The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-03

with peculiar force. On the very con-
fines of eternity, on the brink of the
everlasting change that he knew was at
hand, his great mind seemed to be
studying and waiting for the moment
of his Notwithstanding and watching
for the separation of the soul from the
body, and wondering how he would pass
the crisis. There was no fear, no dread
as he calmly whispered Il still live, -
and Immediately died. His body died,
and what was the next great vision OF
his soul the world would like to know,
but it is forbidden. l thought of all this
not long ago as | seemed to be drawing
near the end and approach the confines
of that undiscovered country from
whose bourne no traveller returns | was
serious and solemn with expectation,
but was not alarmed, for my faith is
that my Maker will take care of me and
of all others who love Him and ty to do
right All that troubled me was the
separation from those l love and their
grief at my departure. Two months is
long time to be a child again without
vital force enough to walk alone But
/ have passed the crisis, and though
weak and nervous am on the upgrade,
and can walk about the garden and
carry the little grandchild in my arms
and give him flowers and feast on his
smiles and caresses.
Well. that is enough on that line
You readers can find sermons and prosy
commentaries on sickness and death on
another page. "Carpe diem" Let us
enjoy the day and be thankful that we
still live. But to drop reverently from
the sublime to the ridiculous / recall
that when l was young number OF
US were quoting the last words of great
men such as Seneca and Plato and Cal
vim AMI Luther and one said: "WeH,
you know what Daniel Webster said?'
No, we did not remember. and he re-
piled. why he opened his great big
eyes and looked at his friends who we're
weeping around him and whispered,
Boys. don't cry; am not dead yet
Fortyone years ago last Sunday the
battle of Manassas was fought 1t was
the first battle of the Civil War and made
deeper impression upon those engaged
in it than any other. Compared with
the great battles that came after it, it
was almost insignificant, for there were
only four hundred and seventy fcderals
killed and three hundred and seventeen
sixteen hundred of their army as miss
ing. That is a mistake. for by O'Clock
they were all missing Our cavalry
couldn't find them though they followed
their trail of discarded guns and haver-
sacks for miles and miles. There never
was such a rout and such a panic dur
ing the war. We didn't have enough
wagons next day to gather up the NUM-
-
month to call in his army of twenty
seven thousand men and reorganiZe
But in the long run they got even with
us and little ahead, and the Grand
Army is still Dragging about how four
of them whipped one of us in four years.
That's all right We are satisfied with
our record and it grows brighter as the
years roll on. Ammo domini will tell.
The other day my doctor said must take
some exercise and he took his mother
and me up the river road for few
miles to the ruins of the Cooper Iron
Works. 1t was a wild, weird, ghOstly
place on the banks of the Etowah, where
once were rolling mills and foundry and
furnaces and our mills and tan yards and
hundreds OF cottages where happy labor
ers and mechanics lived. But Sherman's
and since then most of the crumbling
walls have fallen and the trees have
grown up in their midst and wild vines
have climbed the trees and nothing is
visible but ruins and sad spectacle OF
cruel and brutal war. But this is one
burning that, according to the rules and
usages of war, was justified, for these
iron works were making cannon for the
~ tha Iono chi
news of the poor all along his line of
march that marked his brutality and
proved his assertion tat "War is hell"
But no more OF this. While viewing
these ruins my memory went back to
the time Joe Brown was Governor and
ordered that 5000 pixies be made with a
spear point and a side blade curved
downward like reaphook and a long
straight handle in a socket, so that our
boys might take 'em coming and going.
If they didn't run we were to spear 'em,
aid If they did run we were to overtake
'em and spear 'ep back That's what
old man Lewis told me, and he was the
master mechanic who made them, and
he still lives near here and is in his SSth
year. 1 saw him today and he steps
light and springy. He is an English
man. Mr.. Lewis, SAID L, why dldn
the Georgia boys use these pikes?"
Well, you see," said he, "the old army |
officers who were drilling our boys at |
Rig Shanty looked at these pixies and |
said to the Governor: What will the en-
envy be doing with their guns while our
boys are rushing on them with these
pixies? They will shoot our boys down
before they can get to them and they
made &C much fun of the pixies that they
were refused. West Point would not
Rave anything to do with anything that
was not used at West Point And so
the further manufacture OF pixies was
stopped and those that were made are
all over the country as curios
for museums. sister of mine said she
saw one not long ago in museum in
Boston. But still 1 don't see why spears
IRE any more out of order than bayo
nets when a desperate charge is to be
made. Charge bayonets" is in the
West Point tactics, and why not
Charge pikes?" They are an awful
looking weapon. and if they were com
ng at me and my gun should miss fire
should drop it and run like a turkey.
had rather be bored with bullet than
Oh ho0 psxf ic oil