Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-02-18

ten at the tones of the boathorn waited by the
evening breeze from the boatmans camp, in
mellow crescendos over the neighborhood. The
spot, the time of day, the stiffness around me
carried me back to my boyhood, and 1 listened
towards Broad River for my fayoritc sound
But different one reaches my car. My fancy
compares it to the painting of toiling monster
1t comes nearer-up the valley of Crms Creek
1t screams the forests resound. The earth
tremblcs under the roar Of its wild speed, and
before can return to the realization Of what
twenty years have done dragon of fearful al-
pearance trails its length across my path, and
darts over the creek, at point where, when
was boy, the most confident horseman would
not have yentured to take a leap.
At length l came to the forest of st. Johns
church. 1t consists of one hundred acres ul
land in its primitive freshness granted by George
Ill. to the first settlers of Dutch Fork for the
purpose to which it has been applied 1t is in
these woods that the scene Of many ghost le-
rain, amidst the spanglng Of firc-tlicS, shccdT
Here the old time lad scarcely out Of his seven
tecnth year, hunted with his long flint and steel
shotgun, with his shot gourd in his hat, and his
powder horn reaching from the centre Of his
breast bone around under his right arm, to his
spine I can see him rest his piece in the forl;
of dogwood, and take his slX deliberate snaps
at the unsuspecting squirrel. The report OF a
gun is now, however, rarely heard. The squir-
rels have all disappeared before the destructive
scattering of tile double-barrel, and the intalll-
bilty of the percussion cap The solitary one
seen here and there, is willing to sanction a
degrading treaty, and run the remainder Of its
race in revolving cage, for the amusement
of the farmers daughter.
In the centre Of this forest is st. Johns
Church, with its schoclhousc and grave yard
the neighborhood cemetery, where those who
were once neghbors in life are still neighbor;
in DEATH But what rush Of rccollcctions the
schoolhousc lets loose upon me! The piazza,
built for the Drama (erhibHiOn in those days.
is still standing 1t was converted into palace
OF prison by quilts, borrowed from the beds in
the neighborllood; and the drop curtain con-
sisted OF three experienced counterpanes oriei-
nally died in coppera$. Near the door, enter
ing into the schoohousc is the place where
Romeo poisoned himself with Il cup full of pure
water fresh from Mrs. Ebting's spring; little
more to the left, is where Robin Roughhcad
distributed two dollars worth Of coppcls for
two Hundred guineas; and, near the edge Of the
stage, could put my stick upon the very spot
where Douglas hlcd to death with Pokcberry
Juice In the interior of tic house found the
same benches and desks, covered with the ini-
tialS of schoolnatc's names, just as | nd left
them years ago. How still it was-not even a
mouse was disturbed by my entrance: and no
living thing could bc seen, buta bat lattcned
against tic ceiling. This silence; c0ntraStcd
with the noise Of former days, WAS painful, and
left the old SclIooliou-c sadlcncl hy the re-
Election. that had lived to see two thirds of
these same initials chisslc.l upon the fuotstone$
Of graves walked inr;h, alld every square
yard Of ground held up its "Reminiscences. There,
by the side Of the road, upon that little bank:
is where Levi Stuck proved too hard for me in
i trial of juvenile proves. II WAS While WAS
shedding teeth, and Levi restored me To perfect
rood hllnor. the neXt day, by displaying the
call of his leg, whcrcon | had bitten q p;ren-
thesis in black and blue, with here and there Il
lcrolls little gap, left l,y the vacancies where
three Of nv inciSurs hl deserted tic ranks.
At the roots of that biz blacI; cak. about which
can be seen so nlauy fragments Of stones and
brickbats, is the place where VIC boys fought
the yellow jackets nest. 1t WAS Il hard contest
ed battle. and il was difficult tn decide which
party would have been victorious. lall the con-
dict gone on uEliSturbc'l; bat the authoritative
cry of "LuOksG; from tile sclooliollSc door
forced us to beat Il dlsgracclml retreat, followed
to the very steps by our triumphant foes. 1t
was tic custom Of our Master to exercise Us,
directly after our play hours, in cnuncialnn:
that is, ill the boys ut once al to spell, at the
top Of their voices, a column Of those monosyl-
Liable words grouped together in the middle of
the old Wcbstcr's spelling Look. tell You the
forests Of st. Johns used TO ring to its very
limits with the first afternoons lesson. After
had made my escape from six Or seven yellow
jackets, which marked Inc for their own. sciz-
ed my book, and. with one leg crossed over the
other, commenced, spelling, in 4 tone something
like that of moderately sized green bull frog,
such words is these: