Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-09-25
grandfather's

though in bygone days there were few
houses that could 0 boast of one of
us, and, to my thinking-but that's
neither here nor there.
l am two hundred years old, and not
ashamed to say so. A good deal of
ticking I've done in that time, and a
good deal of life I've seen. All, me!
-S-- 4h~+ +~H~ plocn with the
flight of ages. The old faces vanish
and are replaced by the younger ones
who in their turn have their day, and
then make way for others. Yet, look
ing back, 1T does not seem so very long
ago that ladies Wore powdered hair
and patches, and inflated their gowns
with huge hoops, and went a-visiting
In sedan chairs. Queer times those.
when a man was hanged for stealing q
sheep and duels were everyday occur
rences. Twas always love affairs they
fought over. Ladies, l have heard, dye
their hair now, instead of powdering
it, and wear gowns in which "the
elinging> effect" is carried to such an
extreme that l marvel how they get in
III OOL VI tuSlu. I'll tOuESe II y d
graceful style. if only people would
not carry what they call style to
such a ridiculous length. Thank good
ness, though, there are numbers of
sensible folk who like to look natural,
in spite of the mandates of fashionable
modistes.
| haven't done much travelling. You
see almost all my life has been spent
with Scotch people, where the "auld
hoose" passes from generation to gen.
GRAFTON. with all its belongings. Many
a tale | could tell. ofttimes humorous
and ofttimes sad, for is not life made
up Of contrasts? l often think what
strange FRANKS human emotion, love,
hate, fear. sympathy, make human
beings play! as
At the time l am writing Of my
home was with three old sisters: high
bred, a~ristocratic ladies. with straight
backs (guiltless Of ever having yielded
to the seductioDs of 4 rocking-chair)
and aquiline noses-the family nose,"
they proudly called it. A triie stern
reserved also-but they had dear, warm
hearts beneath that coldness. Why,
I've seen Miss Cecilia's faded gray
eyes grow wonderfully soft and tender
at the sight of the first rose of sum-
mer, for they fairly worshiped every
plant and tree and shrub in that Won
derful old garden of theirs.
[ could see it from where I stood in
the lobby. and away beyond to the red
brick wall, where hung the most de-
licious fruit, sun-kissed into perfection
of taste and ~color-golden apricots,
pears, peaches, plufns-amongst the
trellised leaves. II l even began to tell
you about the sweet, old-fashioned
flowers that grew in such ~profusion
I'd never be able to stop. Most Of them
took prizes year in, year out, at the
show, which old Sandy was 'awfu'
proud Of" And you should have seen
the alleys of roses, and the arbor
thickly covered with them, where the
"Gineral' used to smoke his pipe, and
but 1 must get on.
One day, when the roses were bloom
ing grandly, an unwonted excitement
got up in the house. l found out that
a young nephew and his bride were ex-
pected from across the ocean. Good
me, if there wasn't a fuss, / was
rubbed and rubbed, till l shone like a
looking-glass. The old ladies wouldn't
allow furniture polish" to be used for
me-and I think il would have been
quite degrading.
| remembered Mr.. Archie-a fine,
stalwart young fellow. He had mar
ried an American heiress. The fortune
she would inherit had been made in
trade" Now. this was a great blow
to the pride of the Ker family-besides,
they had had other hopes concerning
their nephew. So when the couple
arrived | could see they had hard
work to conceal their rather unjust
She was a tiny creature,
with large, dark eyes and a plump little
| confess 1 fell in love with
her at the very first, and she seemed
taken with me, for she cried
out when passing me, why. what a
very quaint love of a clock. / dote on
these delightfully."- antique things, with
III old family air about them"
She had an attractive manner, and
looked kind OF shy-like, / thought.
You see. she was but young, poor
and had spent most of her life
ut an English boarding-sclool, / heard.
of course, meeting new relatives
must be a little bit trying, ever TO, an
American heiress. 1t seemed so for
her. anyway.
Mr.. Archie was gay and "canty'' as
He smiled at me and said. sWeli,
fellow. glad to see you in such
good health!" Just at that moment I
struck four o'clock, which meant from
me. "Thc same to you!''
When Petite" (as we all called the
young wife) chose she could be most
fascinating, but | noticed she seemed
i'll at ease with her new rela-
tiyes. You see. her ways were so DIFF
ferent from theirs. Her voice wanted
Softness. and lrer expressions were
gather odd. i fancied they grated
MH#EM NAAAt AAtAAClc VI lit Ol0
used TO love to listen to the
#elics Which she sometimes
Eeb;lgs. to the aecompani-
#banje. Her voice was
athetic. but often had a
thought. Perhaps she
Amesick. for all she had
husband Amongst
asoritc was "Swannee
la me wonderfully
kwas the canadian
would sing that with
enjoy that one.
#,ity. / often thought
by. that the young
so far away from
49, carts as ever. The
had made up their
iephew was to marry
#slately daughter Of a
i klef. who possessed In