The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-11-17
FoR THE HERALD.
From Smokey Town.

thee'' We cannot realize the fearful
ness in that word loneliness, of which
50 many couplaio. Tupper says my
mind to me kingdom is, and if his
be so to him why not ours to US! II
only weak one, it is more than we
can manage we'll and much more than
We deserve. None can appreciate that
godlike gift so much as when alone
with it and its Great Giver. They in-
herently discover the fact that 1t will
not rest and that idleness if it means,
negative state of that Heavon-born
power is not use in significant sense.
Solitude's hours, like the mind are Dl-
vine blessings and will be employed in
praising or injuring the Great First
Cause. Then why not let our lone
hours be we'll spent, that they may
bear fruit and flowers for after years.
These thoughts occur to US as we are
alone in cur new home
Our home is situated in that part
of the country known to you as
Smokey Town. Why the appellation,
we do not know unless the amount Of
pine knots to be burnt has caused the
impression that smoke will be abund-
ant. Sure We are that the moon
beams are as unsullied, the sunbeams
as brilliant, and the atmosphere as
pure as found in other localities with
more progressing names. The cot
tage homes have no dingy appearance
On the contrary their inward neatncss
bespeaks sach housewives as Solomon
describes in Proverbs. The little
cot in which we dwell recalls to mind
Goldsmith's writings. Its walls have
been nicely whitewasbed, and it has
glass windows with blinds like our
graudfathcr's house, made of whole
plank, which seemed really to shut
out both darkness and cold. When
Jur house is Illuminated by a large
ligbtwood fire, we think it perfectly
enchanting. 1t reminds us of our
ancestral days, when lamps were un-
known and when "the big Ha' Bible
once our fathers pride" was read, by
freight, each morn and eve in praise
to our fathers God. How long wor-
ship seemed then to our sleepy little
eyes, but what sweet incense did it
leave us for after years. Yes,
Memory still loves to hover o'er the plac',
And all our pleasures and our pains resrace."
Remember parents, oh !! remember
how your cbildSen vii! love to feed on
such reflections.
Everything here is very quiet, CON-
pared with the busting little hamlet
which we left with its cars, mills, gins,
stores and strips So much so that
true to say We are sometimes startled
by the gentle tramp Of the little wren
on the porch, but its grateful twitter
soon tells who is at the door asking
only "crumbs." The great owl boots
at night, and one night little owl
dared to screech, but L. the hired girl
soon hushed it with a handful Of salt
on the Goals. Oh ! how dreadful the
fetters of superstition. Would that
our children could never hear cminous
signs. Ye mothers, better were it for
your children to strengthen their
lungs by few fits of crying, than to
have them pass through youths seu
sitive days distressed by portentous
falsehoods, to which they cannot help
giving some credence, in spite Of the
remoustraces Of wiser heads. Well do
We remember how the whippoorwill
flying around the ash hopper iu dusky
twilight, the rabbit crossing our path,
or the old watch dog cooling his back
on the grass, would fill US with fear.
We learned it from the negroes and it
was so easy to believe. Many Of the
phenomena of nature are strangely cou-
strued by the ignorant, and We know
from experiences that many half grown
children go days distressed, really
ashamed to confess and ask about the
imaginary causes of their troubles.
For soue may laugh at our. sugges-
gestions but as it has been our lot "to
teach many young idea how to
Shoot" We have found this disease,
superstition, preyiog upon many a
mind.
We see nothing venouous dowu
here but yellow jackets and snakes.
The latter do not seem to partake of
the nature Of ETe's tempter, for though
long, they are timid and run away
with all their might Fruit and fow-
ers, peculiar to the Indian summer,
are abundant aud you can keep fresh
bouquets of ferns, berries and flowers
all the time. The citizens are gene
rally engaged in agriculture. They
till the land with their own hands,
and it in return yields them bounti-
ful living. Hence,
along the cool sequestered vale Of life,
They keep the even tenor Of their way"
Crops are good this year. As We
have not beeu here long enough to
have stock or poultry, we must depend
on our ueighbors, and as We see the
delicious butter and pure milk we
think of the "visits to the Plantation"
How We loved "McGufhe's Reader"
and what funny ideas We had of a
"polished calabasb." Just little while
ago We saw new sight to US. Two
yoke Of oxen we're harnessed to queer,
ponderous wagons. We were told
they are log wagons, and that their
construction is to save lifting. Wheth.
er easier on the animal or not we did