The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-09-03

N'ehNS' w NOuhS HaiuIhS, lVoN
with natures coloring, showed con-
clusiveiy BY their neat dresses of
calico, muslins aud silk with gay
ribbons, delicate laces aud iauuty
hats adorned with flowers that the
blockade was permanently broken
The first speaker, the Rev. Norvel
Robertson, rose slowly and del Der
atcly. He seemed To be ply sically
feeble, and q feeling of sympathy
t0r k puSso ssion Of my heart coupled
with many misgivings about his
ability to address successfully such
a vast assembly. He was very pale
tall and @aunt, and his thin hair and
wrinkled face showing that be had
reached at least three score and ten
wears fixed b> David as the Ordinar,
limit of human life. He com
menced in a scarce audible whisper,
the tremulOus tones of his voice
gradually rising, ill they brct me o
steady strong mtludious volume of
sound, distinctly heard hy every
ear. The music Of lis we'll rounucd
pcriud~ penetrated far hey the
great crowd and nlngied with th,
sad diapason If the wind as it
gently swept over the top of the
pine forest. He held the audience
,prll.bound by his simple clear rca
coming and tatherlv cnun>els ana
when utterly eXru4ted, he closed.
eyes unused to weep were wet with
tears.
He was followed by the Reverend
Dr.. j. K Graves, who was then III
the very meridian Of his splendid
inlelIcrtuai powers. He occupied
>ome time in conn linen ing Z old
gentlemen who had proceeded him
He SAID he hardly tcit worthy to fl
t0w ia discourse one who had -howu
himself 50 eloquent so learned and
~ be. | had heard NJ. Grave~
b, tore aud have heard him since bur
ha' C never known him to equal thu
great s,lmun he delivered on that
Sal bath evening twenty years ago
Farhe Robertson has long slept TIN,
sleep hat knows no waking and the
eloquent lips Of Graves no longer
give forth their music. Of that
vast audience, oh, how aany now
repnse forever in the quiet celG, tary
before m" ! rose and entered the
encl sure Among the hands me
tomb stones | recognlzed many
familiar names Three generations
repose in this forest cmbowered
graveyard. In this quiet home OF
HE dead | found myself repeating
that tav, rite by mn of Mr. Lincoln
"Oh why should the spirit of mortal be
proud"
AS the shades of PAIRING day
were gathering over the landscape,
| reached the residence of Mr. W.
b. Herring where spent The night,
and was most delightfully."- entertain
ed hl HIM and his esrimable wife.
| had known rather intrmateiy. in
the olden time his grandfather, his
! father, his uncles aud his aunIa. and
| c"Gll tell him more about the his
tory of his family than he him>c elf
owing 10 his youth had az oppor-
lnnit\ OF knowing.
This place waI the old Major
Jesse Maxwell homestead and was
settled by him about the beginning
of the present century, long before
Mississippi emerged from her t'r
ritOrial condition. He came in the
vig"r of youth from Virginia tn the
wilderness and hnit UP large for
| 'ure and raised and educated n
numerous famil y f worthy children
nine of whom. three sons and five
! daughteLs :he latter now all well 10
do widow with many children ard
grandchildren survive him. and all
i've in Lincoln ard Lawrence. All
/ these Surviving children are now
/ themselves oid eoplr, the Youngest
! beng CLOSE TO severity Years O"r
Of these hi4hly esteemed lady
Mrs IL RI Smith lives on her
farm three miles north east of your
IcIlv. Two ot the hrntl ers Thomas
aud Carroll, have resided for nrar
half a century on a'jHnir q plants
lions on Pearl River, and | am glad
to -sy are surrounded in their o d
age hN The comforts and many nl
the luxHric> ot life. They ha,r al
way, especially the Captain, been
men nt influence in their neighhcr
! hood and countv,and The hest Of it is.
that their influence has ever been on
;hp side ot law and order, progress
and morality. The Youngest broth
er Lewis Winston died during the
war. This old family mansion has
about it many memorable and
pleasant associations. Fifty veara
ago it was well known from tn"
Mississippi to the Pearl. Hr,e the
weary traveller found cordial vel,
come. Here the opuent resilient :
If Na'ch'z -t"purd an their wav t"
he crl' h'atri S,"va'l Springs tn e.
miles ab ve Columbia. l. was a
~n,t Of headquarters tor he Dem
orracv, and here cor gregaied the
leaders from at home and abroad
B fore the seltlem, mt Of The country
nh'v We jackson, Lawrence was the
center OF the State-thr banner
coun'v-and excrted powerful in
huence in public affairs Beueath
This old roof Quitman and Prentiss,
P"inhexter, Claihourne, Brown and
PowhatLan Ellis have been often en-
:crlained Consultations have been