The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-18
Old Days and Old Stories
of Montgomery in the Forties

In fact, Z thought he was not COM
scious Of my presence.
| snatched the beautiful little bird
From the ground, and ran with my
might TO show my treasure to my
mother. Many years later, DR.. Hazard
Henry treated me for. and cured me OF
typhoid fever. I did not feel half
segregated to him for having rendered
that service, as dij at the time he
pitched the beautiful little speckled
birds at me. with his laconic query.
| Ny mother. from early girlhood. was
a devout Presbyterian. When she
married ami removed to Montgomery,
she united with the church Of that deg
nomination. Rev. David Finley was
the pastor. The, church building was
an oblong wooden structure located a
few yards eastward from the old
brick First" Church of today.
In The Presbyterian Church.
| When I was five years old. my
mother arranged to have her three
brothers and myself, baptized. Mr..
Finley performed the ceremony and
then requested an old gentleman to
lead in prayer. The latter, evidently.
was not posted as to the situation. for
he prayed pervently for blessings upon
the widow and the little orphans"
4 Today there resides in Montgomery.
4
church, who recalls the incident.
A little later on. my older brother
and 7 attended Sunday School. Mr.. w.
B. Bell was the superintendent. To-
day. can recall his placid face and
benign expression as he stood before
the teachers and children. sixty-five
years ago. One Sunday, Mr.. Bell an
nounced that there would be. in the
near future. . Sunday School ycele-
| bration.s
| / know, well enough, what Sun
day School was, but had never heard
the long word. celebration" and could
not understand the import of Mr..
Bells announcement. until my mother,
always my 'Sir Oracle" explained to
me that all the little boys and girls
would march in parade from the church
| to a grove, where there would be
tables upon which the ladies would
place fruits and cakes and candies for
the children. became enthusiastic
over the prospect. ] was heart and
thought of nothing, talked of nothing
but the celebration. OF good things
to eat, promised each of the SER
| wants, at least. enough to last q week.
| At last, the long talked of, the long
looked for day arrived. Rugged out In
my little suit of green. prepared for
this special occasion. and mounted be-
4
rived at the church in due season.
| The column of little folks was soon
| formed. and with Mr.. Bell at the head
and the teachers strung along at inter
| walls, we paraded two or three blocks
southwark from the church, to a shady
spot between Court ana South Perry
| Streets.
Little George Montague standing
upon an improved platform. delivered
q very spirited address. He could not
have been more than eight or nine
| years old, but seemed to throw his
whole soul into his work. He was an
only son, and his father seemed very
proud of him. I never knew anything
OF his subsequent career-whether he
died early or lived to become promi-
nent in one Of the professions.
Meantime, my mother and younger
brother had arrived
At The Big Dinner.
| She sent John, her carriage driver.
Pin quest Of me- She and other ladies'
were seated In chairs near table set
apart for them. remained very quiet
ly by her side. until. suddenly Din
nerre was announced. Before my
mother could restrain me, / made d
dash for the position at the table.
where I had stood, when our column
of parade first broke ranks. But. alas!
when I reached my objective point, 1
was too little to get single one of
the many good things with which the
| table was ladent-all were just out of
my reach. and too timid to ask as
sistance of strangers. asqtr q
| My little brother dined very quietly
with the ladies at their table and hal
1 good time generally. When my
| mother was ready to start for home
she again sent In quest of me. AS I
approached her she was standing near
her carriage with an orange in her
hand. / exclaimed. ma, do give me
that orange!" But for that orange, IL
would have gone dinnerless.
The outcome Of my first Sunday
School celebration was the biggest
disappointment Of my life. 1t taught
me. however, one lesson-never make
too many promises for future delivery"
they might cause embarrassment
Vans, Fans!! Buxz, ceiling and exhaust.