The Portland daily press., 1883-08-10
The Old Folks.
BY "BILL ARP"

Most everybody is dead. That is, all the
old folks There are mighty few leftsof the
cid stock that used to move around so live
ly and take the lead in business and public
affairs. Some of us are getting lonesome
now. The ranks keep filling up, but we
don't know the new recruits. Old Father
Time is conscript officer, and he won't
take any substitute nor give anybody bomb
proof place. There are no ouartermasters
nor commissioners nor potash getters in
this war; but it is fight, fight. fight, all the
time. Sooner or later all of us have got to CO.
We can't desert nor dodge nor play sick nor
shoot finger off, and there are no furloughs
and no pensions and no discharge. There
is not even promotion for good conduct or
noble daring. There is nothing but to do
and die. Well, it's all right know, or it
wouldn't have been so, but it grieves me to
hear the bell tolling all about and to see the
old stock passing away. Thirty-two years
ago l moved to Rome and it was right
smart town of 5000 people. They are not
there now. What are left / can count on
my fingers, hardly a dozen of the old set
tiers, and they move about very slow. Old
Mother White died the other day. The old
est of them all. She was always going about
doing good or trying to. She outlived her
old "Maunn the Scotchman, and surrendered
to grief or trouble These old Scotch peo-
pie have habits and principles like castiron.
They never change. The old"Maun'' as we
called him, was always merry, and always at
work making harness, and he died in har-
ness. He had his time to eat and to sleep
and to pray and to sing and to read the bible,
and his time to work, and he never neglect
ed the regular programme. Old Maun
White couldn't sing, but he thought he
could, aud he considered it as much duty
as to pray. He was always in his seat at
the church. He was heavy man, but he
waddled up the hill to the Westinghouse
with alacrity, and took his seat like he
meant business. He said amen and amen
all through the preachers prayer, and then
he opened his hymn-book with eagerness
and stood up right in front OF the choir and
sang from away down. He tried to follow,
but was sure to get little ahead, for he en-
joyed it and wanted to do more than his
share. The choir did their best TO smother
him, but they couldn't. His bellows was
strong and blew loud. His kind Of singing
| wouldn't have been tolerated from any 9TH
er man, for he was always little up or
little down, and he tapered off. His voice
| was good deal below bass, and came up
like there was cogwheel in his throat.
But everybody that knew the old man en-
| joyed his singing, for it seemed to do him so
much good, and at times when the words
were very tender the old man would say
''amen" at the end of the stanza l remem-
Der that one time when Henry Gartrell and
| George Stovall were leading music the old
man turned two leaves in his hymn book
and got from long into short metre, and the
words didn't fit the music. There wasn't
| enough of them, and the old Maun shook
| his head and gave grunt and hlled cut
| with a. a.couple of amens. he heard a litter
| behind him, and, looking round, muttered
andibly. "Thar's sumthin' wrong about
| here" We joked him about it next day,
and he laughed as he said: "Ah, well. YOU
know that David said sing unto the Lord a
new song, and deed it Yes, deed it."
wonder how many children old Mother
White has taught in Sunday school She
has had class of little ones ever since
knew her, and she taught them all the same
thing, to love God and tell the truth and do
right don't think she ever improved on
that-she didn't know anything about the
science of religion or the evidences of Chris
tianity, and she didn't want to know. 1t
was enough for her that she loved her Ma
ker, and loved everybody, and her Maker
loved her. Her faith was iron-clad; she
lived in it, and she died in 1t. If l could
trade in chances for heaven, would be will
ing TO trade for hers. She is there, | reck-
on, and some of the children she taught are
there, too, and they gave the old lady well
come that was heaven enough for her.-At.
lanta, Ca, Constitution,