Newark post., 1910-04-27
Old Fashioned Fireplace
Days

Dd/S
"Life is but game Of cards
Which each one has to learn,
Each sh,,ftaes, cuts and deals
pack,
And each trump doth turn.
Some turn high card at the top,
While others turn low,
Some hold hand quite full OF
trumps,
While others none can show.
But last of all is when the spade
Is turned by hand of time;
And always finishes up the game
In every land and cline.
No matter how much a man may
win,
Or how much a man may save,
You'll find the spade turns up at
last,
And digs the players grave
Wlat wealth in sentiments are
connected with the days when the
games of life were played around
the Old-Open-Fireplace! AS soon
as mentioned thought and ian"
cies carry us to the doings OF
those who. have long since. turned
up the spade and silently slipped
away into the great unknown; and
we rummage among the tradi-
tons of their times and gather up
the doings of those who, we find.
lived Simple lives when compared
to the rushing whirl of varied in
terest in which women especially
OF the present age, are engaged
as in the social, the Church, the
educational, aye, even in politics
we find her knocking to-day loud
for more say, more power, more
sharing in its official gains. IhcH
again a great longing for public
notoriety has silently, stealthily
taken possession of many a wo-
mans heart. But as in a hurri-
cane the wind will lull ''jest to get
his bref to blow harder" the Old
darkies used to say, when there
was sudden calm during storm
the sea waves ceasing to rise and
the waters receding back to
depths of Old ocean again. SO il
is with the tide of events, they ebb
and flow and we will to-day catch
the ebb and drift backwards in
mind to the old days and methods
. lived by our ancestors which a:e
gone and lost to view with The
big open hreplaces and the busy
scenes enacted in and around
them. Though they are gone ant
lost to view, still they are 'te
memory dear" dear and frasrar
as their homespun linens ioldct
away in old oaken chests witt
sweet lavender and rose petale'
blossoms shedding subtle per
fume as, sacrediy, we unfold thes
cherished relics bringing a menta
picture to our view of the loving
brave hearts and the gentle file
of those frugal, industrious house
wives, whose hands folded ans
carefully laid away those gar
ments and have now turned /
dust; but their works folloN
them. How do their works 10
low them? We will drift bach
ward in thoughts to the country
early history to find out and COT
lure up those traditions which hay
been handed down by mother t
daughter from pre-revoutio
days.
Every locality has and aiwa!
has had, its customs and trad
tions. | will speak somewhat t.
day OF those in the southern pa
OF the Delmarvia peninsula whi(
came to my young ears and min
when related by my colored nur
an dgentle mother, as marvelou
Those rugged, lonely homes
the widespread forest of gla,
oaks and lofty whispering pm
which reached out their arms as
greet the stranger with low VIII
pers OF welcome-but groan
and llashed and ragged nightly
storms of sorrow at their old ms
tiers going when forced out to Sc
other undisturbed hunting groun
far beyond, in solitude and pea
A forest Of many acres viii
| passed through often in chi
hood, is called to this day India
town Here flourish centuI
old trees whose majestic forl