The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-09
Atlanta Constitution.

Ohurley Lane, uellVereu mOSC on
joyable lecture on the analyis of
laughter, or "Why Do We Laugh"
Now, if he will analyze our tears
and tell us why do we weep, we will
the better understand another one
of the mysteries of our emotional hu-
manity. Why loes man weep
when there is no sorrow in his heart
-especially an old mana veteran
If it were not pathetic, it would be
funny to 500 the tears in these old
soldiers eyes as they mot and
marched and listened to the martial
music or sat together under the
sound of words that came from the.
lips of old mon eloquent-ola >rcom-
rades in ,arms--wora(!ss jilat awakened
s;s:aGg.s's'sissttiirTsiing memories and quick
ened into life the hard but heroic
scenes that were living facts third
of a century ago. How hard they
look-these old soldiers rs-hard in
face and feature but soft in heart. 1t
seems to mo can pick them out
from common people. Every wrin-
kle tells of service, in suffering and
disappointment. The bronze Of
their furrowed faces has mover yet
been bleached and their walk is still
true but tired march. Yes, I can
pick them out all around me. Look
at old CAPTAIN Neal and Major
Foute and McCandless and Durham
and Mountcastle. They can't hurry
now. Their quick step has gone.
They marched and counter m arched,
they advanced and retreated, they
charged and double- -quicked for four
long years until the spring of their
instep was woru down to q plane
with heel and toe and now it is a
fact that the hollow of the foot
makes hole in the ground.
But why should al old man weep?
:. remember that when Ben Hills
statue was uncovered and the great
speeches we're over and queenly
Winnie Davis was brought forward
on the platform and presented to us
as the daughters Of the confederacy
by General Gordon, aoolamations
rent the air and reached the heavens
and made tho wellxin ring. Then
everybody cried except those who
had no feeling-no emotion-,no pa
triotism. Old General Black was
leaning heavily upon me and felt
the quiver # his massive frame. He
leaned moro heavily and [ turned
r, quickly to look into his face and
saw the tears coursing down rs FREQ
ly rs if he were boy. As I brush
cd my own away said: "What is
the matter, GeneralP Do you want
some watorp Are you about to
faint?"
"Oh, no no." said he, ''iust lot
mo alone and hold me up little.
am feeling good. Thank God for
His mercies. feel like old Nico-
demus when ho said, Now lot me
die since T have seen thy saliva
tiOn.'"
The medical books tell us that
tears are contagious. We all know
that and have experienced it but or
dinarily our tears como from our
own emotions and not from another's.
+ suppose that there were probably
ten thousand bona fide veterans at
Nashville, and while under the in
fuence of the occasion, tho surround
ings, thesmemories of the past and
the thoughts that breathed and the
words that burned, they all shod
tears or felt like it. What o spec
tacle for northern eyes. What q
commentary on northern intolerance.
How long will it take to eradicate
our love for the lost cause or our adj
miration for its heroes. Like faith
.er, like son and daughter, and it is
already transmitted adown tho line
from generation to generation and
in few years moro these reunions
will be baptized with another name
and be called the sons Of tho con,
{. federato veterans. said probably
there were ton thousand real bona
tide confederate veterans gathered
at Nashville, for it is fact that our