The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-01-17

Though compliments were few
The boys had fathers, not ''old men,"
AS nowadays they do.
The children always had to 'smind'-
If oft little free &
They used the ''Sir" in answering,
But never said "Sir-ree.' - @
These wives were sober and discreet,
And helpmates always proved
They didn't scorn to do hard work
For those they dearly loved.
The men were used to hardy toll.
And work was no disgrace,
They titled the land and earned their bread
by working on ':the place
What though the forest all around
Their dwellings thickly stood;
They didn't dear the price of coal
Wood lots gave lots of wood.
Their houses might be smell and cheap,
And filled with numerous cracks,
But though, It's true, wind would come in,
There was no income tax.
Improvements modern they had none,
From wells they quenched their thirst
They never knew the startling cry,
s'The water-pipes have burst!"
They had no gas or kerosene
To turn night into day;
But dry pine-knots or tallow dips
Gave light enough, they say.
The upholsterer's art was all unused,
And brocatel unknown
But comfort reigned on sanded floors,
A ''settle'' for its throne.
The sway of fashion was but mild
And governed by the purse
A man might wear his old clothes then
And be thought none the worse.
The COWS then gave good. honest milk,
None of the watery sort;
And if 'twere sold you could depend
Upon an honest quart.
The butter then was made to eat,
And always was made well,
For then the farmers wives did not
Make everything to sell.
Twelve cents would buy the best beef-steak
The market would afford,
And mutton was so cheap, I've heard,
They sold it by the cord.
The hens laid eggs without care
About what they would bring
Ten cents dozen then was thought
To be about the thing.
They had no news by telegraph
But then they were not bored
By Johnson's AFTER dinner talks,
Or nonsense more absurd.
Their locomotion was but SLOW
They had no railroads then
But as they had not far to go,
They bore their loss like men.
In fancy stocks they had no taste
To speculate for luck
They did not know the misery then
Of being "badly stuck
No Erie stock was bought or sold,
They ne'er went "short" or 'long"-
Except as nature favored them
But always went it strong
They knew no "corners" 'clioues" no,
''rings,"
Puts" "calls," and other rigs,
The only 'atocks" j" they "engineered"
Were oxen, COWS and pigs.
The money market nee'r disturbed
Their daily life mite,
They did not know or care pin
If ''easy" 'twere or "tight.''
They paid their debts like honest men,
Whenever they got trust,
Nor put their money safe away
And "shut up shop" and ''bust"
Then days were long enough to work
Nights were too long at best,
But tempus Jugi! now so fast
That few get time to rest.
But as times change, we change with them,
To compensate for those enjoyed
In times left far behind
And oft new blessings find,
So all the present should improve
And make their record right
Then future ages may look back
And sigh for days so bright.
HAD HIM THERE.-It is stated that an
Irishman called upon disciple of Eecula-
Plus and informed him that his wife was
sick and required medical aid. The Nj. D.
Was willing tn give his attention tn tho oo CO