The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-05-14
NEWS FROM CHATTERTOWN
Helene Maury'S Weekly Letter 10
Her Sister in Arcadia.
The Delights OF Childhood in the Years
Long Numbered with the Past.
CHATTERTowN, GOSSIP Co., /
NJ 10 1909 [

Sh "A L EN- w ~ NlOoSlI VIZ
May 10, 1897.
SISTER MINE:-My thoughts have
coaXed me to get pen in hand and
again open my heart to you. Surely
1.-The pen is mightier than the
sword" for what can the sword
bring. but through blood and suffer
ing, while the pen brings Joy to
mourning ones, greetings to the
traveller and satisfaction to the
business world. IT'S a medium
through which hearts can beat in
unison, the veil of by gone days be
lifted, and miles between loved ones
seem but steps to those enjoying
that privilege the pen brings. Then
to receive letter! What pleasure
able sensations permeate our very
being when we hold in our hand that
mysterious square of paper How
we fondle and turn it about, wonder
ing what its mission is! Positively,
sister dear, have seen women stand
and conjecture for five minutes over
an unopened letter-the anticipa-
tion was so charming.
Well sister, would you mind if /
turned your thoughts this third time
to the days that are now no more
than memories? Yes! more than
that, for we cling to and cherish the
remembrance, as the vase, though
broken, still retains the fragrance
of the rose that once adorned it. |
suppose one has right to think
ones own young days the brightest.
However, it is owing to the glasses
one looks through. From their
point of view" SO many old people
say, "Well, well, young folks don't
enjoy themselves as we did when
we were young;n while younger
ones will say, "How could grand
mother have pleasure in the things
she tells us about?"
You know, sister, our own grand
mother came when a child to Ten
nessee, and lived in the Fort at
Nashville, where the whistling of
bullets, the whOoping of Indians
and the wild cats scream, were the
only orchestra available at that
time, and she enjoyed hunting the
calves in the dense canebrakes that
covered the country. And [ have
heard mother say that the panther's
scream was a familiar sound to
grandmother's ears, although the
first time she heard one it came near
being the last, for it's voice was SO
human in its ring through the
woods, that she thought it was some
one from the Fort. / need not say
how homesick she felt on realizing
that her safety depended upon
sWiftnesS of foot,
can understand how old people
lived in the past, as it were, for
since | have been jotting down my
thoughts to you, find myself full
of fond memories and little in.
for years, standing out before me
silhouetted upon my mental horizon
like clear-cut cameo. 1t is /
curious fact, my dear, that wha
once seemed so large to US while
young, viewed by children of larger
growth, pales into insignificance.
Then, again, time appeared 81
/ long, for Christmas was years anC
, years off, but now it comes all toe
soon. Do you recOllect our frs
, Christmas experience? | shall
never forget it! AS was the custom
7 in Chattertown at that time, We twt
r little "tOts" were told to go to tn
square and say "Christmas gift" t.
every one we met. Poor littl'
ignOramusses, we went only TO on
+ store, and there we stood with on
fingers in our mouths, waiting 70
| our presents. Is there such a cir
= to-day? 1 dare say mol We helt
our heads down in speeches. con
fusion, and could scarcely be per
q suaded to accept what was given u
by tall man behind the counter
And do you call to mind what tn
a presents were? Just two SINAI
catechisms in pamphlet form, abou
.. two inches wide and three Ions
q What would the girl of to-day thin
' if she had only such gift? Oh
y but we were proud of them, weren
q we, sister? And / am morally Gel
a tain no other present ever gave u
4 half the pleasure. Somehow
! though 1 place myself as a locker o
n and L feel just little Inundated fo
3 those two little girls, but then the
f were so deliciouSIy innocent Alac
v day-there are no more "innocent
!. abroad" now.
9 TITS said there is no better sign {
Il coming age than a manifested dc
= sire to recall the past. That prot
ably is true, although 1 must con
fess, sister mine, am loath to adm
! that 1 am on the great divide,
u and Ito pervert the poet) 1 certainl
y do
=. "Stand with reluctant feet
y. y Where the river and the ocean meet
Surely the river of life must soone
q or later, with all its joys and sol
rows, empty itself into the gres
- ocean of Eternity; and what col
y Germs us most is, are we ready? Wi
e we reach the port in safety, dear, {
, will our frail barks be lost? OF
8 sister, let us look well to our moo
/ ings. HELENE MAURY.
g GarwOOd's Sarsaparilla-for the bloc
3. guaranteed tocure. A. B. RAIN