The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, July 09, 1886, Image 1
- v wmrrzz. < W
Cx*^ - *' .'. ?'
fsl"^
Uncord to g^ritultunt, Sorfieultun}, $om<jstie (Stonomg, polite literature, politics, and the (fturrent $teic? of the gag.
VOL. XVII.?New Series. UNION C. ii., SOUTH CAROLINA, JULY 9, 188G. NUMBER 27.
REMINISCENCES I !?.. ? --- *' *
or tiib
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILL
by one of tiiem.
No. 7.
A Dtirration of some of the scenes ant
dents of the battle of Sharpsburg, may i
wholly an uninteresting prelude to this n
of our recollections.
As the Macbeth was hurrying into thofi
the morning of that eventful day, when it i
as if heaven and earth bail conio togethi
attention was arrested by the dcmcano
youthful soldier who was being borne to tl
badly wounded. He was weeping; and one
have imagined that the frighful wound had I
bis thoughts homeward and to loved ones
and thus unmanned the soldier boy. No
he was in great physical agony. His tho
however, were not of self or homo, but (
battle field, our struggling men, and yi
The indomitable spirit of this youthful j
gave way to tears, becauso ho was no 1
ablo to fight for his country- But his cc
rose suporior to his physical suffering, r
was inspiring to hear him cheering the
that were then hurrying by, saying "go it,
our men need you over there." Is it m
oub that Lee's banner floated victorious o'
many hard fought battle fields, when th<
in his command were made of such po
steel?
Artillery men do little picketing, can
baggage, and ride across streams. Thes
privileges that the infantry do not onjoy.
usually hauled our baggage on our caisson
on the limber chest, our guns. On
morning of the fight, when ono of our cai
was blown up, a bundle of blaukets was
heavenwards. Iko lson, who fell whci
explosion took place, rose just as the bine
under the force of gravitation, were retur
In the confusion of the disaster he cried
boys they arc shooting blankets at us !" 1
of us thought that it was something more
than blankets that was doing the damage.
We hnd ono gun disabled before we ret
our first position and lost another betwee
first and second positions. Ilence it is tin
Macbeth is referred to in the official report!
battery of four guns. A section of tho 1
ington Light Artillery received distingu
mention in connection with the saving o
center. It fought well and merited al
official notice it received ; but the Macbett
in front of it and nearer the enemy, and
there after the section referred to had lei
held.
Lieut, l'ortcr told tho writer that YoaSi
. _ - -tel.-Jtflting-QHM?ft-aln pri tup)
out of three etrolsJaiJraeatwo oolbrofia?e
halves. It was while gallantly fighting at
ery hot place that young-John Lyles, ex;
ing tho feeling of many another soldier
elared that he wished It was night.
In their official reports, the Federal ofl
say that Col. Barlow was wounded and
Richardson killed by oannister. The Mm
was the only battery that fired a gun at
position, an t most of our firing there was
double shotted canister. Saffering with hi
and paroxysm of psln from tbeVlow up, I
advantage of a calm in the storm of battls
retired from the field. At I passed" aloe|
streets in the western suburbs of 8harpsbt
aw the moat horrible scene that I witn
during the war: A Confederate soldier
lying on the street with the top of his
shot off. It had evidently been done by B<
min's guns on the Eastern side of the A nth
quite a mile away, llis b'ood and brains
scatterod on the ground and a hog was revs
in them as though the battle was for the Sf
benefit of hungry brutes. On the orest
high bill just beyond this soone I saw
Lee, almost alone, with his glasses to his i
intently watching his center that had all
been broken without the slightest apparen
dicntion of alarm. . The Macbeth had adva
and planted her guns in the gap and was i
taining the position with* distinguished
lantry, wholly unconscious that the eyes o
great chief was watoliing her action, or tl
much depended upon the hero's- effort!
doubt very much if there was .another com
that fought "from early morn to dewey
without relief. Heservcs generally do tl
lieviog ; but it so happened that when it
the Macbeth's time to be relieved there w
roserve. For every soldier in Lee's arm,
already smelt the smoke of battle that day
In some respects the battle of Sharp
was the greatest of the war. For- aperiod
of time I have heard more rapid
tArriftn ennnnnn.dtn<r. hilt ivhon it ia ?
bercd that the battle raged frota before su
till after euQBct, I doubt if the incessan
of artillery at Sharpsburg was equaled oi
other battle field during the war. ]
minute after the two armies had wa
up under the inspiration of the
balls were ploughing the g r o u n
whining and shrieking through the air,
shells were exploding and scattering
fragments here, there, and everywhere,
pot an end to the terrible fight; and Let
his men retired that night fully expeetl
would be renewed the noxt usy with inci
fury. Dut morning etme, and the day
way without the firing of a hoaiila gui
By soma, Sharpeburg ia pot down aa a <
battle ; while otbere olalm it aa a Fader*
tory. Excuse oie for halting to exaaain
foundation on whloh these olalins rest.
MeClellan assaulted Lea's position 01
17th Sept., 1802, and was hurled baol
great violence and tremendous slaughter
the morning of the 18th, Lee's position or
right and left was a Hula in advanee
position on the morning of the 17th; hit
ter was a little drawn in ; but here the <
had been driven book from the posith
once oooupied in our broken line. W<
the last gun on the left, in the ogpter, t
the right. The Federals fell beak befo
..v?h vui aiiiVf uuu cctsch 10 return our fire,
McClcllnn did not renew the fight on flte 18th
ERY. and the reason is given by Sumner and McClellan,
in (heir testimony before the committee on
the conduct of (lie war, in ths following language
:
Gen. Sumner said that "Gen. Hooker's corps
1 inoi- was dispersed ; there is no suggestion about
aot be that. 1 sent one of my staff officers to find
umber where they were, and Gen.- Rickets, the
only officer he could find, said ho could not
ght on raise threo hundred men of the corps. Thoro
icemed were troops lying down on the left, which I
sr, my took took to belong to Mansfield's command,
r of a la the meantime Gen. Mansfield had been
lerenr killed, and a portion of his corps had also been
might thrown into confusion."
urned Qcnt McClcllan said : "The next morning,
there, ^ j found that our loss had been so
great and there was so much disorganization in
ughts, Bome 0f the commands that 1 did not consider
>f the n proper to renew the attack that day."
ctory.
>atriot Thus it is plain that in the scattered, disor,
ganized, and demoralized condition of his army,
McClellan was too badly worsted to attack Lee
M1U2Q
? ., on tho 18th. On the othor hand, Lee was in a
iD(l it
much better condition for a fight than he was
troops
. on the 17th. All of Jackson's llarpor's Ferry
arvcl' &rmy arr'TC<*? thousands of our stragglers
had returned to their commands. I am
fcr so
e boys 1u'te BurB Macbeth could have carried
lishod moro moa int0 R on lh? 18th than wo did
on the 17th. The two detachments, belonging
y no to our disabled guns wore intact and many
l0 ftr0 who aided the wounded iu getting from tho
^yc field never returned. Experience taught us
s and boforo D>ght put an end to tho conflict that it
the wou'd not do to send mcu out of tho battle
issons w'1^ "1C wound*d. Tho cxpcricnco of that
scnt day would have been of immense value to us
i tjio had the fight been renewed en the 18th. Then
ikets lr,,c thut while McClellan was in no conning
dition to renew tho fight, Leo was in a better
t one. When, in addition to this, wo tako into
Many ftc00UI1,' the inequality of tho forces that
solid 'ou8ht the battle, the advantages wero overwhelmingly
in Lee's favor. MoClollan assauliched
^eo w'lh his splendid army of ninety
the thousand men. Lee beat liim back with thirtyit
the threo thousand?fighting, as it will bo seen,
. .. ? nearly threo to one. And this was about the
I fto A
y^jj. usual odds in most of tho pitched battles fought
ishod between Lee and the Federal commanders.
, But Federal officers say that we fought them
t our
I tho w overwhelming numbers. For instance,
i was ?en* Grant says ho fought against great odds
at Chattanooga. Pope says wo massed heavy
ft the ^orc?8 ftBa'n8t his right and were able to moet 1
him with oqual numbers all along the line. '
shar- MoCUlIan magnified D. H. Hill's little division '
" of ftvo ci
made for a purpoeo : Kithar to belittle our '
1 1 victories and magnify theirs, or to bide their '
" "* own ineffioienoy and tins cowardice of their 1
' troops. But these extravagant statement*
crumble before faota and figures 'end reason '
10919 . *
a?. ?d , ..
Fromfljrei'lo lastHhe Federal Government
r this enlisted two million six hundred and'seven^lywlth
thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven
tusea men- Of this number the Southern States
took faruiabed nearly threat hundred thousand
> ftn j white and a very Inge number of colored . sol- '
r the diets. Missouri furni*hedl08,162, Kentnoky,
1P. i 75^i?; Maryland, .??,066 5 Wee*' Yirginla,
ejjgj 32,00'J ; Tennessee, 81,002/ Arkansas; 8,260 ;
WM Louisiana, 2,624; North CMolfaa,* 8,160/
haad Alabama 3,67g 4 Texas, 1,810; Mississippi, 645.
eoja- If to these yen add tha colored troops, you
>tam, you will bathes large an army made up of
were Southeru material as die Confederacy ever had
Uing in ths field at any one time. ' Suppose these,
teelol with the confederate soldiers killed by them,
of a could hare been in our armiee, how different
Oen. soma of the ohapters in the history of the war
eyes, could have read. Going bacfc to tha millions
ready of troops put into the aymies of the Federal I
t in- Government, I say with emphasis that none
meed but a vitiated mind csuld imagine it possible
main- for the Confederate States to bate met such
gal- a host with "overwhelming numbers.'1 I
f our But other writers frem the 'Federal stand
ist so point tell us that the delusiofeAbbt the North
' I em people were not worth matf^or man, as a
mand soldier, was dispelled long before 4he war
6T*" ended. This was proven, they say, as soon as
be rc- incompetent officers were removed and efficient
came officers put in oqmmand of their troqps. . Refras
no erence is evidently had here to Gen. Grewt and
y had his final suocess at Appomattox Court House.
Let us sec how Gen. Grant dispelled that
sburg delusion. When be moved against Lee, accordbrief
ing to the report of the Secretary of war, he
and had 141,ICO men, Lee had only CO,000 to meet
mem- this grand army, under this capable officer,
inrise And,.according to Gen. Grant's own statement,
t roar we had robbed the oradle and the gra ve to fill
a any up our armies. Yes, the seven days around
Bvery Richmond, Cedar Run, ' Second Mauasses,
,rmed Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville
battle and Gettysburg had made gaps In Lee's army
d or that oould not be olosed up with material equal
while to that which he had lost. Yet Lee's army,
their composed of these boys from the cradle and
Might old men from the rerge of the grave, beat
l and Grant at the Wilderness, Spettsyivaoia Court
ng it Houae, and at Cold Harbor. Lee bled Dim
'eased from the time be creased the IUpidan till ho
wore reached the James. His own historian, Swln?.
ton, says Grant lost sixty thousand men?thw
drawn number Lee had in his army. Grant did not,
1 vie- 1b that Campaign preSe his superior general,
is the abip or do much towards dispelling the delation
of which the Federal historian has spoken,
i the The same writer modestly says that Lee out
c with numbered them at O* point* of contact. This
On 1* an unoonscioas attestation of Lee's superior
i our generalship. The statement, however, is not(
of his true, but hints at a principle apfa/whiefct, Lee
i cen- often noted. Lee trusting to fate* or
inemy more oorreetty to ProvidenoS, oflen, at the
>n he eritloal moment, hulfled troops from parte of
of his line to strengthen another. It was in
this way that Lcc bent McClcllnn at Sharpsburg.
I have made quite a digression to exposo soma
false statements that have been repeatedly
made.
It was impossible for Leo to supply his army
with ammunition and rntions for any length of
ttmo North of the Potomac. A sudden rain i
and riso in the river would havo imperilled his
army. Already both horsos and men wore on l
half rations. As McClellan failod to accept l
Lee's offer of battle on the 18th, our army was i
ordered to cross tho Potomac that uight. The 1
Macbeth reached tho river before twilight t
and thore we remained till dawn tho next '
morning. . The infantry began to enter the i
river as we drove up, and as the ford was deep *
the crossing was slow. We wcro in our sad- 1
dies all night, expecting every' moment t
that we would be ordered forward, i
As we ncarcd the Southern bank of tho Poto- 1
mac an cxliaustod liorso in a battery in our 1
front fell. lie was too weak lo pull out of the c
water. Gen. Lee riding out of the river just i
then, watched the ineffectual efforts to put the t
feeble animal on it3 feet, said, "every minute i
is worth an hour to us. lloll him out of the s
way," Tho horse went into n?? ?* T -- 1
.. w ?- SM?v *uw uvvt UUU Lil'U I
and Lis men moved on. t
Three roads led from the river on tho Vir- o
glnia side. For nearly a mile the upper one ran i
along the water's edge, between a high ridge (
aud the river; at Shepardstown it deflected c
from tho river at an anglo of about forty-five a
degrees and ran in a northwest direction to f
Martinsburg. The lower road made about the n
same angle with the Potomac ami ran in a southwest
direction to Cbarleslown, a placo made
historic by tho execution of John Brown, of ^
Harper's Ferry notoriety. The Central lload
ran directly to Winchester. Uetrcats always
have a demoralizing tendency. Crossing the ^
river at night?troops getting separated ?
from their comrades?had a most unhappy ^
effect on Leo's army. The army took "
tho upper route, leading to Martinsburg ;
but thousands of our troops who got away from ^
their commands in crosing the river, followed a
8
the lower road to Charlestown. Lieut. Porter
came out of the river with tho four guns that 11
came out of tho fight unhurt, and " falling in " **
behind this crowd of lest soldiers on the lower n
road, went on to Charlestown and thence to 11
l
Winchester. Capt. Boyce, Lieut. Jeter and tho
writer, by some means were thrown with tho
B
two disabled guns that got separated from tho
battery in crossing tho river, Wo followed the w
army along tho upper road. It would have 1C
been a serious matter for us had MoClellan dis- 61
jovcred 0"r retreat in time to have planted some
tho i'otdiiao, as ho did Suit iu thd. Llisabled
some of our guns so as to have bloeked I
the road where it leaves the river at, She par ds- I
town. Tho ridge to the lea of the road ahut ut I ?
1? K? A IK- IKI1U- '
iu MWJ vuu HIV ^uooivillbjr VI VOVIt^VV A9 no 1
asoended the kill to Shepardstown I looked beak '*
to see if the Federals were pursuing. The sun
wes just rising. No Federals were in sight. n
In . going through Shepardatown we passed p
the graves of Dawkius, Miller and Rogers, ^
who had fallen two days previous at Sharpsburg. ^
It was sad to think, that theso gallant mon -who
stood by our .side a few days before, as buoyant ^
with hope as any of the company, would ntf ^
more share with us the joys of viotory or the
humiliation 'of defeat, or tho trials, privation .
and hardships of a soldier's life. Just north of ^
Shepardatown we -overtook Lee's army resting
on either aide of the road. The Maobeth was
not there. A road leaving the one alon^ whioh. ^
whioh we bad just marched and rQuning para I- ^
lei with the Potomao, entered the lower road a t
few hundred yards from the ford. I was Ordered
to fo|low this road in search of battery. ?
At its junction with the road leading to
Ciiavlestown.'I heard that Porter had gone en 4
towards that place. By this time the Federals
had planted some batteries on the hills just' 4
over the river and were sholling our eide of it
furiously, passed bask under this fire. Fits
John Porter pushod his oorps aoross the river (
under the cover of theso gnus, lie met with a ^
bloody reoeplion. Two hundred of his command
were captured and thousands were killed
A j a . mi., n.i. ? i?t?? m? -
aim uiuniisu. luo i vwuig i??HU IW OQOO M
though it was wearing the bide. But few of
Porter's oommand lived to tell how fosrfblly U
had been out to pieces. The Federals repotted '
three thousand lost oat of one brigade. 1
l
Lee now moved on towards Martinsburg, ?#5l j
Capt. Boyce end a remnant of Maobeth starttd
for -Winchester, in search of Lieut. Porter. t
Porter went to Charleetown, drew fall rations j
for the company?the first full allowance the (
men had had ia a number of days. At Winchester
he again made application for rations. |
The provost commander told him to report at
tho stragglers' camp and ho would supply him
with rations. Porter told him he not a f
straggler, but there in oommand of a company.
The bomb-proof officer insisted tbii-Porter
should go to tho stragglers' camp. told
him if that was tho condition oi? which ftrfllona
were to be had, his men would go hjaogry.
After severe threats to arrest and a eotputerthreat
to resist, the two offioaM^frhM|l|hao the
bettor frieuds because of this lut^rrkw/ .
On the 20th, Into in the cveatyg^ when fa six
miles of Winclioster, wo rootPoHO* foiuming
in scaroh of.fritnda. Wo Mv^tiitagAthai, night
in a lovely 'v4Uey oa tiie bank* of a rushing
stream. As we were parlUmg suUp'guos my
friend A. B. Byrd. of draodti^l^ walking
over some brush that had hSSj^y feted over iwi
incident tlie camp was u'l'l
it was so recorded at^iP^^iH^that
went into camp at
Tliis diary was kapt ^dhlMBj^Mnadifthe com.
pany near AshavHlo^ on the
gage nt that lime.. T11n^j|^^ir a^o<>py
might have been of great service to mo in writ
ing out those recollections.
On the morniug of the 21st we started back
to Lee's army. After passing through tha
rock built town, Mariinsburg, where we met th<
Federal prisoners who were captured at tin
ford of the river, we found Lee's army in cam]
on tho Opcquan, between the town and tlx
Potomac, lor one mouth Lee's troops had beer
marching and fighting day and night on ball
rations, and needed rest. Lee had turned asidt
into the beautiful country, abounding in good
water, beef and flour, to give his troops recre
xtion. Here tho climate was splendid and tlx
weather fine. In a few weeks the army had
ncreased so rapidly in numbers, health and
ipiri,t tUat^ it scarcely resembled the ragged
>oys that fought the battle of Sharpsburg. Afer
resting here for somo three weeks, Let
noved up to our camp at Ilird Tra;>. The Mac>eth
went Into camp command in a beautiful
rickory grove. The weather in this mountain)US
C0untr7 was r.lrea.lv iTMMlin', ?.o.l . ?.
J V-JIK | IUI
lights were frosty. The soldiers wailed away
ho time variously employed. Somo cngagod
n tlio business of soap-iuakiug?an article that
oldiers. always needed ; others would spend
tours in carving soiuo articio of jewelry out of
ho tough part of cow hoofs. From this time
>n to the close of tho war the Macbeth may,
n a sense, be called tho Hying artillery of the
lonfedoracy; but those who follow us to the
lose of the chapter will sec if we traveled tnoro
nd fought less than somo other commands, the
ault was not the Macbetli's. Wc obeyed orders
nd always went whero fighting was expected.
VlDI.
ho 4th Quarterly Meeting of tho Union
Sunday School Convention.
Crowds Hooked to the Bethel Baptist Church,
Lei ton, S. C., Saturday, tho lititli inst., lo witess
the exercises of the Uuion Sunday School
onvention. Owing to the absence of llov. J.
[. Wallace, Rev. II. l'arbam presided.
Tho exercises consisted of spirited singing
y Bethel and Bethany Choirs, reading and
dopting reports from the various Sunday
chools, discussion of topics relating to tho
iterest of the work, discussion of queries
orn the Question Box, alteration of and
inendmcnts to the constitution, and the prcachlg
of tho missionary sermon by Rev. C. II.
ee.
The discussiou of Queries from the Question
ox, was partioipatcd in by the young teachers
ho are now engaged in tho work of religious
istruction, and the success with which their
rery effort met was such as to gratify and dcglit
tho pareuts and friends who were present.
Hqucrr; ?
"YdToroe^?.netr"bhihl ren lo atoofor
should it bo left to their
mntivo, Q. W. Gairuey, J. E.
Joore. Negative, J. W. Far
jAthe Graded Quartorly Lessons an iinprovciQlrt
OH tho Bible for imparling Scriptural
Affirmative, J. E. Smith, J. IV.
uhuD, Alex Moore and T. 15. Reynolds,
legative, J. H. McKissiok, J. E. Harris aud
Lot. C. H. Lee.
AeRev. J. H. Wallace."S. B. Mims, and J.
f. Smith, the leading speakers, to whom all
it* topic* but one wore assigned, were absent,
nly the following oue was discussed?"The
mportanoe of Sunday School Work," by T. B.
teynolds.
The Convention adjourned at 11.30 p. m., to
leet Sunday morning at half past eight. The
lelegates and members were fori unato on Sunlay
morning, inasmuch ns "Sol" rose above
he horiion bright and clear and all indications
premised a gala day for the Convention. At
he time appoiutcd, in the midst of the largest
ODgregation that ever was seen on Bethel
Ihurch ground, the Convention resumed its
ixeroises by singing 82nd selection U. 11.,
Only an Armour Bearer, Proudly 1 Stand,"
te., by Bethel choir.
Rev. C. II. Lee read 3d chapt. Eool. Music,
'Ficroe aud Wild the Storm ii lloging," &o.,
?y Bethany choir. Prayer by T. B. Koynolds.
Rev. C. II. Lee preached the missionary
lermon, from Matt. 13th cliapt., 18th V.?
>Tl<ukr vb. therefore, the Durable of the sower "
["bo sermon was n powerful appeal to Sunday
Uchool workers, for greater zeal nnd mure
"orciblo offorts in the work ; giving a lucid explanation
of its lloly significnnco and Divine
ufluence. His illustrations were forcible and
fust, and added mueli to tho strength of his
remarks. If more sormous were produced
[iko it there would be many more better
Christians and practical Sunday school workers.
The Suudsy School scholars deserve the
highest encomium for the earnest altontion
which tlisy devoted to the sermon.
Alter taking up a collection in which the
spectators as well as the members liberally
contributed, the body adjourned by singing
370lh 0. II.,?"Sowing in the Morning" &o.,
by both Choirs.
I n.ust not forget to note the procession ol
the Sunday Schools, which numbered 200 oi
upwards, nnd consisted of members fron
Bothel, Uetliany, and Woodson Chapel Sunday
Schools. Never Were there more enthusiasm
displayed in any occasion, than wero manifest
ed by tlio scholars in this march, the exorcise
of which were couduotsd by T. it. Reynold!
.>.1 .1 II MeKiiulA'!.
The hospitality with which the ladies aui
Mfttlemen of llelhol treated the members o
the Convention justly entitles them to the high
cat compliments of every membor of llio U. ?
S. C. T. l>. Hkvnolds,
' ** Sect'y U. 8. 8. C.
s- . ' 1 -- ??
The Durham, 'N. C., Recorder eays
44 The population of Durham iu 1870 wn
256 oil told ; iu 1885 it was 5,767. Th
MMMcd valuation of property in 1870 wa
$50,000; in 1885 it was $084,000. h
vcfited in tnantifnctoriea iu 1870, $25,000
in 1885 it wa* $2,170,000.
f Nfi
MB AND MBS. AR1? CELEBRATE THEIR
BIRTHDAYS.
I 1
t Wc arc having some birthdays now, for
0 Mrs. Arp and I are botli Juno bugs. That
B is to say L iuu a bug and she is a butterfly
1 I reckon. I wont call her a bug though
she does iuno around sometimes when
i .
C things go wrong. She had a birthday la6t
, week, and I would tell how oil sho is if I
I was sure she would ucvor bo a widow. She
thiuka I would marry agaiu at the drop of a
* hat, but declares she wouldu't aud says
something about a burnt child dreading the
It... 1 *
! u>?. j/ui me uuu i mean tnat L know, and
. tlio honest reason is that she is afraid she
> nevor could find another man like me. It
would take her a long time to train another
feller and get hint up to any standard of
uxoriul docility. A young man will train
but one over thirty won't traiu worth a cent,
and that is the reason why it is so daugcrous
for a girl of ambition to marry an old,
youug man or a widower. The truiuiug 13
on the other side then, and she had just as
well surrender to tho inevitable.
We had a birthday and gathered all tho
children but ouo. They were nine of them
here, and some grandchildren and some
friends, and wo had a good tiuio. I
saluted Mrs. Arp on her chock soon
in tho morning. Sho always turus her
cheek to me now, but she dident use
to by no means. L made up her bod
for her, and swept tho room and flow
around amazing. Wo bad music and
played cards aud wcut a fishing and eat
spring chickens aud huckleberry pie aud
talked, and tho boys said smart things and
told of exploits and escapes, aud their
mother and sisters thought they were tho
smartest boys in the world. If a boy
sneezes his mother thinks it smart. Mrs.
Arp thinks her boys are an improvement 011
the old man but mv ambition is fur tin 1
? -- " ft" " I
to bo as suiart as their mother. There is
no room for improvement on that line. Not
long ago I went of? ami was goue a mouth.
When I camo hick everything wis calm
and serene. I played, king nud autocrat
for two or three days, and strutted around
with the same c;u2ppnvutni|
at my house, and now I am in mymormwr
stato of sweet humility. A man must go
away from home to put ou airs. In fact
it is a good idea for tho woman to go too
Bouiotimcs just for a change. Folks get
sorter commou to one another from continuous
presence. Absence may conquer
youug love, but it refreshes the old. I
know a lady whose husband is a surgeon
in tho navy, aud ho is generally gono two
years and stays at homo two months when
ho comes. 'How do you stand it,' said I.
'I would just as leave havo no husband at
all.'
'Oh,'said she,'I thiuk it is just splendid.
I am so glad to sco him when he
comes, and I look forward to it with so
much pleasure. I don't see what those
wives whose husbands are always with tbcm
have to think about and liopo for. I am
sure I would got awful tired of having a
man baner around home all tho voar round
It would bo so monotonous. Two mouths
iu two years is just about right, and besides
you know the doctor sends mo plenty of
money and that makes up for his absence.'
Well, it docs help a good deal?-money
does?I've noticed that. When I have
money to spare I fuo) better and more like a
gentleman, and it sheds its benign iuflucnce
on all around mc. A close observer can
toll wbeu I'm in fuuds by perusing the
family. I can tell by my feelings, my appetite,
my hilarity. A man ought to keep
a dollar or two iu his pocket all the time,
just like he koeps a buckcyo or a rabbit
foot.
It is fruit tiuio now. Thoro are cherries
and dewberries, and huckleberries, and
raspberries, and mulberries, and the sugar
just flics all the time. Every morning bo>
foro breakfast, while Carl is milking and
' Jessie is practicing her music, I pick the
! 'raspberries and fill a tumbler for each ol
' thorn to take to school, and I sprinkle thorn
C all over with sugar. I go with thorn as far
P as the foot-log over the creek, aud iu the
i evening I go to meet them, and we come
f Kv thn ilnwhorrv nnlnh nnrl li'itrn n rrn,-?fl
"J J .....w ..
time. They will think about that walk It
school as long as they live, and it wil
} always be a pleasant memory. They huni
hens' nests aud guinea nests when they art
I at homo, and couie to the house with thuii
t hats full of eggs. We will begiu to cu
* oa's to-morrow, and they will find sour
partridge eggs and be happy. School wil
be out next week, and then for blaokberrie
to mako jam and jelley. They can pick a!
: day and scratch ull night, and keep fat an
s healthy. Tliis country life is just splcndi
o for children, .Mix it up with school an
s with work aud it will mako men and wome
i- for a State to he proud of, l)ut you send
; boy to school all his young life, and then t
oollege, and ho wont bo tit for hardly any
Vrtu' v
thing above an office seoker. He wi'.i be
wanting to go to the Legislature before li s
, twenty-Gvc. I've knowu fullers to run 1" r
the Legislature who didn't know whether ?
cow that was lying down got up behind <w
bofore, or how to drive a uail into a p'.nnh
ti> kpnn if rrnn? ? * *'
r .? ..vui .-jMnuu^. or woollier it tr :s
tiio oast wind or the west wind that br n-.it
lair weather, or whether it was this Vv-nrhs
wood or last year's wood that pi onneed
peaches and grapes. But still thoy can uiako
laws to govern the people. Old aire may
not bring wisdom hut it briugs l:n wledge
and so I was a little proud that three so ira
yours had passed ovor my bead. 1 thought
that surely I was gaining sense, hut a ::<iod
lawyer told tne to-day that I was uo v uu
the decline, for our supreme court had decided
that a man over sixty was incompetent
as juror; so I am not fit to try i c; o
I suppose. I know that a man over sixty
could not bo compelled to serve on a jury,
but the court says he shall not servo for bo
is incompetent. Well, if that is > tho
Supremo Court ought to resign for thoy nro
ovor sixty. I reckon that some of these
juvcuilo members of the Legislature tax la
that law. Country life has a charm for
towu folks and they look forward to tan
timo when they cau retire from work and
settle down on a farm. My friend J udge
Branhnui come to sec us yesterday an 1
took off his con*. and hung it o.i a nail in
the piazza nud stuck his feet on the railing
and rested?rested?that's the word. Wo
talked over the good old days and wo p i.d
tribute to the dead?the fricuds who lia?l
left us, and we discussed the living and wo
talked a little polities and we win': rod
over the farm ami along the creek an 1
branches :.nl watched the minnows
dodging around . ml ho said in a v.::
'[almost wish 1 was a boy again.' it
Judge Bleckley had been along I think v; ;
all three would have gone in swimming.
Jud^c Brauham Raid ha know every i.. 1 *
iu the baptiziug branch, an it was ealkJ.
down in Putuian. Ho could *30 right n .v
aud catch a cat in ouc hole and a plrcii in
another?the lineal dcscondcnts of tho
^auio Gah lie used to catch in the Ion;: a-v.
. -y, , j ?
aud ho thought it was a snako and threw
down the pole and ran for his life. 'Those
were good times,' said ho, 'and theso are
good times too ; let us apologizo for the bad
and enjoy all the good that we can. Love,
pity and contentment will uiako- anybody
happy.'
What a gentle genial comfort it is to be
visited by an old friend. Not a formal call
but a good, honest, loving visit?a visit
that pays double, for it pays him that gives
and liiui that doth receive ? it "is twice
blessed and for a season renews our youth
and leaves a sweet order after it has msacd.
J ? Bill
A up.
Tiie Burolau and the IIoitseholukh.
?A Burglar wh j had Ransacked a liousn
without Profit, entered the Bedroom of tho
Owner and Indignantly Impaired :
'What sort of a mau are you that your
Silver is the cheapest plate, your Watch
out of Order, and your Wallet entirely
Empty '{ Do you imagine that my lime is
of no Account that I must Fool it away iu
this Manuer V
'Alas!' replied the Householder, 'the
Fault is not my own. The Holder of a
Chattel Mortgage just cleaued mo Out today.'
'Ah ! I beg a thousand pardons. No
man should have his house Ktbbed twico
iu twenty-four hours. My Brethren should
have Notified uic by Telephone,'
Mor-1: Give tho Burglar the Preference
ia such matters.?Detroit Dree l'/rs<.
There arc numbers of towns in Vermont
where 110 (lninonrntin vnto wnvi r>v..r n-mt
Lincoln belonged for years to this c'ass,
l>ut cno year as they were counting tho
vote tho citizens who had charge of tho
1 ballot box were amazed and horrified to
discover in it a democratic ballot for gov1
crnor. There was a hasty consultation
between the judges, who were all staid and
1 conservative men. Then ?.no of thorn roso
1 up solemnly, and holding up the ballot to
^ sight, said impressively : " Wo have found
' in the box a ballot for the democratic gov'
eruor. Did auyono cast it ?" There \vo?
' no answer. "Wo thought it was a mistake, '
5 said the judgo, and tlirow it on tho floor,
r *
t It is staled that the druggists of Monroe,
0 N. 0 , bavo pledged themselves to sell no
man whiskey for medicinal purposes unless
lfl a II _ _?_i_ __ 1 rL.i a L - J..*
? toe unn oo reany sick, mm win w;o uociors
have pledged tliemsolves to write no man a
J prescription uulcss ho be eiek and really *
^ need tlio liquor.
d
n A uiau in Campbell County, 1 la., bad
a thirty-six boys old enough to fight in the
o. Ia?t war, and twenty-three ol' ileur wcro
killed, lie has been married niuo timed.
f