Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-02-07

THE DEATH OF AULD ROBIN GREY.
'"rhe summer it was smiling,
AL nature round was gay;
And Jeannie was attending
On poor auld Robin Gray.
For he was sick ut heart,
And had no friend besides,
Save only poor JEANNE,
Who newly was bride.
'Oh! JEANNE, shall die, he cried
AS sure as I had birth;
Then see my poor old bones, 1 pray,
Laid decent in the earth
And be a widow for my sake,
\ twelve-month and Il day;
And You shall have what e'er belongs
TO poor auld Robin Grey.
laid poor Robin in the earth,
AS decent as / could
And shed tear upon mis- grave
For he to me was good.
I took my Rockall in my hand
And to my cot hied;
CRYING wac is me what shall do
Since poor aud Robins died?
Search every land, throughout the world,
There's none like me forlorn:
I'm ready cen to ban the day,
That ever was born.
tried to laugh, tried to sing
TO pass my time away,
For father was dead, mither was dead,
And cen auld Robin Gray.
At length the merry bells rang out
| could ma guess the cause;
But Rodney was the man, they sald,
Who gained so much applause
l doubted if the tale were true,
Till Jamie came to me,
And Showed to me a purse OF g0ld
Said JEANNE it's for thee;
Auld Robid Grey is dead I find,
And still your heart is true,
'Oh! JEANNE take me to your arms,
And I will be so too!
Pres John shall join us in the kirk,
And we'll be blithe and gay
| blushed, consented and replied,
'Adieu auld Robin Grey"
The air was sweet, plaintive One-that
suited we'll the simple tenor of the tale; and
the voice now long silent that poured forth
the melody, better far-untaught though 1t
was, by all but Il true ear and fine taste
than many il one I've heard since, trained
under many masters to trll Italian sonatas
and French rigolettas, not one word or
which could the listeners understand, to
add interest to notes my old fashioned ears
deemed more torturing than pleasing.
AS the witching hour of midnight drew
near, the tales would increase in horror and
| mystery. Each one of the circle drew their
chairs nearer to one another and the sink
| ING fire, and excited imaginatiOnS all
aglow, made even the boldest half afraid
to look behind them on the gloaming dark
ness.
Vehicles ofall kinds were scarce. Ladies,
as we'll as gentlemen, usually rode on horse
back, and many well-tO-do farmer hauled
up his corn cr0E on sleds. The said corn
was made without a trace-chain, for they
used, as a substitute, laths made OF white
oak. AS they knew no better, these did
eXcelently we'll except at the end OF the row,
as in consequence of the stiffness Of the laths
| they had to lift the plough clear round. 1t
was a great Improvement when raw cow
do, ,f RI W n.
trOduced. The Srefchug and contracting
properties cf these gears, were eXemplitied-
0verwell, perhaps-by the tale told by Il
countryman, who vase swapping lies with
an old acquaintance. :,
He said he cut down a bee tree about a
half mile from his house, on the creek. The
tree broke as it fell and out gushed stream
of honey into the creek, that made metheg-
| lin of its waters for matter of twenty-five
yards. He ran directly home for his cart
and yoked up his oxen, the gears for which
were green cowhides. He drove back to
his bee tree, loaded his cart heavily, and
then drove off for home. The oxen went
well, but the cart never moved step, Tor
the cow-tugs kept stretching till they
stretched all the way to his house. He
turned the oxen loose when he got there,
threw the yoke over the limb of Il tree, and
in the evening the cart came screaking up
| to his home, for the sun had draWed up the
cow-tugs to the right length again.
At the period of which speak, there was
but one glazed house in the district, out
side the limits of Yorkville. That was built
by old Col. Bratton. 1t boasted two or
three windows, filled by one sash, each, COM
posed of four paneS, not more than ABOUT
six by eight inches in size. / am under
the impression the building is still stand
ing ut BrattOnsville. l often think those
primitive times were very happy ones.
stihed envy and extravaganza, and encOur-
aged sociabilty and hospitality.
Bacon was almost invariably out by har-
vest, and from that time on till winter,
there would be slaughtered, alternately, Il
pig, beef and sheep, to furnish meat Boned
| turkeys, eggs iU creme, &c., were unknown
efforts; and a roasted fowl, baked pig, or big
chicken pie were the chef PGeurre of our cui-
sine. The low-country families OF Turkey
Creek usually had, as daily diet, the luXu-
ries Of coffee and sugar; and lrememberan
instance of gentleman of the Scotch-l Irish
stock marrying into one OF those families.
On his next trip afterward to market
Charleston-he brought home, for his new
wife's larder, a full sack of coffee and bar
rel of sugar. His relatives looked on this
as unparalleled extravaganza. 1t was the
amount Of such stock usually laid in by 4
store! With fOrebodings, they prophesied
''that woman would surely break Alec"
Their habit was cup of coffee for breakfast,
. on Sunday, mornings, and this, withits inva--
riable accompaniment of frtters, was a feast
worthy Mird.
Practical jokes were much in vogue, and
usually taken in good part, though OCCASION
ally an irrascible disposition felt like resent
Ling them. Old Mr.. Jamie Nc was an
Irishman born, and a perfect gentleman
He, though rich, never owned slaves, but
had family of free negroes in his employ
and man-of-all-work--Jim Down--an
Emerald Islander, too. He always ate and
slept in the kitchen, and was dirtier speci-
men of the gems homo, than most OF the
! blackamOOrS.
One day Gen. Lacey went to Mr.. Daniel
Williams, on Turkey Creek. The compli-
ments of the day being passed, Mr.. Will
liams naturally inquired if there were any
news afloat.
eyes ; Jim Downs is dead"
"Jim Downs dead? Poor old fellow L
had not heard he was sick. Well what
Iifn ha 1nd at Mr. Mes. rs bad as q negro.