The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1905-08-26
Thirty-Eight Years Ago.
Aug. 70, 1906.

Mr.. Editor:
II any reader Of what am writing can
turn his thoughts back thirty-eight
years and let them rest upon incidents
Of that time, or who has any recent re-
minder Of things and persons connected
with his experience aud the happenings
that long ago, he will know how TO in
dulge the meDion Of some recent facts
Of a personal character relating " events
of thirty -eight ago, which an old man
thinks worth reciting 1t Is said that 1t
Is natural ~ great genius when 1t be-
gins to grow old and decline to delight
In narration and fables. I believe 1t may
be said with as much truth that all old
people delight in referring to the past;
this is natural because the future Of this
life does not present pleasing prospect
to them; they stand like the last rose OF
summer. alone, not blooming but fading,
campanions all gone. Life then begins
to grow stale and fiat; they may not be
harassed bv the thought that death still
draws nearer" but their minds delight
more Ia retrospection than in medita-
ting upon the present and the time to
come. Thirty-eight years is near the
average life Of man. yet to those who
can look back that far into the past, 1t
does not seem 80 long, unless we mea-
sure the years by the incidents that have
followed in order tho path Of time. The
death Of those we knew in youth and OF
friends made in early manhood are per
haps, the most convincing proofs TO the
old that they too must haye nearly
reached their journeys end. fiud that
have Travelled some distance from the
starting point Of what wish to relate.
A short time ago saw ID the Baltimore
Sun the name Of gentleman-the same
AZ that Of a pupil Of mine In 1897.
wrote him, inquiring if he was pupil
Of mine at that time.
Here Is the reply:-"YOur letter re-
ceived, and very much appreciated. l am
the boy. age now ~. that went to school
at the "Old Bale School House," and it
was at my fathers home that you board
ed My father and mother 10th dead"
Nothing remarkable about these facts;
yet it Was something unusual that
should happen 10 see the name In IT,
way. when had Dot heard anythiog sOf
him for thirty weight years. ut is the
letter as whole that furnishes matter
for contemplation. In referring to per-
sons Of whom | had inquire. here fol-
lows the answers the girl you mention.
married "A few years agO-slle in now a
widow. parents both dead; the school ex-
aminer has beon dead some years; the
G.s. are both death; the doctor il dead !;
Miss A. who afterward married Is a wi
dow, the other Miss A. Is dead; II. A. aud
the other A. age bota dead; the BIS. are
all dead" An the persons except four,
of whom inquired are dead. and two of
them living, death has robbed Of their
husbands. Here is a record OF deaths
that makes thirty eight years appear a
very. long time when we reflect that they
occurred In one little neighborhOod and
only Of those inquired about; yet when
the mind leaps backward and takes no
note Of the intervening happenings. but
dwells upon the events that are wildly
relsSinbered II seems "a very short period
4. OF time. To say that that letter did not
cast cloud over my feelings would be
untrue; but we are told that every
{. cloud has silver lining. aud it is true
) In this case. The following inquiry is
not an unreasonable one, but it shows
. that my whilom pupil infers that old
age is sitting heavily upon ms and has
J led me front face near this brink of the
grave where stand lettering, awaiting
a. the command from Oh high, forward.
! march. mot that | want TO be inquisi-
tive, but what is your age, and what
condition is your health and are you lit
to travel? IL so. should be very glad To
have you come 10 see u.s." ln another
place We 1nd the following: Il assure
A little foreth0ught may save YOU no
end If trouble. Anyone who makes i. a