The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-23
"OLD TIMER WRITES.
Things Look Dark, but a Better
Time is Coming.


dan is a hard road to travel, amt it
Cap? would Uncle Bill say. For here
is the rain, rain-clouds by day and
clouds by night. These floods the
past week and showers one after an
other with no sign of a let-up, the
ground soaked and low lands get
ting in bad shape, with grass and
weeds taking the crops, is the cheer
ing sight after the long dry and
cold spring to give the old farmer
a long face and sad countenance.
Horses about crushed, and dreams OF
bumper crop and twenty cents for
his cotton, knocks the idea of an au-
tomobile to take Sallie, Kate and
John to all the big meetings, picnics,
shows and towns into a far corner
of his brain and leaves him wonder
ing will it ever be. With great
gulps coming in his throat and as he
tries to gulp them down, tears OF
great disappointment silently trickle
down his furrowed cheeks; as he
tries to brush them away, in dis
gust comes his big boys and say
I am done with the farm, for l can
soon get rich in the town; others do
and can ride in fine touring cars
with soft hands and fair faces and
lovely ladies al laughter and smiles
by his side. No more clod hopping
and begging next day in the mud
perhaps for me. Then comes his bet
ter half with a basket full of half
drowned chickens and turkeys, all
out of sorts, saying hard things to
such luck, and the poor old farmer in
wardly wishes like David of old, for
wings of the dove to flee away and
be at rest.
Now at this moment comes the
sweet strains of a mocking bird in
a nearby tree and the old man lis
tens for a moment only, then with a
smile all calmness and serenity calls
to the boys, stay on the old farm,
boys, and drive a mule if needs be,
for 1 have seen it thus many times
beforej and if you will only labor and
wait with true economy, all will come
in due time; the sun will shine and
stars overhead, with song of birds
and cooling of doves, and the pigs and
calves, with the scampering of the
rabit, and the yell of the boys, as
the dogs give chase, has a greater
charm than the excitement and
auto rides of the city lad or lass.
Stay close to nature for it made
Abraham, Isaac and Moses, in the
long ago; Washington and Lincoln,
with many others whose name echoes
down the pathway of time, and whose
hstre grows brighter each day. What
is needed is rich poor men who will
work with their own hands, build
neat homes and have, as your cor
respondent found last week, one
horse farmer who has reared
family, corn, oats, hay, and all other
produce needed to run the place three
years. In place of one thousands
are needed, then will the desert bloom
as the rose and hard times will come
no more. Let the speculator yell
his throat sore on the stock exchange,
the laborers strike for higher wages
while his wife and babies cry for
bread, and the gambler with blood
shot eyes watch the cards as he wins
or loses, the crook as he blows the
safe and runs from place to place to
keep under cover with sleepless
nights, has no place with the man
that follows the plow who can sleep
the sleep of the just and rise with
the bees and birds and whistle while
he waits for Kate to ring the break
fast bell. These are the kind of
men needed now both by town, city
and country Now don't get it into
your heads, boys, that an old man.
wants to fight the towns. Not much,
for he well knows that some of his
truest friends are town people. Then
we need them but we also want some
of our best talent to run the farms
and teach old dogs new tricks in the
art of model and modern farming.
But enough of this, and now an
old man with hobby who loves
children and flowers, looks forward
to bright day soon and he has just
learned that some kind ladies are
planning to give the children pic
mic soon in a beautiful grove and he
is to be there. Then will he be in
all his glory as he watches the little
fellows as they romp and play over
the grounds at jumping the rope,