Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-05-07
For the SPECTATOR.
Early J mnraSsions

n lade are most lasting. We
lad strikip g illustration of this truth,
! lew days since, in a letter received
rom an old friend, who first saw the
light, we believe, in your town. He
must have been born in the first decade
IN this century. He is a subscriber to
the SPECTATOR, and.his residence is in
one OF the States toward the setting sun,
that was carved out of that immense
domain that our venerable mother do
mated to the General Government, a
long time ago, in the generosity of
her heart Would that she had some
claim on that Government now,s
in her old age and poverty, but
like many parent, she has lived
long enough to find the confirmation
of the truth of ingrattude, not alone
of the Republic, but of her own
children. This gentleman referred to
an incident that occurred in 1917, when,
as wee urchin, he had accompanied a
party of friends, in cherry time, across
the Blue Ridge at one of the prominent
Gaps. To him was assigned the post of
honor, when mounted on a big farm.
horse, with sheep-skin fastened with
big broad red surcingle, and having
large homemade bag, with buckets in
each end, to hold the luscious "black-
hearts," he bounced up and down on a
hard trotter. He describes the sensa-
lions produced by their descent of "Pi-
ney Spur at an angle of well nigh 45o
when vigorous hold of the surcingle
with one hand, and the bride, with a
tuft of the name, in the other, kept him
from sliding over Roan's head.
Uncle Chariey's reached, the large
party of uncles and aunts made Wig
orous use of that organ, called in the
| Book the unruly member, in enumer-
ating as we may imagine, the good quail
tiles, or personal pulchritude, or family
resemblance of the multitudinous chill
dren, or whether MOllie or Annie OF
Sammie had recovered from measles or
whooping.coug with much other Cos
sip of a like sort. How much were those
visits of that day enjoyed by friends re.
siding on opposite sides OF the noun
Tain, as it was very seldom thai they
would meet each other oftener than once
in two or three years.
| Besides visit he remembers to have
made to the graves of our great grand
parents, who had emigrated many years
i before from some forgotten locality or
3, the waters of the Susquehanna to thi;
Il point in Piedmont Virginia, where they
now sleep side by side, under the shad
ow of the Blue Ridge, and where sever
raj generations of their descendants res
t by their side, he also called to see
quaint and venerable relative, "Aun
many years she was widow, and, il
: her lone cabin, preferred the eomfan!
of her Bible, and the only other volum
she deemed worthy of perusal, calle'
"Fatber Ambrose" to that of any on
y else, though always glad to see he
friends. Strong and muscular in bod.
o and limb, the amount of lshOr she eouil
perform would, at this day, be incredi
BILE. She would walk five miles to
neighbours, and weave seven yards Q
. lindsay and return. She would wall
the same distance and spin Is to 20 cut
of warn. Before her marriage, she &C
1 companied her father to pumfries, whel
he would go there thrice year to barte
such articles as could be spared for th
: few necessaries, and the unwonted luz
q uries of those days, of few pounds
sugar and coffee. only INDUCED III q
Sunday. AS there were no wage
+ roads, each one rode and led a pack
horse, on which the goods were carrie
g each way. Some years later, she al
/ companied him to Fredericksburg wit
| a tWO-horse wagon, after a ROAD IA
+ been made to that point.
So well versed was she in the Scrip
lures. she could quote chapter and vers
readily in any disputation, and few wer
found able to meet her in arguments
ton. She took great pride in spinpin
t. and weaving the cloth, if she did nf
y also make it into a suit of clothes i
g which her brother, who was her lido
was licensed GO minister Of the Pres
byterian church. At that day the diff
f cuIties of obtaining an education WEI
) such, that this brother walked fiy
miles day across the Blue Ridge
school. How many Of our young PIE
of this generation would deem an edt
cation worth such a sacrifice? Gu
!, chronicler goes on to say, that IN an al
: ticle in the SPECTATOR over the signs
ture of Confederation" the referenl
! to the End of April, 1885, brought to h
u minds eye. as though it were yesterday
: what he describes in this language:
~ remember the big snow storm {
j April 2Dd, 1926, referred to by "Conca
t enatiOn" in the last SPECTATOR. Mus
e ter day was always 8 great day with til
boys, and looked forward to with 8
QuCb liitCi OSt az OoyS pO" - o6S wv
1 for the arrival of the circus. [ wen
over that morning to the village of =
! to see CAPT. F-'s company parade
but was sadly disappointed, as the sno'
. was too deep. The Capt. was more di;
II appointed than the bugs. as he was Yer
I vain of his company. Their uniforl
; was blue coat, white pants and red sasl
;, Oh! it was grand sight to us young
sters. There were two old gate-posts i
the road leading out OF the village, nea
l the school-house. J|=h H, wit
l the rest Of the boarders at your hous'
l the night before erected across the rOa(
from the posts, triumphal arch {
1 green cedars. with the words. ''Wel
come, Capt. F. and Company" bit
l the snow. whilst it added beauty to tn
< arch, spoiled the fun, as it was too dee
] to muster"
t Here our memory brings 10 min
t many incidents, some amusing an
Esome sad, of this friend. the protector {
the triumphal arch. He was much on
FL senior, yet after the termination OF hi
+ connection with the school Ill the neigh
borhSod referred to, we never met, un
|, til after those days of desperate fightin
> in the ''Wiiderness, when, as q mem
Der of the ambulance committee of GU
county, we fastened 70 Orange G. FL.
: Flock after the wounded, so many hun
dreds Of whom were brought in ther
; for nearly week consecutively. Mhe,
l we could steal O few hours for rest, ther
/ was no spot thas welcomed us to tn
5 cool and pleasant and inxurions shade
: that was half as inviting as tho delight
full mansion Of this friend, whose warn
andcordial greeting caused US, for til
moment, to forget our sad surrounding
Here we would live over, in brief an
hurried retrospect, our school-boy days
and recall this and that old associate
some OF whom had risen to high 40
honorable positions. Some had travels
life's journey "a humble and obscur
paths, and many, very many, ha
"crossed the River Our friend, VIII.
in early life, cared for none of thes,
things, had the comfort of seeing hi
song occupying distinguished positions
in the Baptist church. as ministers, ant
the daughters perhaps the wives of two
others. He died in the hope of meetin.
them in that better land. In his boy
hood days, he was as foil of fun aat
mischief as an egg of meat. Among
his fellow-boarders were two or thret
] r. l,x.l