The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-28
CHAPTER I. Kettle Drum and Fife.

EGrGU6 I6pOSt IL !" dob oS WIS ~~--S --~s' A town with a history. When Raleigh Clopton. shortly after the signing of the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, crossed the Oconee and settled on the lands of the hostile Creeks, his friends declared that he was tempting Proyidence and so 1t seemed; put the event proved that from first to last, ms adventure was under the direct guidance of Providence. Raleigh CAopton riskeo everything and gained the most beauu- ful domain in all the land. He nad, m- deed, one stormy interview with General McGillivray, the great Creek cniet ana statesman, but after that all was peace and prosperity.
 General McGillivray was one of the most remarkable men of his time, ana ms time was during an era of remarkaoie men. Courageous and adventurous him self, he was no doubt attracted by the attitude and personality of the fearless Virginian. He became the warm friend of Raleigh Clopton and marked that friendship by deeding to the first white settler 2,OO0 acres of Iand. Moreover, he named the estate Shady Dale, and aided Raleigh Clopton to establish trading post where the courthouse of the town now; stands and on pine near by, ne caused to be made the semoiance or broken arrow, a token that between the Creeks and the master of Shady Dale a lasting peace had been established.
 This was the beginning. When the mul- tifarious and long-oisputed treaties be- tween the United States and the Creek Nation had been signed. and general peace was assured, Raleigh Clopton com rnunicated with his friends in Wilkes. Burke, Columbia and Richmond counties
 riritS Whn had fought. bY his side In the bloodiest battles of the war for observation-disclosures them of his good fortune and invited them to share it. The response was all that he could have desired. His old friends and comrades lost no time in joining him the Dorringtons, the Tomiins, the Gaith- CTS, the Awtrys, the Terrels, the Oooms, the Lumsdens, and later the friends and relatives. of these.
 Take them all in all, the men and wo- men who responded to the invitation of Raleigh Clopton may be described as the salt of the earth. They had all. women and men, been subjected to the trials and hardships of a war in which no quar- ter was asked or given, and their expe- rience had given them a strength of char acter and a versatility in dealing with the unexpected events, that could hardly be matched elsewhere. To each of those who responded to his invitation. Raleigh Glopton gave a part of his domain and laid out their settlement for them.
 Naturally, the most Interesting feature of Shady Dale was the Ciopton Place. It. had been the home of the first -settier, and In 1880 when Nan and Gabriel were enjoying their happiest days. 1t was own sd and occupied by the son. Meriwether Clopton.
 In the pleasant weather. 1t was a fa- miliar spectacle to see Meriwether Clop- ton sitting on the wide lawn. reading Virgil and Horace, two volumes of which he never tired.
 There were days long to be remem- bered when the master of Clopton Place read aloud to the children. translating as he went along. and smacking his lips over the choice words, as though he were tasting a fine quality of wine. And the children felt the charm of these ancient verses, and they soon came to understand why words written down centuries ago, had power to take possession of the mind. Something of the charm that dwelt all about the place had its origin and centre in Meriwether Clopton himself. His years sat lightly upon him. He had led an active and a temperate life, and a hale and hearty old age was the fruit thereof;
  melliiuous translations from the Latin poets, were old enough to appreciate the qualities that go to make up a good man and an influential citizen, the fact dawned upon their minds that Meriw wether Clopton was the finest gentleman they had ever seen.
 Well, whatever serene repose stands for Shady Dale possessed it in an eminent degree. and the people there had their full share of the sorrows and troubles of this world; but of these Nan and Ga briel and Cephas knew nothing except in a vague. indefinite way. They heard hints of rumors, and sometimes they saw their elders shaking their heads but the youngsters lived in world of their own, and the vague rumors were no more interesting to them than the reports of canals. on Mars are to the average per son today. The most serious trouble they had was not greater than that which they discovered one day on Bermuda hill. As they were sitting on the warm grass. won dering how long before peaches would be ripe, they saw a field mouse cutting up some queer capers. Nan instinctively ly gathered up her skirts; but she did not run; her curiosity was ever greater than her fear. Presently we found that the trouble of Mother Mouse was very real A tremendous black beetle had invaded her nest, and had seized one of her chil- dren, little bit of a thing. naked and red. and about the size of a half-rpe mul- berry. The mouse was quite dead. Ce- phas crushed the beetle. Was the beetle preparing to eat the mouse? Tasma Tid said yes but Gabriel thought not His idea was that the mother mouse had at tackled the beetle, which had fallen ir the nest accidentally. The beetle, striv- ing to defend itself, had seized the mouse between its pinchers.
 But the Bermuda fields were not the only resources of the children. There were seasons when Uncle Plato, who wa. Meriweather Cloptons carriage-driver came to town with the big wagon to hau home the supplies necessary for the plan. tation. The appearance of the Cloptor wagon on the public square was hailed by these youngsters with delight. They always made a rush for it. and, in rid ing back and forth with Uncle Plato they spent some of the most dslIghtfu moments of their lives.
 These children had their critics, espe cially Nan, who did not always conform to the rules and theories which hay, been set up for the guidance of girls; bu Uncle Plato, along with Gabriel and Ce .phas, accepted her as she was, with al her faults She and her companions fur tellers have most desired since hairy mar began to shave. and squat around common hearth-a faithful and helievinJ audience, and ths elusiveness of hi methods was a perpetual delight to Nan as hers was to Uncle Plato.
 Once when we were all riding back ana Pov-+h from the CloDton Place to Shad,