Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-09-08
RECALLS THE LIVING AND ABSENT
Elmer E. Dunlap Writes SpiendidIy of
Homecoming Week

you came from, there is calm. The old
folk are there-they love calm. At
this time of the year when the rest
week is yours to spend at will, Back
There is a good place to loll and dream
and put fat on your slim soul. IL you
have done well since you left the old
home town you need not fear to meet
the keen eyes of the old boys and girls
who used to be your ehums; il you have
done well they viii have heard of it.
they will be glad of it. They viii not
say much on that line-it is not their
way to make soft speech where there
is no need of cheer. But if you have
done i'll in the big world, the folk Back
There, most of them, will go out of the
way to make you feel at home; they
will bring balm from home, the first
source of sympathy; they will heal you
and make your heart we'll. II is worth
good deal to have such friends as are
grown Back There; it is good to be
with them and of them. They do net
fail; they do not change or cool. They
may chide the one who fails, but as
they scold they lift up-as they Judge
they help. They have straight talk
and sharp stick for wrong, but they
do not bar the door when the lost one,
drawn once more to the home trail.
stands and kuocks. When once the old
folk Back There are your friends they
will always be friends, and as the Wan
derer views his OLD, bent body he win
resolve, ''If l die it will be buried
there.
AT the homecoming you win be
charmed to mingle once more with all
who still live Back There, but you win
miss some Of the old ones you used to
see on the streets-you will have come
too late. Their graves have been sew
eral times white and several times
green since last you clasped their
strong, friendly hands.
Would it not be happy day to meet
| again, for instance, 'Old Man" Ady,
the cooper; James Fl. Layne, hobhling
up the street withAh his inseparable cane;
William Cook, the oldtime preacher;
John Casson playing croquet with T. ].
Layne in the old court house yard; j.
Nj. Rusk, as the hotel keeper and horse
doctor; Gave Strawn, with his one leg;
Il. A. Stark, the alderman and wagon
maker; DIR. Tinker, DR.. H. A. Chase,
George Hazen, Louis Tollefson; N,
McKie, the hardware man; Luther
Nichols, Sr., M. c. Nichols, Carson
Graham, William f. Terhune, William
S. Purdy, .'Dede" Decker, W. +. Linz
demann, O. r. Wyman, Hartwell Allen,
Phineas Palmer, William Palmer, Judge
Newell, &. S. McMichael, Mr. Shum-
way, Rev. Whitworth, Comfort Rich
ardson, $. G. Lincoln, jolly old Tom
Brown, Alex. Lowrie; Mr.. Van Wagon
er, whose name was always connected
with the Vernon c,mnty fair; Nate Coe,
the rugged honest man; Ed. Coe, the
unfortunate man; "Bill'' Coe and many
other old-time friends who have lived
their lives ard "0ld Time has tuck his
toll.
But there are still many ef the good
Ole A.mers B ark There. Venerable
George Nuzum VIII grasp yolr h.snd as
warmly, even If with less strength, as
of yore; j. Henry Tate is just as busy
as he has always been; Judge G. M.
Butt is still there the chest of his
prime has saggeda little and the spring
has gone from his step, but the black
alpaca coat Iiops in the same way as
he walks from his home to the office;
you will bc glad to meet 'Bony' Rog-
ers and his delightful voice; smiling
Howard Williams is always a friend of
every man from old Vernon; Charley
Brown win still play a joke as Of old;
Il. M. Towner is older in looks but not
in actions; John Dawson may not be as
, lively as he was in the sos, but his
heart is Just as warm; II. p. Proctor is
serious and prosperous and will be glad
to welcome you. remember that Phil
4 | ip Boufileur always had smile and a
! good word for all and stick Gf candy
extra for ''us kids, and he will be
! waiting to greet you ut the h9me-c9m-
ing; II. s. GoodelPs hair has bIrncl
white with the years, but his hand and
heart are the same: Clark Williams
sometimes seems as young as ever; you
will be glad to meet John Joyce again,
it win seem like old times; my father,
! Warren W. Dunlap, who is visiting me
at present, and who claims to be the
second oldest living settler i'm Vernon
county, l.. Graham Of Springville ante
dating the Dunlap family aboEt one
year. will be there; H. G. Gosling Reiks
with slower step than Of old, but other
wise he is the same old "Hen;" $. X.
Pollard will be there; also Henry, Albion
and viii Lindemann, Frank Chase, ABB
ner Silbaugh, j. Henry Bennett, Andy
Russel and many others OF the old resi-
/ dents throughout Vernon county.
And these old boys will make your
home. coming a joy never to be forgot
ten. There may be men and women
VINO SfEm new W 8Vdg 3hb NAASJ W~h.
, small boys and girls when you lived
Back There. They all know you, al
though you may have lost track of
, them. Here and there you will m Get q
child who is brand new, but you will
find that il is of stock that sat at your
side in schoO! in the old days.
The old friends may now bear on
their canes more than they did when
you saw them last; there may be a
wheeze in their speech, but the clasps
of their hands are as free and warm as
r ever. If you delay till the next home
! coming some of our old friends will have
; Joined the silent majority, and then re-
grets will come, for
What do we know about our little life
It's toll and pleasure, misery and strife?
What shall we knJw when we have passed ita
portal?
Perhaps we shall remember that We dreamed.
That time with sweet or trou bled visions teemed.
When we ar e wideawake alive. immortal"
Ah, friends, / was just on the point
| of closing this letter, and remembered
| | had said nothing about the old moth
ers of Viroqua II would take more
: space than would be allowed me 10
I write of THEM, for love old mothers;
mothers with white hair and kindly
eyes and lips grown softly sweet.
There is something in their quiet grace
that speaks of the calm of Sabbath af-
4 4arnoor,. q, knovyIafipa in their deem nm