The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-20

back to scenes Of his youth, with
tender memories, is an unalloyed JOY
he ever anticipates But, often
times, a return to the old home is
attended with disappointment. We
miss the old friends, many of whom
are scattered abroad, and our home
coming is not as full of joy as we ex-
pected.
Realizing the pleasure of a week of
reunion of our old friends the citizens
Of Red Springs have inaugurated Il
movement to have "Home Coming
Week" for the sons of Robson, to
be- held here August 21st to 9th, in
elusive. Robeson's sons are a sturdy
race. In the battle of life we hear of
their success, in many places of their
beautiful homes in their adopted CT
ties and towns, of their success in
different vocations. Yet no people
have a greater love for their mother
county than do these men of Robe
son. and to them Red Springs eX-
tends a cordial invitation. For this
occasion special rates will be made
by the railroads, and everything will
be done by our CITIZENS to make this
week one that will go down in MEM
DRY as being the most pleasant time
of our history.
A Home Welcome Address.
And another voice calls to you al
so from Old Robson when d. 2. Nc
Eachern bids you come. He says come
to all you dispersed Robesonians, and
then he tells you Of the welcome that
awaits you, for he holds that the
heart of every true man yearns for the
early associations of youth, and nun
gers for sight of the old home, be
if ever so humble Hear him as he
says:
I'VE intend to keep you here IN
Red Springs for "a whole week, and
give you the best we have, and then
let you roam arOung at will to re-
visit the old farms and firesides or
your early days. The old homes IN
which you were born may have been
torn down and the old grove cut
down. or worse still may have been
deadened-yet the landscape re-
mains the same. for men cannot des-
troy Gods green earth. Have you
forgotten the old log school house
with it's long and comfortable fire
place when you used to scrouge the
girls while the teacher was doing
sum in the rule of three, or was vain
ly looking for the Philippine Islands
which was never discovered till
Dewey found them at the beginning
of the Spanish war? Have you for
gotten the coon and 'opossum hunts
YOU have had with old uncle BOD
White. Ellis and Bragg and Major
"bayed with deep mouthed welcome"
as you approached and spied brer
coon sitting demurely out on Dig
limb of a stately gum tree? Don't you
remember that little blue-eyed girl Tor
whom you used to do sums in arith-
metic, and who swung her pretty little
feet to and fro as she learned her
lessons out aloud to the sweet rythmlc
music of the schools low monotone
You haven't forgotten, | know, tnat
grand event in every boys life, the
annual examination day, when your
heart thumped as the time drew near
for your Oratorical effort of that mem
orable selection beginning, Hard, hard
indeed was the contest for freedom
and the struggle for independence?
DO YOU remember that old perslm-
mon tree whose shade was so welcome
when the hot sun burnt your feet as
Won were trying to finish your row?
(You ought to go and see If that ire"
is there yet) And then after your
task was finished, how you gioried IN
the fish hole or tried to draw prer
rabbit out of his hollow by twisting
a switch around his furry coat. An
me what glorious times we've had
when we were boys. All wanderers
from your old homes ought to come
back and revisit these scenes that after
an makes life worth living. What
would you take to be without all THESE
recoliections of your boyhood? Again
T write you all to come and be with
us during this Home Coming Week.