The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-09-04
THE OLDEN TIME.
"Reminiscences of the Good Old Days i'm
Tennessee.

/
| given an ovation by the citizens of
| Montgomery county, Tenn, commemo-
rative of his visit to the scenes of his
/ youth after an absence of sixty years.
| In response to this generous outburst
of welcome the Judge related at length
| his early experiences, from which We
make the following extracts
Man in his nature is unfit to govern
| himself or control the destinit OF the
! world. They are the instruments, how
| ever, In the hands of women by which
| great revolutions and reforms are made.
| We can do nothing without lovely wO-
man. They fire the heart and nerve the
arm to great and glorious deeds. Who
would live without woman, her beauty
and heaven-born influence? If there is
any such, he is a Comanche, and should
be made to join his tribe in the far dis
tant west. Oar great ancestor Eve, by
her beauty, Establishments and impor
tunities, governed and controlled the
father of our race, Adam, and the same
influence of woman has controlled and
| governed our race since that day. A
basin of water split on Mrs. Washam's
gown deprived the Duke of Marlbor-
| ough. the greatest English captain, of
| his command, and led to the inglorious
peace of Utrecht The abduction of
Helen lost Troy, the indignities offered
Lucretia expelled the Tarquins from
| Rome and gave liberty to Italy. Joan
| De Arc headed the French army, re-
stored their native courage, and IN that
| great battle saved Paris and drove the
| invaders from France. Cora brought
| the Moors from Spain, and an insulted
wife and husband led the Gauls to Gu
siUm and thence to Rome. The elOpe-
ment of Dearbborgial with McMurchad
conducted the English to the slavery Of
Ireland. a personal pidue between
Marie Antoinette and the Duke of Or
leans precipitated the first expulsion Of
the Bourbons. Esther, to save the jew
ish nation, prevailed on the king to
have Haman hung on his own gallOws.
History gives other accounts of the ex-
tYaordinary influence of woman over
man. 1t permeates society and controls
it it is silently and benefcially felt in
all of the pirate walks of life. Gen.
Jackson knew the force and power of
woman's influence. When he was waited
on by the citizens of New Orleans and
asked to be permitted TO carry their
wives and families up the river and then
they would return and help fight the
battle, Gen. Jackson replied By the
eternal God, no A woman shall not
and won." For he well knew hat the
gamecock fought best when the hens
were present, and the result was the
glorious victory of New Orleans. Then
I appeal to the fair of the land TO exert
that influence and make such reforms in
the fashions and customs of the conn
try, as will elevate our race and make
ms more prosperous and happy people.
I want again 10 see that nice striped
homespun dress worn by the first daugh-
tiers of the land. Such would look more
lovely, more beautiful, and carry cap
tive the heart of a man worth having,
much sooner and more effectual than
the women who appeare1 at Washington
lately at one of the receptions, one COW
cred with Jewels and diamonds costing
from $50, 900 to 100000, others cost
ing from $40. 900 to $50, coo. No hon
est labor or honest calling can afford
such OUTLAWS. would as lief be bit by
a rattlesnake as to have such woman
for my wife. A man to marry woman
of such vitiated taste, would have to
become a roguA to be in the line of the
fashion and 10 keep it MP, and shortly
become an inmate of the penitentiary.
This change in the fashions might be
made by degrees. If welded to some
of these customs, we should do as the
temperance lecturer who, after a tenn
perance speech and long ride IN the
snn, stopped at the house of friend
and was RECALLED with a lemonade, when
his host, insinuatingly, asked If he
wished the least d'op of something
stronger to brace up his nerves after his
exhaustion. "No," replied the lecturer,
ST could not think of it, I am opposed
to it on principle but, he added, with
81 81
which stood by, 'tif you could manage
TO put in a drop unbeknownst to me, l
reckon it would not hurt me much.
So if you keep up the present fashions,
let it be unbeknownst to You.
THE LOG CABIN.
/ Will give you some "reminiscences of
SCIENCES occurring here upwards of sixty
wears ago. The fine natural growth of
the forest covered the entire country.
Here and there log cabin might be
seen, with a small opening of field for
corn, cotton and wheat potatoes and
other vegetables were also raised and
consumed by a hardy, industrious and
virtuous people. Generally we had one
large room, with puEcheon floors and
clapboard roofs made without nails,
but supported by poles sustained
by cross pieces. In the winter we
and in the summer we knocked
out the thinking, which afforded light
and ventilation to the cabin. In those
days no such thing as a glass window
was ever seen. The whole end of the
house composed the Fireplace. Tim
Der was convenient, and with the oxen
we hauled up large logs and put them in
the fireplace, filing the entire end of
the house, and affording warm, steady
fire all night. Oh, who can tell the
comforts of such winters fire, around
which the family and the neighbors
assembled, the boys sitting in the Chin
ney-corner listening to the stirring sto-
ries OF the Revolution and Indian wars.
Being in an extensive Scotch settlement
and my father an educated Scotchman,
the wars of Wallace an Bruce carried
on with King Edward were rehearsed,
as we'll as that of the Douglass. There
were no formalities which destroyed the
sensibilities and gushing of the heart.
No visiting cards In those days. You
never heard lady say, :" / must make or
return a call. despise to hear it now.
have commanded my pretty daughters
never to use the term, but they won't
obey their daddy" they say they must
conform to the fashion. On this subject
am fogy. When the spirit moved
our people, they came and found
warm welcome. No stranger was driven
from their doors, but taken in and freely
fed. The poor claimed kindred there,
and had their claims allowed
The broken soldier kindly bid to stay,
Sat by his fire and talked the night away,
Wept DER his wounds or tales of sorrow done,
Shouldered his crutch and showed how fields
were won"
When more than the family remained
all night, curtains were stretched across
the room, and comfortable lodgings
given to our guests. There were no
conventional rules sitting the nobler
feelings of the heart, thereby destroy
ing the pleasures of society.
esNAKEs.
In those days this was the finest snake
country that have ever seen-the rat
tlesnake, the rusty highland moccasiin
and the cotton-mouth, with their stumpy
tails, which were the most venomous.
Billy Rushing. robust and remarkable
for his fine appearance, lived across the |
branch, about two hundred yards from
our cabin, and as he stepped out about |