Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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jpiji'oftd lo ^ruimllnre, ^jorlicultmc, gomcslic (l:conomn, iwitc literature, ^olita, and tin- (i'mrait pint's of iitc gan. vor,. xvii.?new Series. union C. ii., south carolina, july 9, 1880. nujii5e15 27 REMINISCENCES OK THE MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY. UY ONK OK TIIK.M. No. 7. A narration of ^omc of the scenes and incidents of the battle <>f Sharpslmrg, may n >t bo wholly an uninteresting prelude to this number of our recollections. As the Macbeth was hurrying into thofight on the morning of that eventful day, when it seemed ns if heaven and earth had conic together, iny attention was arrested by the demeanor of a youthful soldier who was being borne to the rear badly wounded, lie was weeping: and one might have imagined that the frighful wound had turned bid thoughts homeward and to loved ones there, and thus unmanned the soldier boy. No doubt ho was in great physical agony. His thoughts, however, were not of self or home, but of the battle held, our struggling men, and victory. The iudomitable spirit of this youthful patriot gave way to tears, because lie was no longer able to light for his country Hut his courage rose superior to his physical suffering, and it was inspiring to hear him cheering the troops that were then hurrying by, sayiug "go it, boys, our men need you over there." Is it marvelous that I.ec's banner floated victorious over so many hard fought battlo fields, when tho boi/s iu his conunaud were made of such polished steel? Artillery men do little picketing, carry no baggage, and ride across streams. Thc30 are privileges that tho infantry do not enjoy. We usually hauled our baggago 011 our caissons and oil the limber chest, our gnus. On the morning of the light, when one of our caissons was blown up, a bundle of blankets was sent heavenwards. Ike lson, who fell when the explosion took place, rose just as the blankets, under the force of gravitation, were returning. Ill tho onnt'iixinn of ll.o .1 .... ? ?!- 1 ' - ...V >..o,Kjm uv cnvu UUli 1'boys tlicy arc shooting blankets at us !" Many of us thought that it was something more soli'l than blanktts tlint was doing the damage. Wc had one gun disabled before we reached our first position and loHt another between the first nnu second positions. Hence it is that the Macbeth is referred to in the official reports as a battery of lour guns. A section of the Wash* ington Light Artillery received distinguished mention in connection with the saving of our center. It fought well and merited all the official notice it received : but the Macbeth was in front of it and nearer the enemy, and was there after the section referred to had left the fiold. Lieut. 1'ortcr told the writer that VonSchartel, actine nsj^unuor at our soccud posit'"; out of thvee shots, Ilmdcil two color bearers in halves. It was while gallantly fighting at this very hot place that young John Lylcs, expressing tho feeling of many auothcr soldier, declared that he wished it was night. In their official reports, tho Federal officers uaw flint Pill Itnrlnw ivm wnnnilfiil anil (Inn llichardson killed by cannistcr. Tho Macbeth was the only battery tlint fired a gun at this position, an I most of our firing there was with double shotted canister. Suffering with nausea and paroxysm of pain from tho blow up, I took advantage of a calm in the storm of battlo and retired from the field. As I passod along the streets in the western suburbs of Sharpsburg 1 iw the most horrible sccuc that I witnessed during tho war: A Confederate soldier was lying on tho street with the top of his head shot off. It had evidently been done by Benjamin's guns on the lvistcrn side of the Antietam, quite a mile away. His b ood and brains were 8enttero I on the ground and a hog was revelling in thciu as though the battle was for the speciol benefit of hungry brutes. On the crest of a high hill just beyond this scene I saw Gen. Lee, almost alone, with his glasses to his eyes, intently watching his center iliit had already been broken without the slightest apparent indication of alarm. The Macbeth had advanced and planted her guns in the gap and was main tuning the position with distinguished gallantry, wholly unconscious that the eyes of our great chief was watching her action, or that bo much depended upon I ho hero's clForls. I doubt very much if there was another command that fought from early morn to dewey eve"' without relief, deserves generally do the relieving ; hut it so happened that when it came the Macbeth s time to be relieved there was no reserve, l or every soldier in Lee's army had already smelt the smoke of battle that day. In some respects the battle of Sharpsburg was tho greatest of I lie war. For a brief period of time I have heard more rapid and terrific cannonading, hut when it is remembered that the battle raged from before sunrise till after sunset, 1 doubt if the incessant roar of artillery at Siiarpsbttrg was equaled on any other battle field during the war. I'.very minute after tho two armies had warmed up under (he inspiration of the battle balls were ploughing the ground or whizzing and shrieking through the air, while shells were exploding and scattering their fragments here, there, and everywhere. Night put tin end to the terrible light : and l.ce and liis men retired tint night fully expecting it would he renewed the next day with increased Iliry. I'lH IIIUI11IH? liiiuiv, iii <i inv n.-ij nuiv away without the tiring of n hostile gun. Ity some, Sharpsburg is put down ns a drawn battle : while others claim it as a Federal victory. I'.xcusc me for halting to examine the foundation on which the e claims rest. Mct'leilan assaulted fee's position on the 17th Sept., IHtVJ, and was hurled Lack with great violence and tremendous slaughter. On the morning of the 1 S|h. I.ee's position on our right and left was a little in advance of his position on the morning of the 1 71 Ii ; his center wa> a little drawn in . but here lite enomy had been driven back from the position lie onco occupied iu our broken line. We fire I the last jroii on tlie left, in the center, and or the right. The Federals feil back before oiii tiro at all three of .these points of attack along our lino, mi l ccnseil to return our tiro, McClollan did uot renew the fight on the 18th ami the reason is given hy Sumner anil McClol- I lau, iu their testimony before the committee on the conduct of the war, in ths following language : Gen. Sumner s v i >1 that "Gen. Hooker's corps was dispersed : tliere is no suggestion about that. 1 sent one of my stall" ollicers to find wlierc they were, and Gen. Rickets, the only otticcr lie couM find, sai 1 he could not raise tlirce hundred tneu of the corps. There were troops lying down on the left, which I took took to belong to Mansfield's command. In the mcautime Gen. Mansfield had been bilUt ?...! ... ?!! ? ? portion oi ins corps iiati also bccu thrown into con fits iou." Gen. McClcllan said : "The next morning, the 18th, 1 found that our loss had been so great and there was so much disorganization in some of tho commands that I did not consider it proper to renew lite attack that day." Thus it is plain that in the scattered, disorganized. and demoralized condition of his army, McClcllan was too badly worstc 1 to attack Lee on the 18th. On the other hand, Lee was in a much better condition for a fight than he was on the 17th. All of Jackson's Harper's Ferry army had arrived, and thousands of our stragglers had returned to their commands. I ant phte sure that the Macbeth could have carried more men into a fight on the 18th than we did ou the 17th. The two detachments, belonging to our disabled guns were intact and many who aided the wounded iu getting from the field never returned, l'.xpcrience taught us before night put an end to the conflict that it would not do to send meu out of the battle mi > 111u nuunu^u. inc experience or that day would havo been of immense value to us bad tlie light been renewed eu the 18th. Then 1 it is true that while McL'lcllun was in no con- ' dition to renew the tight, bee was in u better ' one. When, in addition to this, we take into ' account the inequality of the forces that ' fought the battle, the advantages were over- ' wltcltuingly iu Lee's favor. Mc'Jlollan assaul- 1 ted Leo with his splendid army of ninety 1 thousand men. Lee beat liitn back with thirty- 1 three thousand?lighting, as it will be seen, c nearly three to one. And this was about the c usual odds in most of tho pitched battles fought ' between Leo and the Federal commanders. r But Federal olliccra say that we fought thorn ^ with overwhelming numbers. For instance, v Gen. Grant says lie fought against great odds 1 at Chattanooga. l'opc says we massed heavy ,J forces against his right and were able to meet n him with equal numbers all along the line. ^ iMcClcllau magnified 1>. II. Hill's little division c of five tll0UB?M>J tula ' , , , . _ ll aniuu. - Tirtsc rash statements are ^ made for a purpose : Kither to belittle our ^ victories and magnify theirs, or to hide their own inefficiency and tho cowardice of their . troops. But these extravagant statements 11 crumblo before facts and figures and reason t< atnl common sense. ? v From first to last tho Federal Government cntistcu two minion six nunureu aim scveniyciglit tliousaml, nino hundred and sixty-seven ' men. Of this number tho Southern States v furnished nearly three hundred thousand ^ white aud a very lai-ge number of colored sol. s diers. Missouri furnished 108,162 ; Kentucky, v 75,275; Maryland, 16,050; West Virginia, " 32,001 ; Tennessee, 31,002; Arkansas, 8,280 ; '' Louisiana, 2,521; North Carolina, 3,150; a Alabama 3,576 ; Texas, 1,810; Mississippi, 545, k If to these you add the colored troops, you you will hare as large an army made up of Southern material as tho Confederacy ever had j in the field at any one time. Suppose these, ^ with the confederate soldiers killed by them, could have been in our armies, how different somo of the chapters in the history of the war J could have real. doing hack to tho millions ( of troops put into the armies of the Federal Government, 1 say with emphasis that none but a vitiated mind could imagine it possible for the Confclcrato States to have met such a host with "overwhelming numbers. ' Hut other writers from the Federal stand poiut tell us that the delusion that the Northern people were not worth man for man, as a ?ii? ?- i??. iw.r...., ?i,? SUlUitT, ?(lO uiaj/tuvu iwii^ uvivi u vuv niu ended. This was proven, they say, as soon as incompetent oRiccrs were removed and ctlicicut otHccrs put in command of their troops. Reference is evidently had hero to (Jen. Grant and his final success at Appomattox Court House. Let us sec how (Jen. Grant dispelled that delusion. When he moved against Lee, according to l ho report of the Secretary of war, lie had Ml.HiO men, l.cc had only <>0,000 to meet this graud army, under this capable officer. And, according to (Jen. Grant's own statement, wc had robbed the cradle and the grave to till up our armies. Yes, the seven days around Richmond, Cedar Run, Second Mamisscs, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Clianccllo:sville and Gettysburg hud made gaps in Leo s army that conl.I not be closed up with material equal to that which lie had lost. Yet Lee's army, composed of these boys from the cradle ami old men from the verge of the grave, heat Grant at the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, ami at Cold Harbor. Leo bio 1 liiin from the time lie crossed the Kapidan till lie reached the James. His own historian, Swlnton. says Grant lost sixty thousand men?tin* number Lee had in his array. Grant did not. in that Campaign prove his superior generalship or do much towards dispelling the dulu 91oil oi which i ill* r cue mi uimuiiiiu iiua The same writer modestly says tint Lee out numbered tlicm at the jioint* <>f contact. This is an unconscious attestation of Leo's superior generalship. The statement, however, is not i true, but hints at a principle upon which Lee often acted. Lee trusting to fate, or more correctly to I'rovidencc, often, at the critical moment, hurried troops from parts of I his line not under fire, to points of attack, i The Federal commanders wero generally so confused by the daring jut that they over looked the fact that Lee had weakened one part of lu.s line Jo strengtlint another. It was in this way that Loo boat McClclian at Sharpsburg. I have niailc quite a digression to expose soma false statements that have been repeatedly made. It was impossible for Lee to supply his army with ammunition ami rations for any length of ttmc North of the I'otomao. A sudden vain and rise in the river would have imperilled his army. Already both horses and men wore 0:1 half rations. As McCIellan failed to accept Lee's oiler of battle on the 18th, our army was ordered to cross the I'otomao that night. The Macbeth reached the river before twilight and there we remained till dawn the next morning. . The iufantry began to enter the river as wc drove up, and as the for.l was deep the crossing was slow. Wo were in our sad.11.,a ?11 ? .... uijiin, c.xpeoung every moment that we would be ordered forward. As we neared the Southern bruit of the l'otouiac an exhausted horse iu a battery in ?e;r front fell, ile was too weak to pull 01,1 "f !!? water, (len. I.ce riding out of the river .just then, watched the ineffectual cllorts to put the feeble animal ou its feet, said, "every minute is worth an hour to us. lloll him out of the way. The horse went iuto the river and I.ce and his men moved ou. Three roads b I from the river on the Virginia side. For nearly a mile the upper one ran along the water's edge, between a high ridge and the river; at Shcpardstown it deflected from the river at an angle of about forty-live decrees anil van .. ?l >: - 0 ... *% uuniinrat uircilIOU IVJ Martiiisburg. The lower road made about the same angle with the Potomac and ran in a southwest direction to Chatde-town, a place made historic by the execution of Joint llrown, of Harper's Ferry notoriety. The Cent re 1 Head ran directly to Winchester. Ketrcats always liavo a demoralizing tendency. Crossing the river at night?troops getting separated "roni their comrades?had a most unhappy jU'ect on Lee's army. The army took lie tipper route, leading to Martiiisburg : nit thousands of our troops who got away from heir commands in erasing the river, followed he lower road to Cluirlestown. Lieut. Porter time out of the river with the four guns that ante out of the fight unhurt, and " falling in ichiud this crowd of lest soldiers on the lower oad, wcut on to Charlestowu and thence to Viuchcster. Capt. lioyce, Lieut. Jeter and the mtcr, by some means were thrown with tho wo disabled guns that got separated from the attcry in crossing tho river, We followed the _ rniy along the upper road. It would have 1 ecu a serious matter for us ha 1 MoClellun dis- ' overcd our retreat in time to have plante 1 some ' tic i'otoui 10,'as he did later in the day, and isabled some of our guns so as to have blocked lie road where it leaves the river at olieparilsown. The ridge to the left of the road shut us ' a beyond the possibility of escape. As we ' sccudcd the hill to Shcpardstown 1 looked back ' o see if the Federals were pursuing. The sun ras just rising. Xo Federals were iu sight. In going through Shcpardstown we passed ^ lie graves of Dawkius, Miller and Rogers, , >'ho had fallen two days previous at Sharpsburg. j t was sad to think that these gallant men -who tood by our side a few days before, as buoyau t ( rith hope as any of the company, would no ( aoro share with us the joys of victory or the lumiliation of defeat, or the trials, privation s ,nd hardships of a soldier's life. Just nor'h of Ihepardstown wo overtook Lee's army resting in either side of the road, luo Macbeth was lot there. A road leaving the one along which vhich we bad just marched and running pnralel with tho Potomac, entered the lower road a ew hundred yards from tho lord. 1 was orlercd to follow this road in search of battery. \t its jauction with the road leading to ^harlcstown, I heard that Porter had gone on ;owards that place. By this time tlie Federals iad planted some batteries on the hills just jver tho river and were shelling our side of it furiously. 1 passed back under this fire. Fitz John Porter pushed his corps across the river under the cover of these guns. He met with a bloody reception. Two hundred of his command wore captured and thousands wero killed and drowned. The Potomac looked for once as though it was wearing the blue. But few of Porter s command lived to tell how fearfully it had been cut to pieces. The Federals repoited three thousand lost out of one brigade. Lee now moved on towards Martinsburg, tyafc.1 t'apt. Boyco and a remnant of Macbeth started for Winchester, in search of Lieut. Porter. Porter went to Charlestown, drew full ratious for the company?the tirst full allowance the men had had in a number of days. At Winchester lie again made application for rations. The provost commander told him to report at tiie stragglers' camp aud ho would supply liim with rations. Porter told hint ho was not a straggler, but there in command of a c mipany. The bomb-proof otlicer insisted that Porter should go to the stragglers' camp. Porter told him if that was the condition on which rations were to be had, his men would go iuingry. \ fi< sov.M'fi throats to arrest and a counter threat to resist, the two oiheers parted none tho belter friends because of this interview. t?n the '20th, late in the evening, when in six miles ?>f Winchester, wc met l'orler returning in search of friends. We hivouaced that night in n lovely valley ott tIto banks of a rushing stream. As we were parking our guns my friend A. B. llyrd. of Ureenville, in walking over some brush that liad been placed over an old well, partially fell through. From that incident the camp was called ?' bird-trap," mi l it was ao recorded at the time, in a diary that the writer had kept since the Mac'ajlh wont into camp at Lightwood-knot Springs. This diary was kopt to the captur o of the cm. pany near Ashcville, North Carolina, on the 2">th April, 18i>>, and was lost with my h?ggage at that time, hieut. Munro look a c >py of it hrfovc he left the company at Aslicville t < become Adjutant of tho IStb tfonth (\i><din? Uegimeut. lie, too, lost his since the war. It might have been of great service to me in writing out these recollections. Oa the tiiorniug of iho 'Jlst we started back to Lee's army. Aoer passing through that rock built town. Martiashurg, where we met tIto Federal prisoners wit > were captured at the ford of the rive-, we tonn ! Lee's army in camp on the v>po jua.i, between the town and the lVtomac. 1 or otic month Leo's tr<> >ps had been marching and lighting day r.n I night 011 half rations, and nee ie.l rest. Leo ha 1 turned aside into the beautiful country, nb muding in good water, beef and 11 uir, : > give bis troops recreation. Ilerc the climate was splcndi I nud the weather fine. In a few weeks the army ha l increased f<? ramdlv in nimi'ioi-j i,n..t,t. ??.i . .- ? ? ? "? spirit th?i it ^xaively resembled t..j rugged boy; that fouglu the battle of Sliarpsburg. Alter resting here lor some three week-", Lee moved up to our camp :it I'ird Trap. The Macbeth went into camp command in a beautiful hickory grove. The went Iter in this mountainous country was .-dready growing old: the nights were frosty. The soldiers wailed away the time variously employe I. .v;otnc engaged in the business of soap-iuakiug ? au article that soldiers alwajs needed; others would spend hours in carving some article of jewelry out of the tough part of cow hoofs. Frotu this time on to the close of the war Site Macbeth may, in a sense, be called the Hying artillery of the Confederacy ; hut those who follow us to tlie oiosc of tlie chapter will see if we traveled utoro and fought lcs than some other commauJs, the fault was not the Macbcth's. Wo obeyed orders and always went where fighting was expected. Vim. Tho dth Quarterly Meeting of the Union Sunday School Convention. Crowds Mocked to the llcthel li.iptl-t t'ir.ireh, Keltoii, S. C., .Saturday, the -'ith in-'.., to wituess the cxercisei of tins Union Sim.i.v >;.i.?,.t Convention. Owing to the absence of Ucv. J. II. Wallace, Hcv. 11. l'arluini jire^iJeil. The exerciser consisted of spiritel singing by Bethel and Bethany Choirs, reading and adopting reports from the various Sunday Schools, discussion of topics iatiling to tiie interest of the work, discussion of queries from the Question Box, alteration of and intendment:' to the constitution, and the preaching of the missionary sermon by llev. C. II. Leo. The discussiou of lotteries from the ?? lest ion Box, was participated in by the young teachers who arc now engaged in the work of religious instruction, and the success with which their 1 iVery elfort met was such as to gratify and dciglit the parents and friends who were present. ' ?,g 1I14 pfny queries on Oi^,? ~ .,..UT3 meir "children to attend 8abbr.*.u School or should it be b it to their pleasure? Allirmativc, (.!. IV. Ciaifney, L. Smith and Alex Moore. Negative, .1. W. Bar mm and C. II. Leo. Is the Graded Quarterly Lessons an improvement on the Bible for imparting Scriptural instruction? Affirmative, J. H. Smith, J. IV. I'arham, Alex Moore and T. 15. Reynolds. Negative, J. II. McKissiek, J. K. Harris and Llov. C. II. Lee. As Rev. J. 11. Wallace, 8. B. Minis, aa 1 J. Q. Smith, the leading speakers, t > whom all llio topics but one were assigned, were absent, only the following one was discussed?"The Importance of Sunday School Work,'' !>y T. 15. Reynolds. The Convention adjourned at 11.bt p. in., to moot Sunday morning at half past eight. The delegates and members were fortunate on Sunday morning, inasmuch as "Sol rose above the horizon bright and clear and all indications promised a gala day for the Convention. At tlm limn annninlo I in tli.? mi.Idt i?t" fiio l irvoal ....... . ?r> congregation that ever wis soon on llethel Church ground, the Convention resumed its exercises by singing 82nd selection U. 1!., "Ouly au Armour Hearer, Proudly 1 Stand.'' Sio., by lieihel clioir. llcv. C. II. Lee read lid chupt. Loci. .Music. "Fierce and Wild the Storm it Kiging," &c., by Bethany choir, i'nycr by T. 15. Ueynol ls. llcv. C. 11. Lee preached the missionary sermon, from Matt. L'llh chapt., lstli V.? "Ilear ye, therefore, lite parable of the sower."' Tho sermon was a powerful appeal to Sunday School workers, for greater zeal and more forciblo cilortd in the work : giving a lucid explanation of its Holy significance and Divine influence. Ills illustrations were forcible and just, and added much to tho strength of Lis remarks. if more ser nous were produced like it there would be many more better Christians and practical Sunday school workers. Tho Sttndiy Scho.l scholars deserve the hightst encomium far the earnest attention which they devoted to the sermon. Alter taking up a collection in which the spectators as well as the n.embers liberally contributed, the ho ly a lj mined by siuging :?70lh U. 11.,?"Sowing in the Morning &c., by liolh Choirs. 1 n.ust not forget to note the procession of tho Sunday School ', which numbered 1100 or upwards, and consisted ot i.embers from Lethe!, Leihany, ami Wood-mi Chapel Sunday Schools. Never were there in- re enthusiasm displayed in any occasion. th.ti were manifestel by the scholars in thi march, I lac exorcise4 of vvliieli were c 'ii iucii' I oy i. n. jicynuiiis uml J. II. MeKi 'l'lic hospitality with which tlie la-Jie- mi l jfcntlemcu of llothei (rente 1 (lie members of the Convent ion j u ' ly euliile- ilieiu i?> (lie liieiiesl compliments of every member of tin; C. if. S. C. I'- !'?' \ N"LI?. Sect'y l". S. S. C. . 4 . The .Durham, N. L'" jrift r nays " Tho populati ill nl' i >111'11:i!11 l l 187(1 W.'It U5li all tol'J ; in 1SS5 it w ,7 ?7. Tin assessed valuation nl' pr?i|?**rly i" 1870 was $50,000 ; in 1885 it was 808l.ot-o. In vi 'ted in inniiiif iCi a - in 1870,8-5.000 ill 1885 it was ; J,1 ?0,000 MH AND MRS AH1' CELEBRATE THEIR BIRTHDAYS. We arc having some birthdays uow, for Mrs. Arp and 1 are both June bug*. That is to say I :.m a but* and she is a butterfly I reckon. I wont call her a bug though sIIA il i. - : - 1 - * - ....... t. .... ? iiuiiu sometimes wnon tilings go wimi: r. Sin; had a birthday hist wook.ii!: 1 I wvuiKl toll bow oil she is it' 1 was sure she iv mid never bo a widow. She thinkj I would marry again at the drop of a hat, but declares she wouldn't and says something about a burnt child dreading the tire. Hut .^he don't.mean that I know, and the honest reason is that she is afraid she never could find another man like inc. It would take her a 1 ;ng time to train another feller and u. him up to any standard of uxoria! docility. A young man will train but ooe over thirty \v >n t train worth a cent, and that is the why it is so dangerous for a girl of ambition to marry an old. young man or a widower. The training is on the other side then, and she had just as well surrender to the inevitable. We had a birthday and gathered all the children but one. They were nine of them here, and - uno grandchildren and some friends, and we had a goad time. 1 saluted Mrs. Arp on her cheek soon in lh? v-1 1 - .......i ,.i^. ?-uv; aiwuya turns Iior check to uio n-w, but bIio dident use to by uo means. L tna<lc up her bod lor her, and swept the v )o:n and Hew around amaziug. We had music and played cards and went a firming atul cat spring chickous and huckleberry pie and talked, and the boys s i; 1 smart things and told of exploits ami escapes, and their mother and sisters thought they were the smartest boys in the world. If a boy succzes his mother thinks it smart. Mrs. Arp thinks her boys arc an improvement on the old man but my ambition is for the girls to be as smart (lmir mother. There is no room for improvom at on that line. Not long ago ! went oil' and was gone a mouth. When I came hick everything was calm and serene.. I played king and autocrat for two or three day.-, and strutted around With the sau.0 L. i.i.a.u.'nJ.uil uiri i hud ivntu at my house, and now 1 am in my normal state of sweet humility. A man must go away from home to put on airs. In fact it is a good idea for tho woman to go too sometimes just for a change. Folks get sorter common to ouo another Irom continuous presence. Absence may conquer young love, but it refreshes the old. I know a lady whoso husband is a surgeon in tno navy, auu lie is generally gone tiro years ami stays at homo two months when he conies. 'How do you stand it,' said I. [ would just as leave have no husband at all; 'Oh,' said she, 'I think it is just splendid. I am so glad to sco him when lie couies, and I look forward to it with so much pleasure. L don't see what those wives whose husbands are always with tlicui have to think about and h >pe for. I am sure I v.ou'.d get awful tired of having a ' man hang around homo all t'io year round It would be so monoton uis. Two mouths in two years i- > :-t about right. and besides you know the doctor sends mo plenty of money and that makes up for his absence." Weil, it does help a good deal?-money does?I've noticed that. When I have money to spare I fool better and more like a ''cntleiinn. and it sheds its heui?ii influence oh all around inc. A close observer can tci> when 1 in in funds l?y perusing the family. I can tell by my feelings, my nj) petite, my hilarity. A mau ought to keep a dollar or two in his pocket all the time, just like he keeps a buckeye or a rabbit loot. It is fruit time now. There are cherries and dewberries, an 1 hueklebcr.ies. ami raspb'-rrics, and mulberries, and tin: sugar just (liea all the time. IIvery morning before breakfast. while t ' ?rl is milking and Jessie is practicing her music, 1 pick the rnspberi ics and fill a tumbler Tor each ol them to take to school, and 1 sprinkle them all over with sugar. I go with them an far as the Toot-log over the creek, and in the evening 1 go to meet thorn, an 1 we come by the dewberry patch and have a g ? ?d time. They v.ill think ni >ut that walk In school as long as they 1 ve, and it will always be a plea..ant memory. 'Tlmy hunt hens nests and guinea no.-is when they an. at homo, an i come to tin- h?uj?o with their hats Toil of egg# Wo will begin to oul oa's to-inorr >w, and they will Had soim naitridge eg. and he happy. .School wii be out next week, and then lor black horrid t ) 111 >ko i mi aii'l j lley. i if} < hi pick :tl day aii I s.'ii'oi : rii.r!?t, :?a 1 kocp lut an. i healthy. This country hie i- just splcndi' > fir ciiil li ii. .^ii*: it up villi school ani i with w<>rk .101 .t will in ike iii- n and wonic - f ir a Si 11o to i. roil'I of. 1mi( you send ; hoy to seh . i all his yoiini^ lil'o, and then t college, and ho wont bo lit for hardly any thin:* above an oiliee seek.or. Ho w. I ic wanting to go to the Legislature before h : * twenty-five. I've known fellers to 1 r the Legislature who didn't know we.et '- -r i cow that was ly ing down got up bebin 1 r before, or how io drive a nail into a t to keep it from splitting, or whether i: t. ;* tlio east wind or the west wind that In t ..i fair weather, or whether it was th:.> v. r\s wood or last year's wood that pioit d poaches and grapes. l>nt still they can nnko laws to govern tho people. <Ld nee i iv not hiini* wiolom but il brings l;n *v ami s ) I w,i.' a little proud that throe s r ; yours had passed over my 1 cad. 1 thou ?ht that surely 1 was gaining sense, hit i > I lawyer told too to lay that 1 was n v the decline, lor our supreme court b i ! .1 > eidod that a nun over sixty was ine cup tent as juror; so I run not lit to try i ; 1 suppose. 1 know that a man ov ;r ..\:y could not he compelled to serve i :> a _|. but the court says lie shall not serve bo is incompetent. Well, it'that i - the Supremo Court ought to resign lor they a?\ over sixty. 1 reckon that some of the e juvenile members of the Legislature ... '. that law. Country life has a chirm for towu folks ami they look forward t > t.m time when they can retire from w ok . i i settle down on a farm. My lrieud .iud,;llrauhum come to see us ye.Uerdt} a. i took off his eon', and hung it o i a n ril in the pia/.z. i ami stuck his Icct on the i and rested?rested?that's the word. \. u talked over the good old days and . \ . 1 tribute to the dead?the friends who li. I left us. and we discussed the living . . \ v. a iuikcu a ituio polities ami wo v. .1; . ; a over tliu farm ami tdong the crt'ch ! branches :< . i watched tin* minnow dodging itvund ml he said in a v.! i 'L almost wi'h 1 was :i l-?y again.' , J Judge l>ioi'!ili.'V hail been >1; 1.; ! lo.'.L \.' all three wmiM have gone in : ivimnh.. . Judge 15i;.aii.i'ii said lie knew ?.v?ny ! iu the baptizing branch, ;h it v.'as J. down in I'utur.m. He could go right n . and cat eh a cat in one h do and a tdreU in another?the liecal desccndents of tho same hah lie oscd to catch iu the long ago. uub a?i cct?- lut ut.%t ULi . aud he thought it was a snako aud threw down the j> do and ran lor his life. 'Those were good times,' said lie, 'and these are good times loo ; let us apologizo for tho bad and enjoy all the good that wo can. Love, pity and couteiiiujeiit will make anybody happy.' What a gentle genial coinlbrt it is 1,, ho visited by an old friend. Not a formal < l bill a good, holiest, loving visit?a visit that pays double, for it pays l.im I :: t . ive. and biin that doth rcco.\ j ? it "i; iw ice blessed and for a season renews our yi utb and haves a sweet order alter it oas p .-el. Bll.li Ai:j\ Tiif. Untiii.aii and tub IIors::uo; i>..u. ?A Burglar wh j hail Itansaoked a house without 1'ixtit, entered the Bedroom f tho Owner and indignantly Inquired : 'What sort of a man are jou that your Silver is the choapest plate, your VY -eh out of Order, and your Waliet entirely Kuipty '{ j)o you imagine tiiat my time is ot no Account that 1 must Tool it aw.iv in this Manner ' 'Alas!' replied thj Householder, 'the Fault is not my own. The liol ler of a Chattel Morlg igo just cleaned mn Out to day.' 'Ah ! I beg a thousand pardons. No man should have his house Bobbed twice iu twenty-four hours. My Brethren -a > .hi have Notilied me by Teh phone,' Mor i : (Jive the Burglar the l'nio ruico i:i such matters.?1)< fruit 1\t>! /'< There are numbers of towns in \ crntonl 1 IL'll.HM II l\ it Hill Ofirill ! ; ll-'M /.Vl.l* / of Lincoln belonged for yeais (<j this c a^s, l>ut i. no yc:ir as tliey were eouniiiii' the vote the citizens who ha 1 char:.: ( 1' tho ballot box woro : :i?: zcvl ;?:n 1 h< n i ! to discover in i'. >i democrat ic bilh.l I'd' crnor. There was a l.a-.ly consultation between too judges, who wei ail Slain and conservative men. Thou one ol' them roao 1 n11 solemnly, an I liuldin;.' un the ballot to siiili! sail iiiijin 'S.-tvely : ' V. o h ,'ound ' in liio box i ballot lor tho ihoiii cratic '/nv' eruor. Did anyone c ist ill''' There was ' no answer " Wo thought it was a mistake, ' ' said the jud/o, ami threw it en the floor. ^ it is .stat' d that the drn^^l.-t.i ol Monroe, J N. ti, have pledged t!ie;na< .vcs to sell no : ; man whiskey l*??r medicinal purpos:s unless s I the man he icaily sick, an l t'a :t tl e doctors I have pledged themselves to wiilc no man a 1 prescription unless he he aiek an ! really 1 i .1... in .. - I IR'WU IHU 1I?|I4VJI d - - m A man iii <'iini>b.'il (Vanity, i l:i., lia<\ a thirty-six b<iys 1 '.nuu^ii ? > fi.'bt u the o. last war, and twenty-three ui' ti cut were killed. J1 o Ins been ;ii irrie 1 nine times.