The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-04
MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD.
Como OF the Things Remembered bya Man
OF Prosaic Disposition.

l. is said great mon ret.,.. vivid rcco;-
fictitious of tho scenes and incidents OF
their childhood. Perhaps they do. If
their writings arc founded upon verify,
thcy do certainly.
They romembo- the o.a abbey that
filled them with dread and dismay; thoy
remember the crumbling ton:bstoncs i'll
the churchyard, with tho moss-covered
epitaphs; thoy can 500 10 their latest
day tho prim rectory, or tho .carsonage.
And perhaps there wero years, per-
haps only days, between tho life among
these and tho later 80 IN tho
Southdowns, whoro tho wind was always
blowing, and great ships wore always
sailing in the great arm OF the sea-
They recall tho bronzed old hulk OF a
sailor, with his strange sca-wcrds, the
boats 10 used to white out Of them
with his cutlass or marlinspilc, and tho
mimic voyages they took to China and
Holland. They recall tho Squirrels little
black-cycd niece--shc is still looking
out at them from the past
Well, let her look. 1t is probably
easy enough 10 be y great man when
person is in youth situated whore these
interesting objects arc found native; but
could not remember any crumbling alb
boy, without making myself out liar,
nor any explorations of the wind-swept
downs.
/ can not recall any sailor; do no,
remember my father as n quiet. still
man, not fond of children, l Think" and
if historian were to found himself on
my memory. he would have to write
fhnrn
shooting squires in my ncighborhood.
1t was evidently planned by tho Fatos
that should mover he \ great man, for
none of the things that great men re-
member with such stunning effect were
located in my vicinity.
Probably l could never have been a
fluent memorist anyhow Probably
Nature intended mo for the deposition,
affidavit and witness-chair president Of
large corporation.
could not possible remember how
1.-THE Count laid his hand upon his
sword and how my father gave him
one swift look" These things probably
happened, only l do not remember
them.
Ell my mother came down dressed
for tho ball. there was hectic flush ~
each check" No doubt of it, only l had
forgotten it entirely; and it has quite
slipped my memory that ''the days
which followed our return from London
were bleak and drear''
All that | can remember. ANYHOW. arc
few things that | recall by thinking
back. But these would not make Il
novel and they would not comprise
more than people knew at the time
There was an occasion, quite discon-
ncctcd from any other occasion before
or after, whom had been sitting on tia
floor, trying to make friends with my
grandfather by pctting his cur dog
most appropriately named Curly. The cur
bit mo through tho cheek. and thought
could not yell loudly enough to express
my feelings, and my grandfather stated
that lit served him right" My old-maid
aunt, moro than Twenty-Five years old,
inquired OF the pleasant old man. if he
were not ashamed
lie wasn't.
| do not remember whether the wound
ever got we'll or not.
Again with difficulty climbed into
buggy standing at our gate The horse,
(namcd Mikc), with true Irish trcach-
cry made an excuse of the circuln-
stances to move of. He walked he
trottcd, he trottcd faster. / went sail
ing through the village streets, remark
ing. as AIN crcdibly informed:
Il don't want to SO. ] don't want to
go."
Thus early cvinccd a vein of truth.
fulncss.