The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-01-19
"reminiscences of the South
Rg Mrs, KITE wEBBER PARTEE.

which we occasionally wander, there
ave eoueso full of beautiful pictures Of
sentiment aud pathos, as those of the
old South The dear a!9southern Faces
the gracious women and knightly men;
types OF which are still 10 be found in
far Dixie. Reared in an atmosphere Of
romance, which mother of strong
poetic nature, and q father deeply i'm
hued with the chiYalrous spi it of his
time, many were the tales we listened
to in song and story of heroes and hero
ines, real and imaginary. OF the latter
class the fate of Ben Bolts sweet Alice
appealed the strongest to my. tender
heart Could it have been upon the
principle that "great minds run" etc.,
that the famous French writer chose
this plaintive dir to hold his heroine
SPELL bound, or was it mere coinci-
dence that this melody, though shorn Of
trills and appeggios, went to my heart
like rife ball +? While my brother
shed real tears over the sad demise of
the 'Black Sleeps Lamb, "The Old
Grey Horse Came Tearing Ont of the
Wilderness" also pleased his boyish
fancy How his eyes widened at the
tales Of fox hunting and deer driving
in old Virginia, when men were free to
follow the hounds, and dance atten-
dance upon the ladies. In after years,
we have seen our paternal parent jump
up from the table in the midst of q meal
order his horse saddled, and go in hot
pursuit of the crying hounds.
Many were the quaint anecdotes de-
tailed to us by Uncle Joe, foolish Ned,
and lazy Lucy. Many were the games
we watched with childish interest, OF
"Peep Squirrel" and "In Some Lady Is
Garden" Uncle Joe, the beau idea
among the ladies, the central figure,
bushy hair unfettered by wrapping
strings making his head like a Zulu
chief. The women (not ladies them
with their clean frocks ripe with the
odor of sweet basil, and their unruly
locks made as smooth as possible with
pomade of lard and lavender leaves,
in the preparation of which we had
been interesting spectators. And when
Saturday night would come, and the
fiddle start up in the cabins, how we
longed to join the merry makers, but
were restrained and sent off to bed tC
be lulled to sleep by the swish of dis
tant feet on puncheon floors and the
inspiring strains of "Run, Niger
Rum"
"Run, niger, run; Pateroles ketcl
you;
Bun, niger, run; it's almos' day."
Niger run, niger flew;
Niger tow hissef into.
Run, niger, etc. "
We recall to mind, prompted by wha
Others have said, the first time the Fed
erals crossed Webber's Bridge Tht
| first hoof beats of their horses brough
us flying from the plum thicket to joii
our mother and the sainted Mary
Echols under the shade trees. Miss
Mary's Madonna-like face grew as pal,
as marble as blue coats swarmed int
the yard. [ was very indignant whel
one of them chuckled me under the Chi
and said [ was ."a sweet little girl,
thinking it an unwarranted privileg
for a Yankee to take No donbt he y q
thinking of his own loved ones in th
far North. The negroes came aockin
in from the fields, saying all the horse
and mules had been captuIed certain
|, among them Mars Franks fayorte rid
, ing horse, Archie. Our home was
rendezvous for soldiers on furlough an
their families, while many a hungr
regiment was fed and sick soldier care
for, our father being physician.
About seven miles from us, as til
crow flies, but miles further when ba
roads were to be taken into accour
, lived a favorite aunt, famous house
, keeper, and woman of rare executiy
ability. The wheels of her househol
! machinery never clogged, and with th
! added charm of seven beautiful stel
daughters, their home was the rendel
vous of the young people for mile
, around. Every Xmax found us on IL
way to this hospitable roof, over fir,
Akgen highways, the horses feet crunch
, ing the thin ice, as they toiled up stee
hills past White Warrior field, glistel
ing in the cold winter sunlight, an
through Dog Lane, till the grey chin
ney tops and tall alders came in vie
of our eager eyes. After the first ST
g greetings were exchanged betwet
J. younger contingent children we
l. more in the background in those days
@ we were ushered into the great room
Z where all the neighborhood childrt
4 could join in playing "Puss in the Co
IS ner," and "Blind Fold" without b
n ing cramped for want of space. B
it our chief pleasure and amusement W
10 derived from the musical instrumen
D. which were always at hand, When '
il grew tired of these the boys made be
at hafps out of bent white oak withes al
IL tightly twisted darning cotton, fro
= which we trummed a wierd sort
ID sound, putting the end of the bow
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