The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-20

handsome youth myself and was smart
and doing well. What better does a
pretty girl want?
Yes, l found that pearl, and did not
throw it away like Othello. I've got it
yet. From the beginning l knew that
she loved me, and ! never had to plead
or get on my knees, nor did | ever ask
her to have me, but one moonlight night
as we were walking, I said, s'Octavia,
when shall we get married. and, as she
pressed my hand, she whispered, When
ever you think best"
1t was like the murmur of dream,
but I heard it. Now she will deny all
| this, but nevertheless it IS the truth, and
so within three months we were we'd
| died. I knew very well that with her par
| ents l was an acceptable lover, for my
| mother had found it out from her moth
| err, and everything was clam and serene.
| She was sweet sixteen and [ twenty-one.
l took her young, thinking | could train
her to suit my notion, but she soon
| trained me to suit hers. Now my young
| friend, that was nearly tifty-five years
years ago. l was one Of ten children;
my wife was one of ten. We have ten,
all living, and they have twenty, and
| just keep on multiplying and rcplenish
ing according to Scripture. My brothers
are dead. I have three sisters living, who
are very dear to me. Well, built lit
! tie cottage in a pretty grove and we
moved there. Judge Hutchlns had a
. large plantation on the river, and over
| hundred slaves He did not offer us
any money, for he knew we did not need
| it but sent up two of the favorite family
servants, and Tip, the same faithful Tip
of whom 1 have written, was one of
them They begged old master to give
| them to Miss Tavy and he did so. A few
| months after our marriage Judge Hutch
| ms insisted that I should study law, for
| he needed a young man to help in his
office. So 1 placed my mercantile inter
| est in other hands and began TO pursue
| Blackstone. In two or three months I
was admitted to the bar on promise OF
continuing my studies, which promise |
kept, and in due time began to ride the
circuit at the trial of {! . g. 6 g. s.. 6
circuit at the tail of the procession. And
| what a procession it was. Judge Junius
Hillyer, Judge Jackson. the Doughertys,
Hope Hull, Howell Cobb and his brother,
| Tom Cobb, Cincinnatus Peoples, Basil
| overly, and meeting occasionally Robert
| Toombs and Alex. Stephens. All great
| lawyers and eloquent, both in the forum
| and on the platform. They are all dead.
| and I, only 1, am left.
Then there were the judges of the SUI
preme Court, Lumpkin, Warner and Mis-
| bet, whom 1 well knew, and somehow all
| OF these noble men made pet of me,
| and from them 1 drew inspiration and
| knowledge. In 1851, l took the western
| fever, and moved to Rome to grow up
! with the town and the country. l was
| soon associated with Judge Underwood
| IN practice of law, and for thirteen years
| we were as intimate as brothers. The
war came and we parted. After the war
l became associated with Judge Joel
! Branham, another most delightful part
| nership, which was only severed by his
elevation to the bench. And now in my
old age l cannot say as Jacob said to
Pharoah, "few and evil have been the
| days of the year of my pilgrimage" We
| have had more than our share of bless
ings. We have been blessed with health
and comforts of life. Of course the war
| made an inroad upon our peace and hapn
pInesS for a time, but the good Lord pres
served US and we suffered no dire ca1ami-
ty or affliction. My motto is that of the
Latin poet, Carpe Diem, enjoy the day,
| enjoy every day as far as possible. We
have been blessed in our children, for
they have been good to US. Our boys
! g lou-9In1g9J pug mIoJ pooS III he 9Ig
single deforrnity to mar their manhood.
Our girls are modest and well favored,
not a Leach among them. All are
Rachels. All are frugal and industrious
and love their paternal home. 1t is their
Mecca and will be until we die. For
twenty-seven years we lived in Rome and
prospered. Then we retired to a beauti-
full little farm near Gainesville. where
there were springs and branches,
meadow and a creek near by, with a
canebreak border. Not far away was a
mill and pond and there was mountain
in the background where small game
abounded.
There we raised Jersey COWS and colts
and sheep and chickens and peafowls, and
lived well by day and Toasted on music
by night, for every member of the family
is a musician, which art they inherited
from their mother. 1t was lovely
home, and all the younger children grew
up there to manhood and womanhood,
and were happy. Their school was not
neglected, though 1 could send but one
boy and one girl to college. 1t was on
the farm that the boys learned what a
dollar was worth when they earned it.
But bye and bye and one by one the
boys left us for other yocations, and five
of the six now live in five different States
from New York to Mexico AS l had to
be away a good portion of my tlme, my
wife and daughters were left without a
protector so l moved TO this town of
Gainesville and bought this pleasant
home, which we call The Shadows, be-
cause it is empowered by the shade of
many beautiful trees. This is all. We
are still in the hands of the Alving where
mercy may be sought and pardon found
Enough of this 1t savors of seif-con
and vanity to write so much about my
self, and feel that whst | am or what
l have done should be told by another.