The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1907-04-12


trappers concluded to again seek
the haunts of peace and quiet.
So they returned to the border
land Of civilization and settled
down in the bosom OF t'1.ir fam
lilies, and each began the cult
vation of the soil and the raising
of stock. It was not long under
these circumstances till the two
friends were again separated,
each having been handed out for
the good of the homes of the bor-
der land settlers. So they fitted
from hand to hand and from home
to home. doing duty for every
conner and goer, sometimes in the
hands of a lawyer for his fee, a
soldier for his hire, o farmer for
his corn, wheat or cotton, sena-
tor or congressman for his salary
or a governor for his secret SER
vice money. All the while NOV
ing. never drones, nor laggards,
looking to the best interests of
those with whom they lodged; for
during all these years they had
no real abiding place nor contin-
uing city. During the war be-
tween the states they became far
separated, the Spanish coin join
ing forces with the north and
the Mexican coin casting his for
tunes with the Sunny South.
During all the while each kept
pace with the moving armies,
changing hands often, first for
one thing and then for another,
but mostly for something to eat,
or on a wager at cards, the SOL
diers, during that mighty conflict,
not being exempt from demoral-
izing habits. After two years of
this fearful conflict had passed,
the Mexican coin, having found
a lodgment with an old soldier.
he, while on a trip to his home
in North Mississippi, buried him
in his garder with his other val
uables for safe keeping, and thus
he rested until the end Of the
strife and bloodshed; but came
out from his hiding place bright
and shining and seemingly as
young and vigorous as ever. Not
so with the Spanish coin. In the
Northern army where he was
operating Spanish coins were
about on a par with greenbacks,
and so he was kept on the move
| till the final wind up of the war.
After the war had closed, and in
1866, the old soldier, who had
buried the Mexican coin, let go
his grip upon him, having passed
him into the hands of another old
Confederate soldier, who was a
farmer. This last named old SOL
dier and farmer. looking careful
| ly at the Mexican coin, saw that
the date was 1929, just one year
older than he himself was at the
time. Looking at the coin, and
thinking Of the many miles it had
travelled from hand to hand and
home to home, he said. ''old fel-
low, I'll give a rest spell. From
now on We'll journey together.
Whittier | go thou shall go, my
home shall be thy hcme;; my peo-
pie shall be thy people and
naught but death shall part thee
and me-" When this declaration
was made the old farmer-soldier
was living on his little farm near
Mooresville. in Lee county, Mis-
sissippi. The little cottage sat
on the hillside, embowered in
beautiful shade trees of natural
growth, where, in the spring
time the birds sang their morn
ing carols, and where the mock
ing bird gave his evening fare
we'll ere the shades of night
closed DER the scene. There the
possessor of the Mexican coin
reared his family, taking joy in
the thought that children are
an heritage Of the Lord. AS ar
rows are in the hands of a mighty
man, so are children Of the
youth" Here the wife of his
youth, with the clinging tendrils
of her loving nature. mellowed
into even more lovely and lovable
motherhood and matronly grace
as the years passed by. Here
the girls of the household grew
| to womanhood and married off
and left the old home to rear
families of their own. Here the
circle was ever full, the porkers
grunting in the pen, fowls cack
| ling from the barn-yard and COB
bling from the nearby tree, while
| the patient cow came vending
her homeward way when even
came with her buckets, milk
ready for the pail and the churn.
The patient and industrious far
mer through all the years, as the
springtime came, followed the
lplow in the new made furrow
and carried the hoe by his side.
And when the fleecy staple open
ed in the fall and the scar and
faded autumn leaf fell by the
wayside, be might have been
seen hending over the cotton