Huntley’s Freckles

Huntley was fair skinned, and freckled easily. In the summer, his freckles were so numerous that they almost merged to cover his whole face. His cousin, Cathren Godfrey Baber, told of spending the night at his house when they were about six years old. Someone told Huntley that washing his face in the morning dew in a rye field would fade the freckles away, but in order for it to work, that must be the very first thing he did when he got out of bed. Huntley hated his freckles and fervently wished to be rid of them, so would have tried anything.

Cathren recalled waking up early the next morning to the sound of the door slamming downstairs. Looking out the upstairs window, she saw Huntley running across the wheat field, headed for the rye field in his underwear, not wanting to do anything before the face washing, even putting on his clothes. Sadly for Huntley, the remedy didn’t work.