The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20

folks for il IS az these gatherings that
they learn much Of the peculiar and IN
teresting customs OF their forefathers.
A notable event OF this kind occurred in
the Piedmont region of South Carolina
not Ions aEo when the clan Of Mci3ee, fin
response TO invitations issued by Squire
Alexander McBee. met ar "8fcBee's
Spring" Everybody in South Carolina
and western North Carolina knows
Squire AlcBee. and everybody was inter
esteG in his family reunion. the family
used To own all of one of the most thriv-
ing little cities I'm the Piedmont section.
and sun owns large part Of it, and GER
family has done more than its share to-
ward peopling IL.
Squire McBee and his cousin, Squire
William Camp. the only surviving grand-
sons of Col. Elias Alexander, who was
in his day prominent in the army Of the
revolution and king Of the North Caro-
lima mountains. We're the conspicuous fig
ures of the day. Both have had the title
of squire for fifty years, and both re-
member wei how affairs were going sew
enty years ago. All the morning the
young men and women and their fathers
and mothers, too, sat at the feet Of the
squires and listened to their tales about
The way they used to hunt when they
were boys about the old schools they
had attended, and heard stories OF camp
meetings, ground rallies, and other
things that have nearly passed away.
After a while a sly youth cast a glance
at a young girl, ana soon she strolled
into the woods near by He waited until
one more story was finished, rose to his
feet and stalked after her with telltale
blush. The two squlres looked at each
other knowingly, and Squire Camp said
10 Squire AcBee:
You know what that means. Squire?
The young ones are coffin"
I've been noticin for some time" re-
piled Squire McBee, that he has been
toun' possums to her house, but say,
Squire, the young folks nowadays don
know what real genuine old co tin IS,
DO they? The way is made too easy for
.'Yo're right there" answered Squire
Camp, they wouldn't know what on
earth to do or say if they had to get in
family sittin' around the room"
Heavens. how horribler exclaimed
young matron, and young woman said.
with a loving glance at the circlet on
her engagement finger:
What did you mean, grandpa, by say
ing that John was to'tn' possums to
Mary. house? She wouldn't touch piece
At this the two squires became gar
rulous, and Squire Camp explained:
That was an expression that origi-
mated with my father nearly a hundred
years ago in regard to co'tin'. and now II
Is proverbial in both states one night
never known TO go near a girl, carrying
q big, lat pOssum to a certain young
woinan's house, and he came home and
told us boys that this man was to'tin'
.possums TO this girls house and the say
Ing has gone the rounds ever since"
WEI, II counting in the old days was
than now, tell us about 1t, please" per-
sisted the engaged girl, and every one
showed interest in the answer.
y GU tell her, Squire McBee," said
Squire Camp. You are more experienced
than / am"
No, you tell her, Squire Camp, for you
always were great hand for the ladies', -
ana then they slapped each other over
the shoulders several times and laughed
great deal, and exchanged many mods
and winks before Squire Camp began.
W ell, II Just as I told you, coffin in
the old days was no easy task. Everything
seemed to be against the young man who
had his eye and heart on a certain girl
even 20 the architecture of that time. You
see nine-tenths Of the houses in the Pied
mont belt from half a century to seventy
years ago had only one fireplace. II was
usually an immense one, in which huge
logs from four 10 ten feet long were burn
e., ana was always in what was called
the big ROOM, which meant the same
tnen as sitting room does now a
small bed room was cut off at the back
OF this main room ana two or three shed
rooms built on TO the sides of it. These
were the better houses, mind you, ana
the whole family would assemble around
the hre IN this main room at night So
you can easily see what hard time fell
low had TO make love.
Very little CO. tin was done on week
Gays. OF course. at corn shuckin's ana
eotton pieklns, many matches We're made
ana much love making INDUCED in and
they always took place on week nights
but Sunday was the great sparIzin' day'
Inc very first Sign that a young man
ever gave young woman which showed
her that he was smitten with her was 10
run out of the church after service on
SUNDAY morning ana lead her horse around
70 tne dock Tor her to mount. This was
sure symptom of love. OF course. when
ne ala this she knew that he would mount
MS own morse and ride home with her.
pi0Nloed another one of her admirers
dldnt mount quicker and take his place
az her side. In this case he had 10 give
Me-, NJ. ~ was a code Of honor among young
illen OF mat cay TO let the man who ap-
peared first have the right-of-waV. IL
the Fellow was lucky enough to get the
slrl OF his choice mounted and ouic,r
enough 70 mount his own horse ana ride
up by her side before any one else got fhe
place, ne Went home with her, took dinner
anu supper, and often remained over nighf
5nai was pretty tough on the girl If She
Ol ~ happen TO fancy the man, wasn't il ?
v,,i D11dri,ng an OF this time the man
mSNluI set moment alone with the girl
uhless her mother happened to favor him
u she dld she would first cell OUT her hus-
bahd ana then the younger children one
BY one, leaving the couple TO fhemseiS-es
n the big room, or she would tell them
tnai she thought they would find II warm
mutual you may be sure they Womb stir
out 10 the little log kitchen in the back
soAN as Adst as ever they could 90. The
loom ana the spinnin wheels ALWAYS stood
" me Kitchen and there the family tooF
lhelr meals. oh, happy was the youna
Kitchen "'0ii0 III tA'
Fancy taking your sweetheart into tn,
kltcnen, exclaimed a young girl in whose
nome there are hooks that seem TO hav,
been built just for lovers. That wolIlf
take an the sentiment out of IL for me =
When the family was in the kitchen
continued the squire. absorbed in his oyyr
story the lovers would manage 10 ge
IN the back ROOM where they were silr,
TO be free from Interruption, and talSinf
seat on the side of the old-fashiones
cnest, always called 'chist,' repeat to ea Fl
other the old, new story MANY a tale ~
ioNe mas been told III just such surrollnd
ihgs. II things went smoothly and ~,
IoVefs became engaged. their way of a.
nounclng 1t was for her TO m0,int IN.
morse behind him and ride TO church
heaYens! Why didn't they 20 in ,
buggy or carriage? The idea of horn o
Inem riding TO church on the same horse
why, IL made them appear perfectly riiic
ulous, uldn ltE' asked a school girr
NO, indeed, il did not" promDtlx, -.
sponded Squire McBee; 1T made her ~.
envy Qt every girl in the meetin' hone
VINO qidn t have a beau, and it made mir
the envy OF every man who had look
on MS prize tenderlv. As for bneeto,
anu carriages there wasn't a one i'm III