The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-09-03

| -, Aoo' Va cAiSh oOU
tho fiddlor, boating timo as it was
gonerally conceded, but which
was absolutely crushing it into
chaos 1t is among my earliost
rocolloctions, and why l have
troausured it up J. do not know,
but, as l loaned against tho fonco,
| could SEQ myselfpoeping through
at tho "many twinkling feot," and
rovivo the astonishmont l folt at
tho foats Of Tom Sigh, who it
seemed to mo, was incessantly
springing into tho air, and crossing
his legs throo timos before re e-touch-
ing the floorto tho tuno Of Grip tip
lido Kato's got ii man." But tho
old house is passing away. 1t has
grown gray with tho mildow and
tho llchon and tho rain, which
onco poured from tho eavos in
such glittcring fringes, il now
absorbed through tn Q swollen
shingles, and drips its midnight
monody upon the floor. ...
Twenty years ago thoro extend
ca a quartor of q mile down tho
"big road" in tho cornors Of each
sido,an avenue ofPoach Troos. The
traveller, oppressed with the hoat
and dust Of an August day; could
not fail to perceive the generous
design, and as he dismountcd from
his woary horse to refresh himself
with tho fruit, and rest in the
shade Of tho trees, he blessed tho old
German who planted them thero,
and went on his way q botter man,
in as much as his heart was fillod
with gratitude. Of this avonuo
there romans only ono tree. 1t
is dead--but from it's roots dc.
generated sprout has grown up, rs
if merely to ask why tho example
has not boen followed, since so
much benevolenco could be shown
by so little labor.
1t was evening and having dis.
charged my duty to my pationt, 1
loft him with tho intontion of
passing the night with my friends
at Pomaria. On my way through
tho lane from tho main road my at
tention was drawn to tho barn.
For fifty years was it the boast Of
Dutch Fork for capacity, and du-
rability. 1t stood up bravely
against the attacks Of timo but
now it is prostrate--a grim pile
OF ruins. Hard by, however, a
shrub the namo Of which I had
mover troubled myself to learn.
bnt bohind which had ofton cropt
to fire upon the huddlod brothor-
hood Of doves, was grown up to
magnificent Hickory treo. Then
| looked over to tho left Of tho
lano. l can nevor forgot the sharp
frosty morning, whom forty neigh.
bors assembled thoro in tho forest
with their axos, and it sounded
throughout tho day like a battle,
as they chopped, and mingled
their shouts with tho crash of fall
ing timber. For woeks afterwards
tho steady strokes of tho maui were
hoard, and field was foundcd.-
Since thon it has had it's rise and
progress, but now, in it's decline, l
sec it is abandoned to the vandal.
ism Of the Broomeedge, the Sassa-
tras, and tho Persimmon. Farther
on in the lane thore is n knoll up
on which L used to pause, on my
way from school, to liston at tho
tones Of tho boathorn waited by
the evening breozo from tho boat.
mans camp, in mellow crescondos
over tho noighborhood. The spot,
tho time Of day, tho stilfnos
mo carried mo back to nv
boyhood, and I listened towards
Broad Rivor- for my favorito
sound. But difforent one reaches
my ear. My fancy compares it TO
tho painting of toiling monster.
IT comos nearor-up the valley Of
Crims Crook. 1t scroams--and
tho forests rosound. The oarth
trombles undor tho roar of it's wild
speod, and before l can return to
the realization Of what twenty
years have dono, q dragon Of fear
ful appearance trails it's length
across my path, and darts ovor
the creek, at q point whore when
l was q boy, tho most confident
horseman would. not hayo Won.
turod to tako leap. r.:
At length l oamo to tho forest
Of st: Johns church. 1t consists
Of one hundred acres of land in it's
primitive freshness granted by
George III. to tho first settlers Of
Dutch Fork for tho purpose to
WHICH it has been applied. 1t is in
these woods that tho scono of mi any
q ghost legend is laid, and whore
in tho night, aftor q rain, amidst
tho spangling Of firo.fios, shoed+
figures can bo soon moving among
the treos. Horo the old timo lad
scarcely out Of his seventeenth
yoar, hunted with his long flint
and steel shotgun, with his shot
gourd in his hat, and his powder
horn reaching from tho contre
Of his breast bono round under
his right arm, to his spine.-
l can 500 him rest his pieco in tho