The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-03-12
YOLU ME v.

am now an old man. The SHOWS o
many winters have whitcncd nv head.
have seen old men around mo pass ava,
have seen the middle aged pass away
have seen the young of both sexes alik,
rass away but | am left. And set.
have passed. tl'roug', many viris,itu.les
Shall recount them to you reader 81
will.
too was young once. Well do I re
member when n little hrxen l,ai,c,I bo,
"f six years, how my father would jum,
me "i' i'is knccs-my mother ioo-t;o
bless her would call me her darliu. chilli
Many n time would she with the u,,nos,
care rlg me out in my best, arrange my
plated shirt collar, smooth my curlin-
locks, arrange every article Of my appare
with the greatest nicctv, md then sh.
would place ,l,e mirror be:..re me, and afie,
with myself surveying the counterpart
she wouLl press tho original to her bosom
AMI with rapture exclai,n, "My de,res,
chiLl--nay God bless ycu."
Happy. thrice happy days. The bleak
Shiily win'ls of misfortune and wretcI,ed
hes found no place then in my nuoccr.t
happy little heart.
My father was plain honest farmer
Scrupulously particular in al! his ,ransac.
tons, lie re,er went in debt, yet We alway,
bad what VIZ wanted. lie never would
buy what was aot absolutely needed
HFooli H." he would say. ",o purchase su
psriluii.cs." He never talked much, and
when necessity required him TO speak his
sentences were particularly remarkable tor
their brcvity. lie WIS man Of the u,,nos,
cxactio,s in everything. He ca, alta Ger.
ts'n hour. Neither before or after n Ger.
tain hour, would he sit to the table he
retired to bed mt a certain time, and the
can never foun'l him in bed--f l,c owed
man i've hundred dollars and live cent. :,
lac was ms particular to pay the five ccat,
"a the dollars. lie was AN aif.ctionate
husband and kind father. A consistent
p'cmbcr Of the church, le never par;ici.
p,ted in anything immoral. and avoided
those who would cnlcavor Ia shake him
IN his purpose. Possessed of strong
mind, ho couLl not 10 coaxeI or driven
hto anythinghe was opposed to: yet he
shn:nei those who were dissipated and
wicket. Birds of a feather" he would
say. clock ,ogcther.S and decent, l,nnes,
;nan should not lie found in such compa
',y. lie would say, '"arlant spirits was
The Devils beverage" and rarely il ever
I'D he drink n drop oft. ifhe did never
saw him. Such was my father, kind,
generous man, yet not prpvi!en, w;l,,t.
was sent to scl,o, ut IN early asc.---
My father lad but plain, very plain e'l,,-
cation, but rs unclucareI fathers general.
~, he determined to ,lo moro for his so,,
than I,is father did for him. Ms parents
had bat one other chill. Sweet dear II,
tic Alice. Even now, ~ write this, eah
SEQ her rs at that time, with her cherul,
face, q sweet smile ever playing about her
rosy lips, ms IL with the lixc.l determination
Ia reveal tie faulllcss pearls within. Alice
as now paint her WAS eight years old,
and j was ton. We both went 10 the
same school. Sweet sister IL lie who
rule, tho universe, permits the recognition
OF friends in another world, how rapiu.
rously will clasp my dear sister To my
bosom, forgetful ofpast vclling
and .iuyaristiag in untold, unearlhly, e,er.
pai,Niss!
,our household was happy one. True,
wa wers not FREQ from petty annoyanccs.
A,legacy lcft US by our first father, we all
scd ssIpo trouble. Still no severe scypow,
asi eau reucTsber. ever bei.l our family
uatilsl was fifteek.x.a,sd then indeed il
was q soerows .Nyc'were'Ieft ,romeless.--
Owr house took fire, and almost every
thing within consumed. Ny poor mother
was awfulIy distressed. any poor chill.
drcss"khe would cry, wringing her hands,
while Tho tears trieklcd aoon her ehoeks,
"what' win they do" Not so with my
father. 'a6ods will BY donc," was all /
heard him say. ..
Mr.. Jones--Joln Jones, wss our near.
est ncighbor. lie ani his were on terms
offarniIiar intimacy with our family. lie
WAS q good sort Of man, but not remark
able for any particular trait OF character.
The day after we were left homeless we
took M quarters with neigI,bor Jones'
About mile from Mr.. Jones lived Mr..
Fuller. Mr.. FulIer's house was twice the
distance from orr place as Il was from
Jones. We never know much OF the
Fullcrs. Nj. Fuller had bu, one cI,iId--s
son, some thSce yean older than mysolf
Aher we went 70 llse At Jones, young
Fuller frequently cnses over. lls may
hssetsen Il tss hatit oi doirxsc before :
sgs.... -, a ~ y :.