The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-02

one OF CNCIu, venture, DuC WHdl VIII
hold them in happy remembrance on
this sweet present Christmas.
Thousands have rushed away from
the country homes within the last
thirty years, but now that their desire
to test their luck in the business cen
ters has been gratiicd, they will most
affcctionatcly remember the old home
that they left and the old folks who
have remained or else lie buried in
some church yard near by. These
memories are very sweet, and some
how such things swcllup in the human
heart more at Christmas than at other
times. Nor does it dctract from
Christmas; rather it is sweet to feel
that the sky was brighter there, that
cares wcrc unknown then and that
they were blessed in that old home to
most delightful degree, if they could
have only known it, and, with many,
it is still the home Of the old folks,
and causes many an old red hill of
Georgia TO be held in higher esteem
than the finest parks Of the world or
the greatest mansions of the grand.
It was my pleasure on yesterday to
witness the coming home of young
man who had left some fifteen years
ago, and it is we'll enough to state that
he has grown rich and grand in that
time, and, to his credit, he has been
liberal in sending the old folks all that
was needed for their simple way Of
living. He came upon them yesterday
without notice. The old mother had
just been out to the garden and held
mess Of green's in her apron as she
stood at tho woodpile and talked to mo
as her old man split his kindlng and
piled it up for Christmas.
We noticed the buggy when it
turned from the big road and started
up the long stretch which led to where
we were. We had plenty Of time to
guess about who it could be, for tho
horse moved slowly. Me and the good
old mother had guessed and guessed to
change as often as We guessed, till the
old man quit his cutting and put his
hand up to shade his eyes that he
might tell who it was for certain. He
failed. He knew Of no such horse
and of no such buggy and the man
was sure stranger. BY this time the
old lady had shaded her eyes with her
hand that she might sec the better and
here they stood, father and mother,
both with hands up over their eyes to
discover if they could who it was a
coming, and, / expect, as that young
man looked upon them he thought it
the prettiest picture he had ever seen,
for he gazed and still was gazing when
his horse took up at the wood pile and
the young man, too full for utter
ance, alightcd and straightway
embraced the old lady with the single
word:
'Mother.
Tho scene was zoo much for mc-at
least too much to describe here but l
think there is not one Of all the thous-
ands who have went away from their
homes but what would haste them TO
do just as this young man has done it
they could have seen the meeting as l
have seen it. There was excitement
and shouting enough for camp-mect-
ing; tears enough for funeral; hug
ging enough for a wedding. but joy,
such joy as ] have seldom seen, and
enough even for Christmas.
I thought sure had missed my din
ner, for the old lady had lost her
green's and the fire had about gone out
in the kitchen, but, true to her moth
erly instincts, she soon thought of it
and we ell went to the kitchen and
talked with her there till she had cook
ed what she called "fried dinner"
When 1 saw what her "fried dinner
was 1 was rather glad that it was not
boiled one, for souse meat as
large as cheese was put in the CEN
ter of the table, while sausage in links
filled dish, fried chicken was in
abundance, splended ham and red
gravy with coffee if you want it., or
milk-sweet or sour-to drink with
any sort of custard or pie. I like
fried dinners" Of this kind, aud I
think the young man does from the
way he ate, telling his mother over
and over that he had had no such
dinner in all his fifteen years of
travel.
This young man found the old home
just about as he had left. The big
house had been newly covered and