Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-27
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
The next morning, when with quick
stride, to make up for an anxious lin
gering in the passage way, I hastened
toward the school, 1 heard the gallon
of a horse, and turning about, saw old
General Lundsford coming like dra-
COON. Upon seeing me he drew in his
horse and had sobered him to a walk
by the time he reached brook, on the
brink of which halted to let him pass
why, good morning, Mr.. Hawes
Beautiful day, sir. l am going your
way short distance, and if you'll get
up here behind me, sir, you shall ride
l thanked him. telling him that
much preferred to walk. "All right, sir
and / will get down and walk with
you until duty, sir" he said sonorously
with a bow; until duty, sir, shall call
us apart"
l urged him not to get down, telling
him that 1 could easily keep pace with
his horse, but he dismounted even be-
fore crossing the. stream. preferring
he said, with another bow, to take his
chances with me. And thus we walked
onward, the horse following close, now
and then "nosing" his masters shoul-
der to show his preference and his 10y
atty. The season was mellowing and
the old gentleman was airily dressed In
white, low shoes neatly polished and
Panama hat. He was delighted, he
said, to hear that was getting along
SO well with the school, and he knew
that I would be Of vast good to the
community. Il have heard Of the
Aimes conspiracy" said he, "and l am
glad that l met you, for I wanted to
talk to you about it. The truth Of 1t
all is, not that you once larruped that
fellow Bentley, that old Aimes
wishes to put a sly indignity upon me
by misusing one who has been enter
tanned at my house. That's the point
sir. He heard that l had given you
countenance at my board, and what his
sister afterward told him was an eX-
cuse for the exercise, sir, of his dis
temper. But, BY came within one
of swearing, sir l used to curse like
an overseer, but l joined the church
not long ago, and I've been walking a
tight rope ever since. But as 1 was
about TO say, you are not going to let
those people humiliate you"
II am going to do my duty" / an
swered, land my duty does not tell me
to be humiliated."
Good, sir: first-rate. AS a general
thing, we do not look for the highest
spirit in a school teacher-pardon my
frankness for, as you know, one who
is dependent upon whole community
one who seeks to please many and
varied persons. is not as likely to eX-
hibit that independence and vigor OF
action which is characteristic Of the
man who stands solely upon honor
with nothing to appease save his own
idea OF right But forgot. The grand
son Of Captain Halves needs no such
homily. The Aimes family is a hard
lot, sir, but a gentleman can at al
times stand in smiling conquest above
tough. Scott Aimes, a burly scound-
rel. and, therefore, the pet Of his faith
err at one time threatened to chastise
my son Chydister who is now of al
college. And I said not a word in re-
ply, when my son told me of the threat
l merely pointed to a shotgun above
the library door and went on with my
reading of the death notices in the
newspaper. That gun is there now
sir. and whenever you want it, speak
the word and it shall be yours"
l laughed to myself and thought that
l must be getting on well with the ole
general-first the offer of his library
and now of his gun-and thanked hin
for the interest which he had shown
in me, q mere stranger. "A well-breo
southerner is never n stranger in the
south" said he. We are held tOgeth-
er by an affection stronger than any
tie that runs from heart to heart ir
any other branch of the human family
But" he added sadly shaking his head
II fear that this affection is weakening
Our young men are becoming STEPPED
in the strong commercial spirit Of the
north. / should like to continue thi!
pleasant and elevating conversation
but here's where l am compelled L
| leave you"
Can ] assist you to mount | ask
ed hardly knowing what else to say
He showed his hat back and looked a
me in astonishment. You are kind. sir
but l am not yet on the lift" But NJ
instantly recognized that this wa:
harsh. and with broad smile he add
ed: Pardon me for my shortness o.
speech, but the truth is that mar
who has spent much of his life in th'
saddle cOntemplates with horror th'
time when he must be helped to hi:
seat"
| General. l am the one t. ask par
DON" replied. bowling in my turn.
"Oh. no. | assure you" he eXclaim'
ed. mounting his horse with more eas'
than l had expected to see. 1T wa:
your kindness of heart, sir; a courtesy
and though a courtesy may be mis-
take. il Is still virtue Look at tina
old field out there" nc broke off. "DC
YOU call that an advancement Of civili