The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-21
THE GLOVER CLUB.
The Mutations OF FOrtune-and the
Change of Scenes at BeaufOrt-Ad-
dress Inv n YOunc Lady.

dress by Young Lady.
| To do justice to Beaufort, its past and 1t!
present in the short space Of time In Wnlch
am willing TO trespass upon the anlaOlnty
my hearers Is simply impossible. The his
tory of a town is the history OF its inhabi
tants, and were to dwell upon the idiosyn
craSies OF many Of those who were proud II
call 1t their home, or 10 brush the cebweb!
| from my memory and recount the many per
Sonal incidents, serious and gay. mournfu
and happy which have been handed dowr
by tradition from generation 10 generation
should desert the we'll beaten path OF essay
and be recounLing the "reminiscences of my
grand parents.
of the old Parish church bears upon its face
in double sense, the truth OF hist9ry ina h
Legislature in l7l2. Little Is known of its
early struggles, bnt from the experience
leaned from other pioneers, hardships in
Vulnerable must have beset them at every
step. Surrounded as we are today by all the
comforts and conveniences Of life the fertile
brain OF man even holding in leash the
lightnings play to 40 his biddlng-we can
not but look back with pride upon returdy
ancestry, who far from their native homes
surrounded by hostile treacherons race
with crude implements, In an unknown
climate. with no precedents to judge them
against the winters wind, the summers sun
and the fell miaSma's breath, "sowed the
seed and reaped the harvest with enduring
toll"
Storing yearly little dues OF wheat and
wine and oil. In lI25 the present st. Helena's
church, in modified form and reduced
dimensions, was erected as the Parish.Churct
-one church-one people-one God. For
five generations the wedding march and
funeral dirge have alternately gaddened and
saddened It's humble worshiperS.
Beneath the dark shade of It's unkempt
enclosure where patriot and martyr, sain,
and sinner sleep their long sleep, the moss u p
on It's oaks, and the lchen upon its stones
make their silent growth hcresy and schiSm
the hand-maidens OF strife, seem softened
here by the peaceful surroundings. and nc
lesson OF love could be better learned, no ex
ample of faith better followed, than is
taught by the life Of him whose mural tablet
stands by the Sanctuary which he loved SO
well and served SO faithfully for over fifty
years. For upwards of an hundred years
prior to the war, Beaufort was the chief sum-
Iner resort and home Of the planters or the
surrounding country; the conditions under
which agriculture was then conducted, lett
ample leisure to owners of plantations. which
to their credit be it said, was utilized TO raise
to a high standard the intellectual and moral
standing of themselves and children.
Fielding and Wells, the preceptors for
many years of the Beaufort Male and Female
training as any teachers In the State; moral
suasion however, WAS not then In vogue. and
woe betide the boy, who to the former hand.
ed pen by the point, allowed the latchet OF
his shoe to become loosened, or inadvertent.
ly exposed the halfgiven half-stolen ring OF
his sweetheart.
From this training the men and women Of
that day grew up-the latter cultured, refined,
proud OF their domestic lives, and preferring,
like the Spartan mothers, 10 see their sons
brought home on their shields than without
them.
who have been illustrious in the pulpit, In the
forum, In letters, as statesmen and In war.
This routine Of life came to an end In lSG1-the
inhabitants Of the town following the fort
unes Of their cause, surrendered their house.
hold goods. and sought other places Of abode.
Returning in 'G5 and 'G6 and accepting the re-
suit of the arbitrament of arms In the spirit
OF christian resignation, they sought among
new surroundings, among new people, IN
but with pride, TO earn living. In O
few years the gifts which nature had SO freely
given US, and which seemed, by O special
of Providence, to have been
reserved as a secret store for our hour OF need
was discovered in the shape OF the vast fields
of Phosphate rock, which underlie even the
very foundation OF our houses. When this
neXhaustible store-house' of Phosphoric acid
arms TO seize the prize, the wheels ofindustry
began to turn In our midst, the busy turn OF
by day and night sounded on
every side, labor was in demand, hope sprang
anew In tie breast OF the doWn.cast. the town
became 4 mercantile center and the State
itself received into Its Golfers kingly ran
som. With renewed prosperity, the COM
mingling together In business intercourse Of
those recently estranged, the soitening In
ttuence of time, all these agencies gradually
smoothed the asperities which ut first exist
ed.
The marches of Mendelssohn and Lohen-
grin ever and anon sounded forth their sweet
melodies in announcing the nuptials OF
those lately engaged in strife, and no better
illustration of this new era of good fellowship
which now exists In this community can be
furnished than by this very, "Clover Club"
which have the honor to address. when the
daughters of former com batants in the spirit
OF friendly rivalry vie with each other to ex-
eel in all the gentle attributes of our sex,
with charity for our emblem and the right
hand of fellowship as our watch-word, we re-
member the past only for the lessons which
1t teaches in the present, and the hope Of
eternal peace 1t holds out for the future.