The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03
OLD UNCLE ED AND HIS BUGLE
 MADE OLD HEARTS YOUNG AGAIN

l A fae company, a company of men who had been honored by their fellow citizens. men like Hon. Richard H Clarke, former Congressman J. F. Stall lings. Congressman Sidney J. Bowie
 Director Thomas NJ owen, and men of the younger generation like William w Brandon, Adjutant General; Henry F. Reese, State Senator, and scores of this | kind fianked by lawyers, doctors and
 men who had made success in every other line of endeavor.
 old Ed has sounded the mess call many and many a time. but In all his | life he never sounded 1t for so much | of brains and so much of influence. In truth times have been rare in Alabama l when so much of brains and influence assembled as marched in that line. Ed stood in a shower of coins. The head of the line was a little slow in having its units adjust themselves at the tables in the big dining room. Those
 in the rear had frequently to mark time, for 500 men are not quickly seat ed in one big dining room. And as they moved by in shuffling style while Ed ran over his whole repertoire on the bugle the coins fell about his feet. An, depend upon an old-fashione j
 negro to know when tips are near. and depend upon him to know of the insid-
 ious little ways that will draw coins from generous pockets. The old-time negro knows thousand and one win
 ming. unobtrusive ways to wheedle a tip from young 'Marster" or "Old Mars
 ter" and he can do 1t neatly without ostentation and in complete confidence of his success.
 Ed Knew His Business. Eds proper place was in the kitchen
 as soon as he sounded the army mess
 call to let the alumni banqueters know
 that the meal was ready. He knew where his proper place was. but he knew as well that the harvest day had come So kc ran the gamut of his calls again and again. Hc stopped now and then to clean up the litter of coin about his feet. For you see Ed thought that some of the old boys, seeing so mary coins lying about his feet. might
 deicde that he mad a plenty and there was no need to give him more. This
 would never do in the world. Ed was firmly of the opinion that everybody that wanted to give should be given an opportunity and not be held back by any squeamish motives.
 The slow marchers, the tossers of the coin saw more In the scene than an old negro with a battered bugle.
 They saw an ebony reminder of the golden days that were gone.
 The money they tossed was votiVe
 offering to their lost youth. It was
 largess to their boyhood gone forever.
 Time tumbled before them and they
 reached back to grasp the image of
 themselves. The years were as noth- ing for the moment and each marcher
 stood face to face with that boy who
 was himself.
 He had come back to Tuscaloosa to
 call up that boy from the dead past.
 He wanted that boy reused and with
 him the choice spirits whom he knew and who knew him.
 All day he had been near the boy All day he had been near the boy, be- cause he had been among the old ia miliar scenes, always the same in their picturesque beauty. He had seen some of the boys of the old days, but time had written their changes upon them. But they were still dear because of the golden days and still reminiscent of them.
 old Negro Made New BOxa.
 But this old horn and this old peero sent many an old boy swiftly and sud denly back to his vanished youth ana to the old cadet uniform of gray. And for this more than for any other one thing, these old graduates had returned to Tuscaloosa, to roll up the curtain other years. to have all gilded with a rosy life, to have 1t filled again with illusions, visions and with the frienss who saw and shared the same illusions and the same visions-was 1t not all worth while?
 A man makes no lasting friendships