The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-01-19
pEN-pICTURES OF THE OLDEN Time
BY COL w L. CLAYTON.

L. SIAI ON.
AA&AA *
helpful walk, the peaceful death,
the happy wakings; the restful
| fields and the everlasting service
for the dear Father.
/, But l have not yet given you
the name of the dear friend of
whom spoke above. His name
as-yea, is still, Jasper N.
Kitchener, aud now proceed to
say something of him. He was
raised on a farm, and moved to
Fulton from near Mooresville,
where his parents lived and died.
He was a man of rather slender
build, ordinary height, coarse
black hair, blue-gray eyes, bea-
tifully fair, maiden like cheeks,
and having disposition equal to
that of the loveliest woman
When occasion required, though,
he was brave and chivalrous as
the bravest. He was a fine Of
flee lawyer, arranging his papers
nicely, andw was a lawyer of strong
judgement, and a fair practition-
er, and in that respect improving
all the while. When / went to
Fulton in 1859 to study law. he
was a partner of Judge Billiard.
In the beginning of 1861, he en-
tered into partnership with J. j.
Lindsey, and they practiced to-
gether about a year, but most of
that time the Southland was a
camp, and not much doing in the
legal business. The South be-
came a living camp, and all the
young lawyers of old Fulton went
off to the war, except Jappie.
His health would not admit of
his going. During the first two
years of my residence at Fulton
Jasper Kitchener was as gay and
full of vigor and work as any of
the lawyers living there. In all
the social amusements and gath
erings he made a full hand, and
enjoyed a good joke with the best
of them. | remember having
heard him tell his experience with
a merchant there at Fulton by
the name of Tom Bates, in rela-
ton to an application to borrow
Uncle Tommie's pony. Jappie
was like many other young men
beginning life-quite poor. At
the time of which | speak he did
not own a horse, and in those
olden times it was not thought
beneath the dignity of a young
man to borrow occasionally for a
festive occasion. So the young
men and women of the town, be-
ing invited out into the country
for a social gathering of some
kind, and the town being pretty
we'll borrowed out, Jappie, as a
last resort, thought of Uncle
Tommie Bates pony. In order
to enjoy to it's full the little Incl
dent, an acquaintance with our
old friend, Bates, is necessary.
He was a man of about fifty, Sc
date and somewhat self impor-
tant, aud had the reputation of
being very close indeed. The
boys used to say Of him that a
dollar never passed his hands
without the scream of the eagle
being heard. But with all he was
kind hearted. 1t was with great
difficulty, however, that he could
make up his mind to lend any,
tang which might be injured by
the using. But Kitchener con-
cluded he would try for the loan
of the pony any way. The pony
himself was not attractive at all,
being small and sleepy looking.
Finally Jappie mustered the
courage to approach Mr.. Bates,
and with many doubts and some
hesitation made known his errand
in relation to the loan of the po-
ny. Uncle Tommie, raising his
glasses to the top of his long,
bald head, and looking in a kind
of commiserative way, said" Jap
pie, he would not carry you in
the style you would wish to go"
Jasper Kitchener was not man
to sell for his worth in the crowd
ed throng. He had to be well
known to be appreciated. But
the more one knew of him, the
better he was liked, and men
even learned to love him as they
fully understood his many ster-
ling qualities and lovable traits.
Gentle as a woman, tender as a
child, matchless in his sauve, a
friend to the friendless, a cham
pion for the cause of woman, q
child always to his mother and a
companion to his father.
When the young men began
dropping into line for the won
derful conflict that was just in
front of them, sadness and gloom
touched Jappie's life because he
could not go, too. His will was
good, and his courage was equal
to the occasion, but the hectic
flush was upon his cheek, the