The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-01-25
AN OLD FASHIONED MOTHER.
Mra. A,p Staiching for SomsthinG Talk
Ing About Ola Times

Mrs. A,p Searching for some,hinG Talk
Ing About Ola Times
The old trunk was open. Away down
in mysterious receSseS Mrs. Arp was
searching for something, and as l sat
In the other corner with my little table
and pen, watched her as she laid The
ancient relics on a chair and unfolded
first one and then another, and looked
at them so earnestly, and then folded
them up again. What are you hunt
ing for, my dear ?" said |. GOA, moth
ing much" said she; "I was just look
ing over these little dresses TO see If
there was anying that would do for this
little grandchildren. Here Is a pretty
dress. This dress cost me many care
full stitch. All these plaits were made
by my hand, my own hand. There is
very little such work done now, for we
had no sewing machines then, and it
took a long, long time. This embro-
diery was beautiful then, and it is pret.
ty yet. DO you remember when the
first daguerrean came to our town to
take pictures? Well, Hattie wore this
dress when her picture was taken. |
thought she was the sweetest little
thing in the world, and so did you, and
so she was. Since then we have had
ambrotypes, and photographs, and por-
celain pictures, and don't know what
all; but that little daguerreotype gave
me more pleasure than anything since,
and 1t is pretty now. Let me see-that
was twenty-five years ago, and now |
think this same dress will look right
pretty on IIsttie'S child. And here is
one that our first boy was christened
IN, and there is no machine work about
7 or N OF
years ago, and now there are four
grandchildren a; his house, and three
more AT another ones house, and |
don't know what will become Of the
poor little things, but | reckon the
Lord Will provide for them. And here
is a little garment that Jennie mauc.
POOR Jennle;she had a troubled life, but
Sre Is III heaven now, and IN save this
for Pet. she Will priZ9 it because her
mother made it. Aud here is piece
or my wedding dreSs-d0 you remem-
Der 1t? | know you said then that !
looked like an angel in ii, but my wings
have dropped off long ago, and now Pm
only poor old woman, Il faded noWer,
an oYerWorked mother, ten living chill
dren, and three more up yOnder, and
will be there, too, hope, before long,
for I'm getting tired, very tired, and it
seems to me l would like to be nursed,
nursed by my mother, and petted like
she used to pet me in the long, long
ago. And here is pair of little baby
shoes, and the little darling who wore
them is In the grave, but he Is better
on now, and | wouldn't call him back
II could. Sometimes | want to feel
sau, ana ! rummage over these old
things. There Is not much here now
for every little while | have to get at
something to mend with or patch or
make over again. | wish YOU WOulC,
go and see what Carl and Jessie are
doing; down at the branch / reckon,
ana feet all wet, and they have both
got dreadful colds. | can't keep them
away from that branch"
Didn't you play in the branch, my
dear, when you were child ?" said |.
"Ies," she said mournfully, "Dut
nothing couldn't hurt me then; we
were not raised so delicate in those
days. You know, | used to ride to the
plantation, twelve miles, and back
again in day, and bring bag Of fruit
on the horn of the saddle; but the girls
couldn't do it now. They can go to
party In a buggy and dance half the
night, but that is all the excitement,
and they are not lit for anything the
next day. We didn't have any dances
hardly eYer-we went to the country
weddings sometimes. You remember
we went to James DunIap's wedding,
when he married Rebecca Sammons
That was a pig frolic--an Old fashion.
ed 1rollc. Everybody was there from
all the neighborhood, and there were
turkeys, and roast pig. and cake. than
ever saw, and we played everything
we could think Of. Rebecca was pret-
ty then; but poor Woman--she has had
thousand ;children, too, just like my
sell, and L reckon she is faded, too, and
tired"
"But Jim Dunlap hasn't faded" said
L. II see him when / 90 to town, and
he is big, and fat, and merry-loGks
little like old David Davis"
"Oh, yes, Of course he does, said Mrs.
Arp. The men don't know anything
ABOUT care, and anxiety. and slepDless
nights. 1t Is a. wonder to me they die
at ALL"
but have helped you all | could
my dear" said /, "and you see it's tell
ing on me Look at these silver hairs,
and these wrinkles, and crowsfeet, and
my back hurts ever and anon, and this
rainy, bad weather, gives me rheuma.
tlsm. but you haven't gray hair, and
hardly seam on your alabaster fore
head.
"Why, you will outlive me, too, and
maybe there will be a rich WidoWer
stepping around here in my shoes and
you will have fine carriage and a pair
or beautiful bay horses, and"
and Jessie"
"lt VanderbilL's wife should die and
ne could accidentally see you," said /
after I'm gone, there's no telling"
"Wrll, go along now and liu1 the
children, and when you come back III
listen to your fOolishnrsS | am not go
Ing to let you die if | can help it, for |
don't know what would become Of us
all. Yes, you have helped mo ] know,
ana nave been great comfort, and did
the best you could--m0st of the time;
yes, most OF the time--and ! might
have done worse, and yOu must pet me,
for am getting childish"
And you must pet me, too" said |
"Oh, of course | will, said she; "dm
| not always petting you? Now, go
along alter the children before we both
get to crying and have Il scene: and