The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-05-31
TWICE A WEEK. ST. so A. YEAR

bib days, a crooked neck squash CO.
quettishly arrayed in kitchen dish
towel and with numerous progeny
of cute little green cucumbers for
family, | am stricken with a deep and
lasting pity for these young beings
of the present period. who having
reached the age of seven or there
abouts have lost all their childish IL
lusions and have no more enthusiasm
to live for. New toys are not needed,
believe me, but new kind Of old
fashioned children, with lively imagi-
nations and that gift of the gods,
ability to amuse themselves.
"Last summer, as an experiment,
l volunteered to give 'house party
to this young brood of iconoclastS, at
the delightful old country home place
| far from the fashionable summer re-
sorts, where l was born more years
ago than | am going to tell you. So
The various parents went Off on an
automobile tour and left me with
thirteen modern Youngsters, rang
ing in years from five to -. most Of
whom had never been to sure
enough country farm before.
"Well, we had gay times, 1 can
tell you. There was the great, roomy,
rambling old house, with its story
book attic full of hidden mysteries,
green meadows and woods to roam
about in, animals aglorc, from colts
to tiny chicks, to pet and become ac-
|quainted with, and every delight that
q country lad OF lassie knows Sc
we'll. But not one ready made game
did they have nor single story book,
except on Sundays or rainy days,
when home sickness threatened to
create a panic.
"No nurses traipsed after them
from morn till dcwy eve, for it
was part of the scheme to inculcate
in my noble young descendants few
we'll defined streaks Of self reliance
Every chick and child of 'em learned
to dress themselves and had some lit,
tie duties imposed upon them in the
care of their rooms, and all hands had
to turn to in helping to get Sunday
support and wash the dishes after,
ward. Dresses we're changed but
once a day except in ras's of direct
accident and nothing dressicr thar
pretty little ginghams were tolerated
on this country iauni.
'"They went picnicking, boating
!: and fishing, rode horseback and gave
parties under the big spreading trees
gathered posies and romped about
} barefooted and bareheaded and whcr
twilight came and supper was ovc>
and faces washed and sore finger!
and toes inspected and bandaged, w
gathered round on the big porch ant
watched the great moon come up be
) hind the trees and told stories o
the sport and the adventure, am
sometimes-'Shh ia fairy tale, fo
down in the heart of hearts I sool
learned they had that childhood han
kering for wonderful things.
owe went down in May to spcnt
the month, but tarried through th
entire summer, and it's still ques
tion in my mind as TO which enjoyed
the summer the most, the children o.
their grandmother, for I almost fcl
rs if I had discovered the fountain
Of eternal youth in their mischic
and prankish fun, and when ut th'
end Of the experiment I returned tt
the bosoms of their families a bcv,
Of tanned, freckled and healthy youns
animals, minus few isms, but plu
considerable sense and nonsense ant
childish enthusiasm and simple de
lights, felt that ] had moi "rowl
too old to accomplish something aftc
; all and maybe some day, when an
/ only an ancestor, they will arise ant
revere my memory and call me bless
: ed. We are going again this sum
mcr.'
A certain matron in this town ha:
, been in the habit Of appropriatinl
, her better half's nobbicst nccktics