The Tupelo journal., 1905-11-24

PEN.PlCTURES OF THE 0LDEN Time
A. B. Bullard was a lawyer in
full practice when | went to Full

/
| full practice when went to Full
| ton in 1859. He was also a min
lister of the gospel, and a very
eloquent preacher. He was rath-
er an ungainly man in his per-
sonal appearance, being about
six feet tall. somewhat stopped,
large feet, legs bowed, large pro-
minent teeth, high forehead, deep
set, or rather sunken eyes, coal
black, with scattering dark hair
and large, prominent nose. His
eyes were very bright and ex-
pressive, and when under the en-
|thusiasm and pressure of some
public discussion, his eyes flashed
fire, as the saying goes, He was
a very pleasant and companion
able man in general conversation
and knew how to make you easy
and comfortable. l remember
that | went to his country home
in the fall of 1860 and spent
several days with him, hunting
in the bottom for squirr els in the
day time, and 'possum hunting
at night. 1t was only a short
time before / married, and he
said to me one day. "a man in
your condition can't study, come
out into the country at my home
and | will help you to pass of
the time in the woods. I went,
and shall ever remember the kind
ness ofBullard an dhis wife toward
me while sojourning there.
Squirrels we slaughtered in abun-
dance, and one night we cought
four 'possums in a very short
time. Bullard had accumulated
a handsome negro property, and
the hard work that now falls to
the lot of all, rich or poor, did
not devolve on the head of the
h)me, or the matron who took
the second place at the home.
So Judge Billiard had leisure to
devote to his friends, and his
wife had only to lightly overlook
the kitchen and housekeeping
generally, being provided with
good cooks and excellent hous e
women who never failed to max c
their appearance. To be the
guest of people thus situated, can
only be remembered by the old
timers. This generation kow not
what it means. Such biscuit as
the old time slave darkey could
bake, after beating the dough
for half an hour, will never be
known by this generation. Bull
lard was very eloquent preach
er. | remember hearing him
preach a sermon in about 1858
at old Bethlehem five miles east
of Tupelo while my brother R. L.
Clayton was pastor there which
| have always considered a mod
el of pulpit eloquence. The chap,
ter he read, that wonderful
fifth chapter of Daniel, clings to
my mind through all the changing
scenes of life as tho it were but
asst week. And after he had
/ announced his text, Tekel, 4"
and began painting the scenes
of that lordly banquet, in the
magnificent palace of Babylon,
where were assembled the glory
and chivalry of the empire, with
his eyes flashing fire, and every
movement of his body in unison
with the subject, the audience
were carried away by the power
of his eloquence, and almost
raised up in their seats, their
interest Was so great. And fin
ally, when he came to the point
Tia the scene where Belshazzar
stood with one of the golden yes
i. sells in his hand. taken from the
Temple at Jerusalem, and raised
the same to drink wine therefrom
the speaker glanced toward the
top Of the house, and said, at
this point fingers from an unseen
hand appeared and wrote against
the golden candle stick taken
J from Gods house on the plaster
of the Kings palace strange
characters and fashioned them
into strange words, fiery char
acter and burning which por-
tended evil to the King and his
lords, and which none of them
could read. Terror took hold on
the King, his countenance became
ashen hue, the joints of his loins
were loosened, his knees smote
one against another, and wreck
and ruin seemed to lie hanging
over his head, and hope no longer
beckoned him to something bet
ter. He fairly screamed for the
soothsayers, astroligers and wise
men to come and read and inter-
pret the hand writing on the wall"
4 r Il u Z