The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-24

pie were my pupils. It's enough to
raise the suspicion in the minds of
the readers that [ am growing old
too. But, to offset that suspicion
will compare heads with any thirty
year-old, and viii prove by my black
hair (Which is neither artificial nor
dyed) that l am only forty-five, and
the rise.
was glad to meet the old boys, for,
i'm addition to the pleasure of hand
shake with them, their eyes and their
voices brought up recollectionS, as
well as other eyes and voices, that
are very sacred to me How old are
those boys? One said he was seventy
six: the other is seventy-four May
they live to be as old as Moses; and,
climbing up on Nebo's summit. view
the promised land, ere the death an
gel calls for them. There are not
many of the old boys and girls now
living, and in a very few years the
last one will be gone, and the hand
that writes this letter will have pen
ned it's last sentence. While we are
living, may we so order our courses
as that we shall meet at the Beautl-
full GATE. and receive the plaudit,
I"Well done!"
1 was not awake that night when
the stars We're falling, in the year Of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and thirty-three; but Uncle johns
"Old Bob told me, while the hair
stood straight up on my head, that
he seed evry blessed wun Nv dem
stars before dey hit de ground. He
was 'possum hunting, and his dog had
just freed, and he'd shined the pos
sums eyes, and was getting ready to
cut the tree down when, as he said
the stars began to rain down.
Did any of them hit you, Uncle
Bob?' | asked.
mo honey, not Exactly but dey
wus as thick as litenen bugs all roun'
me, enI had to fife 'em like fitin'
skeeters; and, bless your sole honey,
es good as l luv 'possum, / left dar,
and if ever you seed an old niger
run he didn't hole lite TO me. /
tore fru de woods jes like de debbl
was arter me, and didn't stop to ketch
my breff twill l sot to Mars Toms
Vaughn shelter, and by dat time de
ground was kivered wild stars, and
hot Jun in a tub o water"
"Uncle Bob" l asked, were those
stars hot. do You reckon ?"
Il don't recken nothin bout it, Why
chile, dey was so hot dey skorchd de
groun en- made it smoke dis de same
as tar kill"
"How long did they stay on the
ground, Uncle Bob?" L asked.
'"Twel dey koord off. But Lawd
honey, 1 cudnt tell you de time O.
mite l was dat skeer'd."
Couldn't you tell by looking at
the seven stars. what time it was
Uncle Bob?'
why de seben stars was de very
fuss wuns dat fell: en- dar KEN de
dipper. and de north star, Ell de big
A, EN- Jobs coffin; en-. bless yer sole
honey. devenen Ell de mawnin stars
bofe fell at de same time. en- rite on
top o dem dar cum de ellen-yard. Ef
/ hadn't got to Mars Toms Vaughn
shelter time / did, I'd bin burnt up
fer sho huff. No honey, | didn't stay
to git dat 'possum, YOU hear me-"
Yes, l was asleep and did not see
that wonderful meteoric display, but
heard many others talk about it,
and all of them said it was a most
brilliant as we'll as a most alarming
phenomenon.
A great many thought the judg
ment had come. and many a harden
ed sinner, prayed who had never
prayed before. If a few meteors
shooting athwart the sky, make men
tremble and pray. what will they do
when the Son Of Man shall come, and
all his holy angels with him; when