News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-13
THE OLD FOLKS.
HUMANLIFE COMPAREDTOA AN ARMY.
''Bili Arp'' Lnments The Loss Of the Meu
of Sixty Years Ago.

"BiIl Arp'' Lnments The Loss Of the Meu
of Sixty Years Ago.
From the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitutional
Most everybody is dead. That is, all
the old folks There are mighty few
left Of the old stock that used to move
around 50 lively 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 a con-
script officer, and he won't take any sub
stltute nor give anybody a bomb-p proof
place. There are no quartermasters nor
commissaries nor potash gottors IN this
war, but it IS fight, fight, all the time.
Sooner or later all OF us have got to go.
We can't desert nor dodge nor play sick
LOr shoot finger eff, and there are no
| furloughs and no pensions aud no dis
charge. There is not even a promotion
for good conduct or noble daring.
| TGero is nothing but to do and die.
| Well, it's all right I 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 Imoved to Rome,
Ga, and it was a right smart town of
5000 people. They are not there now.
What are left I can count onmy fingers,
hardly a dozen Of tie old settlers, and
they move about very slow. Old
Mother White died the other day. The
Oldest of them all. She was always go
ing about doing good or trying to. She
oUtiived her old "Maun" the Scotch
man, ard she outIived her children, but
she rcyoi surrendered 10 grief or trouble.
These old Scotch people have baD-
its and principles like cast-iron.
They never change. "The old "Maun,
as we called him, was always merry, and
always at work making harness, and he
died in harness. 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 neglected the regular pro-
gramme.
Old Maun White couldn't sing, but he
thought he could, and he considered it
as much duty as to pray. He was ol-
ways in his seat at the church. He was
a heavy man, but he waddled up the
hill to the meeting house with alacrity,
and took his seat like hemeaut business.
He said amen and amen all through the
the preachers pray er aud then he opened
his hymn-book with easerncss and stood
upright in front of the choir and sang
from away down. He tried to follow,
but was sure to get Iittle ahead foc he
enjoyed 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 toll
Grated from any other man. for he was
always a little up or little down, and
he tapered off His voice was a good
deal below bass, and came mp like there
was a cogwheel in his throat. But
everybody that knew the old man en-
joyed his singing, for it seemed to do
h m so much good, and at times when
the words were very tender the old man
would say "amen" at the end of the
stonza | remember that one time
when Henry Cartel and George Stovall
were leading music the old man turned
two leaves i'll his hymn-book and got
from long into short meter, and the
words didn't fit the music. There wasn't
enough of them, and the old Maun
shook his head and gave a grtmt and
filed out with a couple of ameus. He
heard litter behind him, and, looking
round, nuttcrod audibly, ''Thnr's sum-
thin wong ,i'''',, l,,.r--'' SO A.,,..-,N
him ahout II most .7"z-- "'p7 10 l'''~l't7
''Ah, well, you know that David said
sing unto the Lord a new song, and 1
deed it. Yes, I deed it,
[ wonder now many children old
Mother White has taught in Sunday
School. She has had a class of little
ones ever since [ knew her, aud she
taught them all the same thing, to love
God and tell the truth and do right. l
don't think she ever improved on that
she didn't know anything about the
science of religion OF the evidences Of
and she didn't want to
know. 1t was enough for her that she
loved her Maker, and loved everybody,
and her Maker loved her. Her faith
was iron-clad; she lived in it, and she
died in it. If [ could trade in chances
for heaven, would be willing to trade
fer hers. She is there, l reckon, and
some of the children she taught are
there, too, and they gave the old lady
welcome that was heaven enough tor