The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-11-27
but every time he got paw on the
cave. I cut it off and let him fall back

but every time he got paw on the
cave, I cut it off and let him fall back
again. Idon't know what became Of
the other ladies, but think that other
wild beasts got in and eat them up.
The men had all fled prematurely, but
I saved the pretty girl, the sweetest
and tenderest, before I woke up.
Who wouldn't, in a dream? What
curious things are dreams, anyhow!
The next trouble on the old mans
mind came over him at Salisbury,
where was billed to lecture that night.
On my arrival T found that august
body, the Presbyterian synod in ses-
sion. Preachers and elders innumer-
able were scattered among the
good people all over town. They
were holding night sessions, and
wouldn't have adjourned for Nc
Kinley or Grover Cleveland or
the yellow fever or fire. But this
was not all, the Episcopal bishop was
to lecture on the Holy Land, where he
had been recently, and I knew that I
would fall between and get smothered.
Mr.. Marsh seemed to feel very bad,
and apologized by saying that when
he booked me he did not know Of
these meetings. "Well,' eaid I, .'the
saints will All go TO. Theses meetings,
but you have sinners in this town. "
He admitted that there we're Some.
And so I went ahead and lectured, and
was surprised to see before me a Sc
lect and cultured audience, select,
and I hope elect according to Presby-
terrain theology.
So all is we'll that ends we'll. The
next evening found me at the nice it,
tie town Of Marion, in western North
Carolina, away up in the land Of the
sky. They are good people there, I
know, for they filed the court house
that night and gave me an ovation.
The old soldiers are thick in that
region, and they came out to
hear me, and some of us
got together and talked Of old
Bob Lee and Joe Johnston and Gen
erals EARLY and Render and Whiting
and Hoke and Ransom and Pettigrew
and Clingman and others. Their
eyes watered and their hearts burned
within them, and they got closer and
closer~together. What people these
tar-heels are-these descendants Of
the SCOTCH! About every other name
is Scotch, q McLane or McFall or
McLaurin or Macarthur or McSome.
thingelse, and then there are Alexan.
ders everywhere and Caldwells and
Carlyles. After the lecture we had a
musicale at the hotel by the gifted
Gruber family, who keep the hotel,
Mr.. Gruber and Mrs. Gruber and their
seven children. I have heard much
music during my long life, but I never
heard any better anywhere. How the
old mans fingers did dance upon the
strings; how sweetly did the still
handsome matron sing the ''Last Rose
of Summer" and other old time songs
Of Scotland! What delightful chords
came from the piano under the touch
of the young ladies and the sweet little
black-eyed girl of only ten summere!
And when they played 'Home, Sweet
Home" with variations, I could hard
]y restrain my tears. I felt like we all
ought to hold seance if we could
with John Howard Payne and tell him
how the world loved him for his song.
I had sweet dreams that night. I am
still on the grand rounds talking to
the unpretending people Of this grand
old state. It seems to have got out,
however, that had joined John Rob-
inson's circus and gone off with it.
Some of these mischievous drummers
told that. Yours on the wing.-B1n1
ARP in Atlanta Constitutions *.