The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-29

more gathered there II we shall live.
The closer we get to each other
socially the better we like each other.
Almost every man has a lovable side
to his character and nature, and occa-
sions like this develop all that is good
in a man make him forget the bust
ncss friction and the exasperating
cares of life. 1t was joyous to shake
hands with the McCurdys, the Dow
dells, the Morrisses, the masses,
the Mathews, the Averys, e Sprat-
lings, the Will;amsons, the l jremans,
the HARNESSES, the Sanfords, ct %cetera,
ct cetera.
No better blooded, nobler people
ever lived. They were the friends of
my parents, and their prayers have
gone up for me and nv work wherever
I have been. The welcome they gave
me and the kind words they said to
me on this occasion shall linger with
me as long as memory holds it's place.
I am glad I was there. [ am glad to
have been a factor in bringing about
that gathering, glad of the opportunity
of talking and shaking hands with
those people. They came from the
regions round about, some 20 miles,
some 40 miles. .Opelika, Lafayette,
West Point, LAGRANGE, Wetumka, ct
c%etera, were all represented. There
was not a thing to mar the pleasure
of the occasion.
How much better it would be if
humanity could learn to get closer to
each other, cultivate the social side OF
life, take a day off occasionally from
business, with it's cares and mix and
mingle with n%eighbors and friends.
1t would have taken me a whole year
to have visited and mingled with these
people from house to house, but in
one day at a reunion of that sort we
can see and mix and mingle with them
all. If humanity could pull loose oc-
c~asionally from business and break
through the confines of political and
religious p~rejudices and mix and min
gle as a ommon brotherhood, [ be-
lieve it would be much better for US
all. It is we'll enough to have Bap-
tist conventions and Methodist con-
f%erences and Democratic gatherings,
if you will, and Republican pow-wows;
but there is a level on which every
man can meet, and that is the level of
a common Brotherhood brotherhood
which recognizes God as the father
and brings us in sympathy with others
as we realize that humanity at it's best
has many faults and foibles, sins and
mistakes. If we will cultivate and
exercise the social functions God has
endowed US with, we eliminate much
of the littleness and meanness that
trouble us, become broader in u
fellowship, more forgiving in our ma
ture and more kindly in our criticisms.
We frequently have criticised severely
some one, and in after days brought
closer to them in social life, we have
felt heartily sorry that we said those
hard things about them. We have
thought evil of others when afterwards
those evil thoughts were corrected in
our minds. Then let US remember
that man not only has his work to do
in the business world, but that he has
a social nature, a religious nature, an
intellectual nature, a physical nature,
and that he has no right to let any
phase Of his nature perish and die for
want Of exercise. A well-rounded
man is the man who looks after all the
phases Of his character and nature.
Let us encourage reunions and gath
erings that bring good to a whole
county or community in a single day.
Yours truly, SAM P. JONES.