The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-08-22
HE HAS A JEALOUS STREAK


Old Times and Customs of Past
Days Are Praised Only by Those
Advanced in Years.
Atlanta Constitution.
How naturally mankind adapt them
selves to those Of their kind, their aye,
SEX and mental condition. Birds of
The same feather will flock together,
and so these little grandchildren will
run away from me to frolic with other
little tots, and il makes me Jealous.
Just so the next set from 10 to IL
blushing school girls from II to 10,
who have heightened out their dresses
and ceased to pull up their gartcrs
every few minutes as they walk about.
II is the same with the boys, and when
they get TO be baseball experts with il
college attachment they talk OF their
exploits in Il language that is hcathHn
Chincc TO everybody except themselves
and claim TO he the elect. And so it
goes Oh and on until we have passed
our maturity, and then we veterans
take cur comfort in communion with
veterans and pay our tlhmc to The
good old times that will never return
We are the elect.
| bclicv" it IS true that nobody but
the old men and women give praise TO
The old times and the customs Of their
fathers, and So il every generation Of
Old i:coplc believe that the age Of their
youth was the best, then the times
must have deycncratcd awiully since
the days OF the prophets. Have they
or have they not gotten better instead
OF worse? The answer is, they are
better in some respects and worse in
others. Public nioralS were very loose
Il hundred years ago. Andrew Jackson
was Il gambler, horse racer ana ducIist
scventy-iivc years ago. Such man
could not be elected president now.
Foreign missions and Sabbath schools
were almost unknown. The slave uadc
with Africa Was iii full blast in New
England, and New England rum WAS
the purchase money. Imprisonment
for debt was the law generally, and so
was !logyinS in the navy. Whisky
was unknown, but brandy and rum
were kept in almost every respectable
household. llllcracy prevailed almost
all over The South except among the
aristocracy. There were but few books
to read and fewer newspapers. There
were no railroads or tclcgraphs or sew
ing machines. But the people were
generally honest and religious. There
were no trusts, no strikes, no mil
lionaires, no suicides or robbcrics, and
a murder was rare event and done in
the heat of passion. No doubt but
that there arc hundred of these
crimes committed now to one then ac-
cordlng to population. Well, then,
why arraign The old people tor lament
ing that the good old times have gone?
Not long ago | heard gifted and cul-
turcd minister Of the olden time preach
a most charming and impressive SER
mon from the text in Jeremiah which
reads, " Stand in the way and ask for
the old paths, which is the good way ,
and walk therein, and yc shall find rest
for your SOuls.o One of the best tests
OF the strength OF sermon is your
remembrance OF the text. When a
gifted and scholarly minister IS done
with it and with hol, hands says, "Lct
us pray" what Il Solcmnity fills tho
place, and the toxt fingers with you
for years TO come. 1t docs not seem
like the same scripture. :" The Ole
paths," walk ye i'll the old paths >
has been ringing in my ears ever since
| know that Lord Bacon was grow
ing old when he wrote, "O!d wood tt
burn, old wine to drink, old friends lt
| trust, and old authors to rCud.n Ant
Goldsmith said, "I love everything
that is Old" King James used to cal
for his old shoes, when he was tired.
There is something almost sacrc'
about the old songs, such as "Aul,
Lang Sync." The Old Oakcl
Bucket" " The Old Arm Chalr," an,
even "Old Grimes is dead, that goo
old man." My friend Tom Sawyer
OF Florida, Whites that he stIll clinys t,
his old clothes; that he has worn his
pants Tor years and years and had then
hali-s0lcd in the seat and reinforced a
the knees and rchcmmcd at The bot
tom; that he bought home made pai
Of socks twcnty-scvcn years ago ana il
wearing them sill, though he has Ina,
new feet knit to them three times an,
new tops twice. lie Gays that Cover
nor Bloxham dearly loves the oil,
thnss~-old hcir-looms, ETC., and boas;
that he has an old barrel that has bccl
in The family ever since Columbus dis
covered Amortization he brought
over with him full of brandy, and
has had good liquor Cf some solt in
ever since; that his great great gram
father put new slaves in il, and hi
, great grandfather put new heads an
ms father put new hoops on it, b,
,hc same old bnng-holc still remain
= and when the naid is drawn the sam