Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-11-14

Vanceburg, KY, Correspondence OF the LOUIS
Vile Courier Journal.
stopped to-day and asked for dinner
at the door of neat little log house. 1t
was near the division line of Lewis and
Carter counties, but in which of the two
am unprepared to say. 1t was very
hOspitable looking house, with q neat
front yard, surrounded by a paling fence.
There were flowers in the yard, and a
green vine clambered over the porch. All
the out-buildings were comfortable and
the fields stretching away in the rear of
the house bore evidences of careful cult
walton. There were no unsightly brush
heaps, brier patches or stone piles, and
the fence corners were clean. A trinity
clad little woman in dress of some light
material, responded to my summons and
invited me in. A broad shouldered fellow
came up from the stable and took my
horse. The young woman ushered me
into pleasant room, which l suppose
very pleasant room. A bright rag carpet
was spread in front of hearth, table
under the window was covered with books
and papers, and there was a shelf filled
with books in little niche beside the
chimney. A cabinet organ filled the
other corner. A baby, chubby~faced and
red checked slept in cradle, which was
gently rocked by an old man. This old
man face was scanned anu furrowed
and his hair and beard were white, but
he did not seem o be % old as one would
at first judge. The lines deep craven
in his face were care lines, and
sorrow or sickness had whitened his hair
and beard~ Dinner was on the table, but
the little woman w % had invited me in
brought out jar OF preserves, dish Of
fruit and some cake, and arranged them
among the substantials. The broad>shoul-
dered man came IN directly and / was in
| troduced to him. He was the husband of
| the pleasant faced woman, and the old
man rocking the cradle was his father
| Two boys came into the room as we were
sitting down to the table, and they called
the little woman mother. 1t seemed to be
a very agreeable family and l was glad |
stopped. The old man took the head of
the table opposite leg OF mutton, and /
was placed on his right. Opposite me on
the wall was hung fine steel portrait of
Andrew johnson. There were other
| pictures, but this one stood out prominent
| ly. The frame was gilt very heavy, and
protected from the flies and dust by
gauze. 1t grew in proportion as looked
toward it from time to time and it finally
became the only object in the room
After dinner [ stepped close under it to
make better examination. It was Ger,
tainly fine picture and the old signature
of the great commoner was not litho
graph fac smile, but a written autograph
THAT is fine picture" remarked.
YES HATS ANDY!'
replied the old man, and he walked I'D
beside me and ran his hand lovingly over
the face of the picture.
"You knew him them" / again asked,
beginning to get curious
''Knew him. answered the old gentle
man, stepping back to give the reply more
emphasis why, stranger, Andy and /
worked together on the tailor bench in
Raleigh forty odd years ago, and he was
the best friend ever had"
''He was the best friend he ever had "
was the refrain echoed by the the two
| boys, the broad shouldered man and the
pleasant faced woman.
1 felt confident that there was an in
teresting story behind this, and [ begged
the old gentleman to tell it. He nodded
his head and drew my chair up beside
his. The boys and their father and
mother drew up their chairs also.
Il knew Andy" he began, waving his
hand toward the picture, "a good many
years ago when he was ragged little boy
running around Raleigh. His father was
. a poor man, and got drowned when Andy
was about years old. He lived with
his mother and was good son, although
he was very little and couldn't do much.
II used to come to our shop great deal.
That was in the good old days before they
made shoddy cloth or ready made cloths.
we had nigh onto 40 hands in our shop,
ana there We're three other shops in town
fully as large. Raleigh was not SO big
then as itls now, but doubt very much
i if one tailor could make a good living
there these days. Well, as was saving
Andy used to come to the shop every day.
I was always great reader, and although
Andy didn't know one letter from another
he was always Fostering me out of work
hours to read to him. He was a pert sort
of boy, and | always told him he would
be a great man some day. On, fall
business was brisk and the boss wanted a
prentice. He took in Andy, and the boy
was right glad to get something to dol to
| helm ALONG his old mother A inrentice