The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-12-10

thought he was infallible and, like
the king, @ ruld do no wrong. He
never Worked in the field, but re
manned around the house. He was
very quiet, neat in dress, gentle In
his departments, respectful in his
bearing and had the dignlfed, cour
teous mani ers of the old time coun-
try gentleman. II Was d benedlctlCn
to rec with what elegant courtesy he
would take d glass Of apple brandy,
handed TO him by my mother, n
with what dignity he would sip lt,
and then with Il graceful bow, with
his face all aglOw, he would return
the glass and say with a charming
p~Onteness that Chesterfield could n It
surpass, II shank you, mistress. l
only wish / had the pleasing address
aud the suAViiy OF manners OF bhls
old slave. Courtesy 80 the low, re-
speot TO the high, tenderness 80 n
softer sex, loyalty TO the prince,
courage and purity, gentleness and
mUdesty, veracity and trAnkness,
generosity AID honor, were over re
garded as the shining virtues and
the glo wing char Ac5eristics of u true
Knight. This old negro possessed
every one OF these virtues, and no
/ night Of the Middle Ages eve sur
passed him in these Qualities. The
that Juliet used to the
nurse ABOUT Romeo will apply to
Uncle C9 r
Upon his brow shame is ashamed
TO sit,
For It's u crown where honor may
be crowned
Sole of the universal
earth"
Old Uncle George was the distiller
made aud hats for the negroes out of
wool and fur from the skins of wild
animals. He profe. sed so be a con
noisseur in making brandy, and he
had u pewter spoon TO tas to the fluid,
as il ran from the worm and he
would smack his lips and say, II
il all right. He was so fat he could
hardly walk and was arrOngHnt in
his manner and walked with the air
of d king. He waE ole or than my
father, hence the air of sup riOrity,
for he regarded his master as he
would d child There was some
pl, ASSURE in housekeeping in those
OLD days, when every servant was in
his place and performed, with pre-
cisiun, his allotted work. There
never has been in any country u
class of women more distinguished
Tor their stately di nifty and for
their cultured manners and grace
full bearIng than th, SO DANES who
presided over she old old s puthern
plantation. They we're handsome,
they were proud as queens, yet
they were modest, they were chart
table and kind hearted ard while
they we're simple and unaffected IN
their and As virtu US rs
{ .ar's wife. God bless the i'm
mortal memory of those good and
grand old matrUns. A. l write thee
lines my eyes are suffused with
teors.
l do pity the housewives of the
present day " their vexatiOn and
worry over the servant problem. l
doubt II | ought to wIite this article,
depicting the pie scenes OF thOne
blessed old days, for like Rasselas
in the Happy Valley, this generate n
will tee me discuntented with their
Is l tear / am playing the role of
Imlho, who entered the happy val
ley and described to RAsselas, the
wonders Of the outside world, excite d
the curiosity, induced hum to escape,
aud after wandering for twenty
years be became discOntented and
returned TO the Happy Valley an un
happy man Every Sunday morning
ali the negrUeE-men, women and
even childreD-would come to the
house and the old planter, with a
pitcher and IL glass would give every
one a drink of brandy. Is Was
amueing to see the bows and the Ca
pars of some a. they would take
their drink s me of the older men,
who had families wou d bring q small
flask with them to get Il little to take
home with them. None ever @ tme up
on Sunday m trning without having
on ole an clothes.
There is no period of the year 80
attractive as colt n picking time.
The air is cool and braciRg and is
laden with a tonic that gives health,
life and vigOr to the system that
has been depleted by the heat of a
5 'uthern summer. There is no
sight nor inspiring than to see one
hundred hands of all sizes gathering
the f7ecy staple, in the soft and
mild October Il ter the frost and
impaired TO she foliage OF the trees
u variegated hue, some green, some
n russell color, some yellow or AS the
poet would say: