The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-15

but his seven does not fit our day-ncr
indeed, did they fit his own day with
any distinct lines of demarcation be-
tween them. They glide into each other
and it is hard to tell where the one
quits and the other begins. We have in
fants and school boys and lovers, but
very few are soldiers, and not one in
hundred ever becomes justice OF the
peace His sixth age does not do justice
to our men and women of three score
years and ten, for most of them grow
fat instead of lean, and our big manly
voices have not turned to treble, nor
do they pipe and whistle in their sound.
can still sing bass to the long meter
doXology and my wife can sing Mary
had a little lamb" to the baby. AS to
the seventh age, which he pictures as
second childhood and mere oblivion with
out teeth or taste or eyes or ears or
anything, we never see them-our old
people die before they get to that. But
in the life of every man and woman
there are epochs, events, mile stones,
as it were. that stand out prominent
in memory and mark their progress from
youth to old age. My ealiest recol-
lection is the killing of our dog Hector,
who was supposed to be mad, and it
grieved us, for we loved him and he
loved us. Next l recall the falling OF
the stars in 1893. My father held me
up and with my feet upon the top rail-
ing of the bannisters, l saw them come
down in myriads as quietly and softly
as snowfakes and they went out as
they neared the earth. They were sep
arate and distinct as the stars, but as
near together as the sparks from the
chimney of an old time blacksmith shop
George Lester was my playmate and
lived close by and the next morning
he and / hunted all over his mothers
garden to find some signs of the stars
that fell, but found none. While they
were falling our negro cook, Aunt Ailsey,
was down on her knees praying. and as
she chung to my mothers night gown
she called on Jesus to come and take
us all to heaven. That night was an
epoch and it is worth being Is years old
to have witnessed it. My next remem-
brance of note is a journey to Savannah
with my father and mother and brother,
where We took a sail vessel for Boston
l remember the magnificent double row
of China trees in the long street, and
wonder now if there is a person living
in Savannah who was living there then
and remembers that row of beautiful
trees that are long since dead and gone.
| remember that voyage of thirtyt three
days around Cape Hatteras, where our
ship was almost wrecked, and mother
held fast unto her children and silently
prayed for deliverance. l remember
when we reached Boston and how, af
ter our visit was over, father bought
carriage and pair of horses, and we
journeyed by land from Boston to Geor
ga and never crossed railroad, for
there was none to cross. l remember our
stop at the Natural Bridge in Virginia,
and how we walked away down in the
gorge and looked up and afterwards stood
on the bridge and looked down from the
dizzy height
When l was about ten years old | had
another epoch for l had a fight on Sun
day at camp meeting, and got licked
and my fine Sunday clothes were all
spoiled with mud and dirt country
boy said l was town boy and was
dressed too fine and he was gwine to
take the starch outen my ruffied shirt.
And he did. l fought as hard as 1 could,
but he licked me and l cried. had gone
to the spring to get some water and the
fight came off there. My father whipped
me next morning and the school teacher
got ready to whip me again, hut / showed
him my legs and he let me off with a
talk My next episode has left an in
delible impression. We had to walk
two miles to school and about half way
there was a big gully that we used to
slide down in. One morning Bill Matble
and Overton Young and Jim Wilson and
myself stopped to slide down and Bill
pulled out deck of cards and sal | he
would show us how to play | had
never seen a deck before in my life,
but | had hearn tell of 'em. They were
mighty pretty and he taught us how to
shuttle aud cut and deal and turn Jack
and play seven-up. One morning Tom
wilson and Jim Alexander came along
as they were going to school and heard
our racket in the gully and they caught
US playing cards. They slipped I'D on
US, Tor we We're completely absorbed in
the game, and Tom said: "Well YOU
are the youngest set of gamblers I ever
saw IN my life. The sheriff will get Won
ana put you all in jail before night.
never was scared SO bad in my life.
couldn't study my lessons nor car NV
dlhher at school and watched for ,ba
SheriH all day long. But that c,,rod mo
ol card playing and l never bandled :.
uech again until / got to college. Col
iege was good place to plav cards
men, IL is a good place to kick hall
now Tom Wilson and Jim Alexander
were good-hearted boys and never told
on us. Tom died years ago and linn
died last month in Atlanta. He got To,
be great doctor and everybody loved
him. When / received the telegram tha,
told me he was dead l felt like another
prop was gone and that now only one
was left-his brother Tom in Rome.
Maitbie is dead and Young and Jim
wilson. All my schoolmastcs are dead
except one and all my school teachers
and college professors are dead
For several years there was nc epoch
no episode. Every day was alike until
] began to notice the girls with a pecu-
liar longing emotion and brushed my hair
more carefully and carried a cleaner
handkerchief and wore tighter boots,
we'll polished. In fact. I got to be a
dandy in my dress. Shakespeare makes
fun of the lover and dismisses him with
q line. Says he sighed and wrote poetry
about his sweetheart g eyphroUs We