Up and Down the Potomac River

When I was very young, my family lived in a small house. My mother, who suffered from asthma and heart trouble, slept in one room. My father, four brothers and I slept in the other bedroom in one bed. Because it was so crowded, we all slept the same way - on our left or right side. Our great dad would say "Now let us go up the river", which meant we turned to the other side. "Now let us go down the river" meant we turned to the opposite side. Many happy nights during the great Depression, we heard these sounds til we fell off to sleep. My brothers were short and could easily sleep cross-wise on the bed.