The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-10-02

OF the olden time. Mated with one
who, in all this, was his very opposite,
although a most estimable woman, it
was the most common thing possible,
when he was in the midst Of good
story, and just about to give his guest
the pith Of it, for her to tell him IN a
voice pitched at its very lowest key ::
"Mr. links, remember that for every
idle word you utter, you have got
to give an account in the Judgment! ]"
Poor links, with a wink and comical
glance at me, his listener, and at the
same time a screwing up OF his face and
a gesture as if some one had trodden on
his worst corn, would limp through the
rest of the story, while the visitor him
self might be set down as remarkably
appreciative and audacious if he either
could or would venture much of laugh
after that.
My friends wife, however, might be
said to have belonged to "serious
family" On one occasion the two had
ridden to the outskirts of the town in
their buggy to say good-by to the old
people, her parents, who had been max
ing the daughter and son-in-law a
lengthy visit. The two carriages
stopped at the foot of hill, where the
'good-bys" were to be said, and here
he serious part Of it came in. The
old gentleman, very large man with a
remarkably big nose, began to cry. [
must here note that his son-in-law,
Jinks, owed him some money! "My
children" he said, in doleful tones
'swe may never meetagain in this world.
Life is uncertain, and we never know
when death may call for us. But" and
the tears fell like rain, 81 hope we shall
all meet in heaven!" Here he gave his
nose tava1ag like the sound of trum-
pet, and continued in the same tone, as
the carriage started: Benjamin,
don't forget that thousand dollars!
The love of the humorous was in.
dulged on all sides to degree not easy
to parallel in Northern communities.
On one occasion I had happened in at
a fashionable city church, and, taking a
pew next to the door, I was standing
up at the prayer-it was the Presby-
terrain service when one of the dea.
cons, grave-looking, elderly gentle
man, stepped inside, and assuming a
devout attitude, his head Bowed and his
arms folded, waited for the conclusion
Of the prayer. Now he was almost as
"deaf as post" but having a particu-
lar liking for me, and seeing me in that
pew, he concluded he must have me in
his own, one of the most conspicuous in
church, up close in front of the pulpit
Stretching out his hand as if for a
shake, he grasped mine hard and drew
me close up to his side, as he stood in
the aisle. With a tremendous whisper
- for he could not hear how loud it was
himself-he said:
Come up and sit in my pew!''
| I whispered as vigorously as I could
right in his ear, that II was very well
situated where [ was.
'That won't do" came with what was
intended for a whisper, but which !
was sure the preacher and every one in
church must have heard-"come up and
sit where you can see all the pretty
girls!"
The deacon uttered this queer invita-
ton without losing in the least his de-
votional look; and to say that was, as
it were, knocked into a cooked hat,
but feebly expresses it. Of course,
everybody about there began to laugh,
especially some boys; and I could only
turn my back on the crowd, and let
them have it out; the innocent look OF
my old friend through it all being not
the least comical part of it. I never
heard that they "churched" him for it,
but I have often thought that such a
bit of the humorous, under the peculiar
circumstaI ces, could never have oc-
Cured in New England church.
But in truth, this marked feature in
the character of the South, a love of the
cheerful, or determined ignoring OF
"carking care" while it made society
eminently agreeable and pleasant, had
in it elements of unhappiness in some
respects, which, although not very evi-
dent on the surface, or in asserting
themselves conspicuously, were the
ultimate cause of conditions that could
not in the end be too much deplored.
Life had too much of continuous holi-
day. The young men, on leaving
school, were, in too many cases, made
practically acquainted only with the
Observation-Disclosures which supplied a
limited round of pleasures, horse, dog
and gun; and with these, hunting and
visiting from place to place, from neigh
Dor to neighbor, but with no business
pursuit, save in some instances, limit
ed care of their fathers matters; once
of age, they found themselves depend
ants, without the power Or the scope to
earn an independence for themselves.
The result of all this was, that the
young crowded the old; and unless the
latter had been fortunate enough to &C.
cumnlate an independence for each
OF these new claimants as they success
lively came of age, life would of course
begin to assume a pointless, objectless
character with the latter, anything but
pleasant to contemplate with advancing
years. Then this condition, this want
of business pursuit, not infreuuentlv