Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-01-22
VOL. Nv. NO. Is.
A RECOLLECTION.
BY CLAUDE DE HAVEN.

Low under the hills like channel were
broad pastures, wherein grazed the
stock belonging to "Sidney Place."
acknowledged throughout the parish as
oeing themost beautiful and productive
farm in the whole region.
The main road ran through the
"Flats," parallel with OK Creek, only
once crossing it, and that in such a
manner as to beautify the landscape.
How my mind wanders back to the dear
old bridge, deprived of the romance of
a grist-mill, as in the case of Ben Bolt;
but the enjoyment of fishing for " bull
heads" compensated for the lack OF ro-
nance.
Ok Creek bridge could be seen for
two miles on either side, as it united
the Flats half way from Sidney Place
to the school-house and Post-otfice,
where we received our mail once week,
and that on Wednesday. We knew the
exact hour that John Moore would pass
the bridge astride Of the little donkey
he had ridden for eight years, with the
mailbag carelessly thrown across It's
fore shoulders. Occasionally the mail
bag presented plethoric appearance;
then we all imagined there were letters
for the whole country /; but when the
bag presented collapsed appeara. LIE
our enthusiasm melted consider ably.
and our journey to the Post-of ice was
not accelerated by the hopes If getting
anything but the weekly raper, which
was published at the shire town, fifteen
miles off.
Sidney Place WIS a happy home, for
it contained the warm hearts of our pa
rents-heaven bless them-and four
children: j shn was the oldest, Mary
next, and '.tarriet, three years older than
myself. Two boys and two girls, with
pls,ee of sixty-nine highly improved
acre well stocked with COWS and
s.neep, and the finest span of horses to
. be seen in days travel. Two men at
tended to the place, while Mary and
Harriet assisted mother in attending to
the household duties, and father at
tended to reading the newspapers and
keeping the public road in repair, hav.
ing been Path Master for years, and
knew to cent the amount of taxes each
resident of the parish was compelled
to work out yearly. His close applica-
to the highways kept them in good re-
pair, which served to keep him in office.
The emoluments were light, but the
honor great. Everybody called him
the esquire" although he never mar
ried two silly people in his life, or de.
ecided q case of arbitration. His judg-
ment was relied upon, and I am not
positive but his premature opinion was
strictly adhered Co in cases of contro-
versy, for the actual esquire was
great admirer of father, and frequently
consulted him upon knotty points.
My father was looked upon as great
man. The opinion of Esquire" Sid
ney had more weight in public opinion
than all the people in the county. The
bare expression of his mind moulded
the sentiment of the entire community;
and why not {? My father had lived
amongst them for years, had accumu-
lated competence by honesty, temper.
ance and humanity, treating with Just
consideration the wants and claims of
all who came to consult him, and with
hand ever open and household well
come to allviate the wants of suffering
humanity, his motto being, cts more
blessed to give than to receive !" al
ways inculcating the principle OF thrift
and prudence, and looking ahead to
that inevitable ''rainy day." that all
have heard so much about.
How Leat, comfortable and happy
was OR home. What large front room
we mad. This, of course, was the
spare room," but it was never spared
when we had occasion to occupy it.
IN fancy the bright roses of the three
ply carpet appear before me. The
chintz sofa, rosewood centre-table cov-
cred with books and daguerreotype of
family and friends, and the big oil
lamp that usually occupied promi
nent position on the bureau. Our din
mg.room was covered with carpet of
rags, but so artistically were they
wrought by the hands of the village
weaver, having been previously dyed
by the instructions of mother, that on
several occasions our guests would sug
gest the change of the rag carpet to the
place occupied by the three-ply. How
ever, mother always objected, saying
the three-ply would not last month in
the dining-room, where so many people
walked.
The long porch that ran around three
sides Of the house shaded the windows
half the day, and the creaping vines on
the other side defed the hottest rays of
summers heat and then at night, when
the lowing cows have been placed in the
pasture, and the duties of day were
done, mother and sisters sit on the front
porch and sing an evening hymn, ac-
companied by the guitar, played by
brother John father, in his stocking
feet elevated to the railing of the
porch, with pipe in hand, directing the
harmony, fol father in his younger days
had played the violin with considerable
skill.
Old Tower and I would be sitting
near the edge of the porch in q mute
reverie, listening to the low gentle tones
of Mothers sweet sophrano, the mezzo
of Harriet, and the contralto of Mary.
John occasionally assisted with we'll
cultivated bass, which completed the
quartette. Then we would all ask
mother to sing a love song when,
placing her hand in fathers open palm,
she would sing about the loves of youth,
unbroken affections, the ordeal of life,
and deaths separation, Oh, how the
mild, bright, sanity face of mother ap-
pears before me as / write-appears be-
fore me as in days gone bye, before the
frosts of sixty winters had left its time