a pair of underdrawers and a hat."
The children of Jan Fransze and Volckertje or Volkje were (1) Jurriaan, Juriaen or Jurge (George ) Janse van Hoesen, who married and lived in Albany and perhaps later in Claverack; (2) Jacob Janse van Hoesen of Claverack, who married Judikje Fransze Klauw (Clow) ; (3) Volckert; (+) Anna or Annatje; (5) Styntje; (6) Maria or Marytje; (7) Catherine or Catalyntje; and ( S) Johannes of Claverack, whose wife was Janike or Janneke or Jannetje. At the present moment I can give the fam- ilies of but three of these, and hope that others may be able to add more.
A "Hannes van Hoesen" of Albany, with wife Williamje or Willemje, appears also in the records. He was older than Jan's children, just enu- merated, but 1 do not yet know how related to them, if at all. His chil- dren included apparently Jan lannissen van Hoesen of Claverack, with wife "Danike" (or Janneke ) and at least 6 children, "Joh. Hannissen van Hoesen" of 't Taar bosch (the tarbush), who married Elisabeth and had a daughter Jannitje born October, 1721, Jacob Hannissen van Hoesen who married Gertruyd and had 10 or more children, and surely Gerritje van Hoesen, a daughter born April, 1710, to Hannes and Williamje and baptized by the Rev. Justus Falkner of the Zion Lutheran Church at Loonenburg ( Athens ).
Jurge Janse's family is not known to me except the one son Jan Jurgen (or luriaanse) who married lannatje and lived in Claverack. Co- lumbia county, and also for a time at Klinkenberg ( Echo Hill) in Loonen- burg ( Van Loan's Town) now Athens, He appears to be the "Hans Juriaansen" who on August 4, 1684, received a deed of land at Claverack
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from Gerrit Visbeeck, neighbor to his grandfather's holdings. Jan at that time could have been but a stripling, just starting "on his own." Jan Jurgen's children by Jannatje include (1) Jannitje 1708/1/21, (2) Elisa- beth 1710/1/26, (3) Nicolaus 1712/2/11, (4) Cornelius 1714/7/-, pos- sibly (5) Gerrit Jansse, and finally (6) Cornelia 1721/9/27, though there may have been others not appearing on the available record. Of the three sons we shall have more to say later.
Jacob Janse's family included at least two sons: Jan Jacobse, who mar- ried Rachel Hallenbeck and was in Coxsackie by or before 1710, and Jacob Jacobse 1707/9/3, whose wife's name was Catharina. A third son, Francis, is mentioned below. Jan and Rachel were probably the parents of Rachel van Hoesen who married 1733/6/14 Peter BRONCK (born 1707), and we can account also for the following other children: Jan (or John) Casperse who married Hendrike Van Loon, Jurge Janse 1714/5/23 mar- ried Marytje, Judith 1716/8/19, Casper Janse 1721/2/5 married Marytje, Abraham 1726/4/1, Isaac 1726/4/1 (twins), and Lisabeth 1729/8/16. Jacob and Catharina had at least Jacob 1740/12/16, Jan 1742/11/20, Antje 1747/11/20, and Marya 1751/2/27. I am unable at present to carry Jacob's line farther, but have considerable further data on the descendants of John Casperse, Jurge Janse and Casper Janse. Rachel Bronk's line is of course known, but I have not found the marriage of any other of the female children thus far listed above, nor the fate of the twins Abraham and Isaac. Can anyone supply these facts?
The family of Johannes and Janike is not fully known to me, but included Catherina 1705/11/26, Jurgen 1706 married a Jannetje, and Johannes (or Hannes) Jr. 1712/12/20 married a Sara. Each of these sons had several children, of whom we have lists. I have no knowledge of the family of Volckert van Hoesen, third son of Jan Fransze, if he had any, nor of the daughters of Jan and Volkje.
To carry down these Van Hoesen lines to the present generation, I need to hear at once from all living members of the family, giving the names of parents and grandparents as far back as they can give them.
Our Historian's memoranda indicate that Francis Van Hoesen, son of Judikje and Jacob Janse, married 1739/3/20 Martha Van Deckar (Van de Carr) widow of Garret Van Hoesen, and had a son Jacob F. (1740/2/13- 1820/11/13) who married Rachel (1738/12/5), daughter of John Casperse (Jan Casper) Van Hoesen. Their children included Francis (1772/8/9- 1847/2/20), Casper and Maria. This Casper appears to have been the Casper who was father of Francis Casper Van Hoesen ( 1796/11/4-1876/ 5/3) of Green's Lake. The latter married Mary ( 1798/10/9-1883/12/22), daughter of William Vandenburg of Coxsackie, a veteran of the Revolution. Their children were (1) Casper R. Van Hoesen 1819/11/13-1881/2/13, (2) William Van Hoesen 1822/1/24-1914/2/26 (aged 92.1.2) who married Rebecca daughter of John Mack, (3) Jacob Van Hoesen 1823/12/17. (4) John Henry 1826/3/10, (5) Garrett 1828/9/19-1907/10/29, whose first wife was Samantha Bell, (6) Christina 1831/9/3 who married Samuel MELIUS. (7) Lambert 1834/6/11-1858/1/28, unmarried, ( 8) Isaac J. 1837/ 10/28 who married Joanna Paulsen, his second cousin, and (9) the sole survivor, Mr. Richard Francis Van Hoeson of Catskill, with whom we
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THURLOW WEED
started, and who was born September 25, 1843. His bride of over 67 years ago was Miss Eliza J. Fredenburgh of Athens, daughter of Paul Freden- burgh and sister of Mr. Henry Fredenburgh who had the fish market in Catskill that supplied the delicious sturgeon of my boyhood memories .- C. June 5, 1930.
Thurlow Weed
was born in Acra, November 15, 1797, of Connecticut parents Joel and Mary (Ells) Weed. His grandfather, Nathan Weed, was a Revolutionary soldier, migrating with a large family from Stamford, Conn., after the War, first into Dutchess and then into Greene county. His mother, Mary Ells, had been born in New Haven. Farther than that, Thurlow knew not his family lines. What he did know was that his father, coming from his Acra farm to Catskill when the lad was two years old, ran into everlasting hard luck and spent his time largely in the debtor's prison. This in spite of the fact that he was universally respected as an honest, industrious and sober man, of kindly disposition and striving to do everything possible for his family. Compelled to move from house to house, they lived at one time in the old "Stone Jug" when that was temporarily fallen so low as to house several poor families, tenement fashion, and at another in the little frame building that some of us still remember as encroaching upon the sidewalk on the corner of Hill and Bridge streets next below the present postoffice, where Dr. Fanning* later erected the present brick stores. He mentions, as other dwellings, apartments in "Number Eight" and in "Gullen's barber shop," but whether the house we remember was either of these, I cannot say, and there were still many others, not specified.
[*See correction following. ]
Of this early life we know from two sources: a letter to his daughter in 1845 and one in 1865 to the Catstill "Recorder and Democrat," reprint- ed in Pinckney's Sketches. In the latter he writes: "In those days, hard as it may seem now. poor men, however honest, lived in dread of Imprison- ment! My father was one of a class whom ill-fortune tracked through life. He worked hard {as a drayman], but never prospered. llis horse was always siek, or lame, or was backing the cart off the Dock. The Debtor's Prison, therefore, was ever staring us in the face. But there was this blessed mitigation of the horrors of a Debtor's Prison. There were Gaol [jail] Liberties connected with the prison, of which a debtor, with a reputation for honesty, and a wealthy friend who would sign His bond to remain upon the 'Limits,' might avail himself. The Limits, accurately defined, extended to business parts of the Village, so that a poor man stood some chance of keeping the wolf from devouring his wife and children. This, however, was not the full measure of the Law's humanity. On Sun- day the debtor was free. And on these days of jubilee I used to roam with my enfranchised father, down to the 'Point,' over to the Shad Fishers, or up to Jefferson, with a deep sense of gratitude that he was permitted, one day in the week, to walk God's earth, and breathe His atmosphere, un- .restrained. Creditors were on the watch, always, for truant debtors, who sometimes failed to return to the Limits before twelve o'clock on Sunday night."
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Weed says that his parents were "very anxious that I should enjoy the advantages of education." Nevertheless he got not over a year and a half of schooling at Catskill, when he was "not more than five or six years old," and he had already begun to feel "the necessity of doing something for my own support." Tiny tad of seven-think of it! Something for his own support. So, "when about eight years old," he went to blow the bellows for Mr. Reeves, the blacksmith, at a wage of "six cents per day," and had to stand upon a box to reach the handle of the bellows. Then he became a tavern boy for Capt. Baker (a sloop-master) in Jefferson, whose enterprise fell into the sheriff's maw, and Thurlow became cabin boy for Capt. Grant on the sloop Ranger. The lad of not yet nine thus saw for the first time New York City, then smaller than present Hudson. "I re- member," he writes, "as if it were but yesterday, after carrying the small hair trunk of a passenger from Coenties Slip to Broad Street, finding ny- self in possession of the first shilling that I could call my own. I re- member, too, how joyfully I purchased with that shilling three two-penny cakes and three oranges for my brother [there were two brothers] and sister, how carefully I watched them on the passage back, and how much happiness they conferred."
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