The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-30

THE CITY OF COLLEGES.


Scenes of His BOyhOOd.
There Is an old saying there Is no place
like home, be 1t ever SO humble" That is the
this truth so forclbly impressed on the mind
of the writer as on last Friday, the occasion
of a visit to the old home place worn with
age and dilapidated by the rough usage OF
renters, and marred OF Its outward beauty by
the beating rains and thacorroding tooth OF
Time, yet with all these unslghtly surround
ings 1t makes the same truth apparent There
Is no place like home"
our pleasure to visit the church where In ear.
ller days we sat and listened to the truths ex-
pounded by those devout and strictly Chris
tian ministers; not merely IN name' but In
While there we dropped in TO a prayermeet-
ing and heard Bro. Bonner give one OF his on
hand talks that was full OF the genuine, pure
old time Seceeder religion. II made us feel
like the prodfgal son returning home and Inn
pressed In no small degree. 1t was also the
occasion Of q congregational meeting. This
meeting impressed us with me Ii6eTaiity W ana
as we were never impressed before, because
the treasurer was called 90 to make his re-.
port, and the items announced being received
by donations by the members read IN every
lars. Not a single Item was announced as be-
ing received as so many cents, but dollars
and large numbers, too, in every case. Due
West has always been famous for her LIBERAL
ity.
No worthy cause ever sought help there
without q generous response from the pockets
of these old Seceders. Now 1 will call no
names. but l have known the pastors OF otner
churches to preach special sermons on mis-
sionary, and announce that a special collec.
ton would be taken up for that purpose, and
on the subject Of education special collection.
For that purpose in some cases such amounts
as so many cents were announced as being
collected, and some Of those same pastors
preach with all the earnestness OF their being,
yet these misery eagle squeeZers raise In a
large congregation the pitiful sum Of a few
This state OF affairs is not confined to one
place, but I have noticed II at several church
don't do anything by halves. They 60 into
anything Of this kind with their whole souls.
and the good Lord has blessed them for IT.
We see evidences Of It on every hand: as az
seeing the old weather beaten houses we ex.
pected to see, We find nearly every house
neatly painted, repairs kept up, improve
ments made, the streets in good order. the
merchants satisfied, the doctors contented
and com fortably fixed, and everybody happy.
No discord. no wrangling, the gossips reduc-
ed TO the minimum, and really l believe these
people are the best people in the world-all
happy, all cheerful, all religious.
I remember q speaker during one OF her
commencement festivities some years ago
spoke of Due West being one of the promi-
nent places on the narrow road that leads TO
heaven. In fact he said all Seceders that 60
to heaven 20 by way OF Due West, and on
reaching the town always felt that the jour-
ney was nearing Its end. This really seems
like q truth after being away from there and
returning again after a few years.
Yes, Due West has q reputation far and
wide as being the ~strictest Sabbath observing
people in the country, and If you will only
visit there on Sabbath you can then see for
yourself that she Justly deserves the enviable
reputation she bears.
wish l had time TO sit down and write
something interesting about the old town,
but 1 have q large crop OF cotton planted and
I must get a move on me and see TO II that the
grass don't take it, so will call a halt, and
when l gather my crop this coming fall, and
by a good CHEEKY fire some winter night, am
going to write a story about this wonderful
little village that Is actually too moral to
sanction a railroad for fear the cars would
run on Sunday. X