The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-18


or soiling of my clothes I was placed
upon the top of one of the flour barrels,
until we should enter the city. Near
by me on the top of the poultry coop
and tied to it by his feet was the indig-
nant drake. He seemed to "view me
with a critics eye,"-extending his
plethoric head at one time towards the
left of me, at another towards the right
of me, and then straight at me, utter
ing each time hideous hiss prophetic
ofdisaster, until I was really glad when
the time came for me 10 be removed
from his scrutiny. We entered the
city little after sunrise. At my re-
quest I was lifted from the wagon; and
I began at once to strut along the side
walk, gazing in wonder at the magnlh-
cence by which I was surrounded. I
saw many boys of my size. They
looked at me and laughed; but as they
had no ruff1es under their chins my
pride blazed high. I tossed my head
and protruded my chest so as to thrust
forward my ruffies conspicuously.
Then came my fall. I approached a
group Of three boys somewhat larger
than myself. They observed me closely;
and smiled, as l thought, contemptu-
ously; but these like the others wore no
ruffies. So I gave them a naughty
look, and passed on; but, alas for me!
not until I heard one of them remark
quite audibly to his companions:
"Well, be has pretty black eyes; and 1
must say that be would certainly show
of we'll with his ruffied shirt-bosom,
If he only acasn't 6are-footed." 1t was
the mortifying truth. My friends to
whose care was entrusted had given
no more thought than:I myself gave to
the preposterous manner in which l
was dressed; and there was I, with a
Haunting shirt-bosom, standing in the
town where the Governor lived, and
not only bare-footed, but with my feet
and ankles covered with the red clay
dust 50 abundant to this day about Co
lumbia. The inconsistency of going
bare-footed while wearing a rutf1ed
shirt did not strike me or any one else,
as Sunday after Sunday I went to st.
Johns church. It was then as it still
is, the custom in the Dutch Fork for
boys and girls to dispense with shoes
and stockings through the summer
with a view to comfort and
economy.
When 1 returned LONE. and with
tears of mortified feelings recounted my
misadventure to my people, I derived
consolation from their advice to treas
ure up my mishap as an experience
of teaching, that whenever one
is pufed up with vanity; or ambition;
or spiritual pride accompanied by her
sister, hypocrisy; or covetousness lean
ing OIL her daughter, idolatry, all one
has to do is to look doorn at ones feet
have often followed this advice, and
feel that it has saved me from some
vanities and vexations Of spirit which,
if I had been pufed up with them,
would have been too much for me-
they would have overwhelmed me.
From tbs depression return to
further consideration of the durability
belonging to the fabrics manufactured
on the old-time looms, by the banging
of which the belated stranger might be
guided on his way to some home three
quarters of a mile off when the sun
went down and the need Of hospitality
was first felt. The shirt that clung so
closely to me for fonr years was as free
from decay the last time / wore 1t as 1t
was the first time. Unless it has been
burnt, every thread of it isin existence
somewhere, to day. I can, however,
call up witness-one which l inter-
viewed not long ago-a witness Of such
reliability, in regard to the durability
of the textures used for raiment in the
Dutch Fork long, long ago, that there
will be no need to question any Others.
This witness has history which de-
serves to be made known; and it is as
follows: Among the Lutterans of
Dutch Fork, before and several years
after the erection Of the present st.
Johns, and while Geisselhart preached
in the little church that once stood just
within the graveyard gate, there was
a custom to have Communion Hand
kerchief, or towel, or whatever other
name it bore, for the purpose Of wiping
the Communion Vessels after each cele-
bration of the Lords Supper. 1t was
made of the finest domestic linen that
could be produced in those days.
There never was another; because this
first one is to-day lin 1891 as durable
as it was in 17SS, when in one of its
corners the granddaughter of the plo-
ncer Summer embroidered her iuitials,
Z. NJ. S., and gave it to the church.
At this moment it is in the drawer Of
the altar in st. Johns, into which it
was transferred from the preceding
church h-building. There it remains in
its retreat, applied no longer it is true
to the use for which it was first in
tended, but serving as witness, more
than a hundred years Old, to the last
ing quality of the home-woven textures
in those remote times, just as the woods
surrounding the hurch-building serve
as witness to the grandeur of the
primitive forest. This handkerchief,
or towel, after serving its purpose at
each Communion, was taken home by
one of the lady members of the church,