The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-21
EAssEEAE'! E1sFI!AsLE PEOPLE,

There is a class of people living
amid the rural scenes / described in
my last letter, who will live in story
and song long years after they have
disappeared entirely.
From the good old days of the
long ago, when the Colonial house
wife made her loom keep time TO
the soft melody of the spinning
wheel, come stories of the boundless,
unsurpassed hospitality and chival-
ry of the cSuntry folk. Here in the
rural homes of Hardeman County
this good old time hospitality is per-
petuated unto this day. Almost ev-
cry home has its "latch-string hang
ing on the outside" The bright ra-
dance of the freight from the
hearthstone of these country cot
tages bids right royal welcome to
the belated traveller or stranger.
These people of whom l write are
principally farmers, men who earn
their bread by tilling the soil. Go,
if you will, TO their gate at any time
of day or night and "holler" "hello'
and the first words that greet you
are: "Get down and come in" How
refreshing is this to those who have
gone to doors in other parts and
heard that gruff ''what do you
want?" from those who answered
their hail! Who Of us that have
lived here among these people but
can recount the many times we have
been belated or lost our way and
felt our hearts leap at the appear
ance of bright light cleaning from
the door or window Of some farm
house? You ride up to the gate and
make your presence known by loud
'hello." You hear a chair move
and a scurrying of feet, three or
four little bare heads peep oIt OF
the door and then disappear, (they
have gone to tell spa somebody's
come''). The good old farmer comes
to the door, scolds the dogs which
have been barking all the time and
invites you, in a loud voice, TO
"alight an come right in" As you
get off your horse he comes to the
gate to meet you. If you are
stranger and have lost your way he
will not hear one word about going
farther that night but declares you
must stay all night with him. As
you enter the door the appetizing
fragrance of fried ham and the aro-
matte odor of steaming coffee is
waited 10 you from the kitchen. Sup
per is announced and when you are
seated at the table the good house
wife apologies for the meal. She
will say "we never have anything
fit to eat here. If we had been ex-
pecting anybody we would have
cooked up something better" 1u
fact there is enough good whole
some food on the table at that mo-
ment to feed a crew of railroad men.
When bedtime arrives you are shown
into the "spare" room. You roll
INTO a big bed of down and are soon
asleep to dream of weary traveller
who fell into the hands of the good
country people and was treated as If
ne were a lord. After an early
you continue your jour
hey feeling deep down into your
leart that true happiness hath not
Is home in the palatial city man.
ion but in the simple country cot
age with these plain people who
lever turn away. a stranger from
heir door.
As time spins its many colored (
web of life this class of people which
makes the warp and wool of its
most brilliant coloring is rapidly
aiding f ON the world. The north
nd the west have TO a great extent
ropped the hospitable customs of {
he good old days and it remains {
or our sunny Southland 10 perDetu-
lie that which makes brothers Of all
hospitality. God forbid |
hat the country people of Hardeman '
,ounty shall ever depart from this t
custom of "Peace on
arth, good will toward men," :
Your country cousin,
"PINE BURR"
Pine Top, Tenn, Sept. Is, 1900. t