Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1878-07-20
GAINESVILLE, GA, June 30.

about the scenes Of my childhood.
Half century ago the family doc
tor found ne not far from this place,
one lovely morning in June. Con-
sidcrin' our present status and the
amount Of Icvilment done in by gone
years, it is ii . 1T hard to imagine that
you and me were once dear little
sweet innocent babes, ain't it f? Some.
times | think it would have been bet
to:' had we been born lille cus:es anl
got better instead ofworsc as we grew
up to manhood. My fond mother
always said that | was promisin'
child, and she firmly bciil we'd |
would some day be either preacher
or a president. don't know that
she has altogether given it up yet,
but everybody else has.
Twas in this salubrolls region
got my education, at manual labor
school, and by workin' hours day
on the farm, balanced Off for my
board. The rudiments Of farmin'
were there instilled into about a
hundred Of US, congregated from all
parts OF the state, and myself exccp-
ted, embraced the wcalthest, lazyi-
est and most mischcivous set of devil
ever p2nncd up together have
never forgotten those rudimentS
which we're mainly labor-savin' de-
vices, such as slirpin the Inch pins
out of the wagons, hiding the breast
chains, tying tom cats to the COWS
Ittails, putin bee.gums in the recita-
Stion rooms and plowin UP yaller-
siaekets nests Just -" see t'.'n horses
: ! iiiall I away.
1t was i'll these parts l first tasted
the heavenly juice in school girls
lips. | felt like Isaac when he kissed
| Rcbecca, and lifted up his voice and
wept, and can almost weep now q
thinkin about it. Oh, memory
sweet memory would | give
for power to recall the blesscdness of
! that moment, and kiss that girl
again. 1t WAS not far from here tina
first found out it was not good for
man, to live alone, and after brief
courtship the love Of my youth took
me up rs tenderly rs Mary took up
her little pet lamb. She gently put
on the bridal and the gear, and I've
been workin in single harness ever
since. Oh, blessed chains delight
iul Sing Sing when man gifts used
to it he feels like it is the only life
that will fit him for heaven There
was no special fuss made over our
nuptiais-no diamond rings-no
fancy trusso from New York-.no
long galaxy Of attendants but there
was Il preacher and licensc-a brief
ceremony that | didcnt hear, a few
promises that | assentcd to, and
which have ever since been kept
fresh and green in my memory. We
made no wedding tour to Niagara or
New York, for tie prudent old folks,
of blessed memory, thought ride to
Gainesville would do rs well, and so
it was here that we sought the Elysian
fields and found them. Well, rs to
that, we would have found them any
where considerin' our frame of mind.
Blue Gizzard, Shake Rag, Clinchem,
Pop Skull, Wolf Skin, or any other
precinct in the county would have
seemed rs lovely rs paradise. I
wei remember the old famil y car
rage we travelled in-with its stair
case steps that led down to the ground
and folded up in the door like u
pocket book-thc high cupao seat
for the driver, and the venerable
darkcy who filled it, dressed up in an
old military coat, with brass buttons
all over it, and wearing bcll-crown-
ed hat about fifty years old, and when
so arraycd he was as happy rs q
king. Peace to thy ashes, old Vir-
Gil. If there be heroes and chariots
i'll heaven, may be thou art happy
still.
And now, when | recall the con