The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-11-02
AFTER MANY YEARS.
Mrs. Kate Small Smith Returns to Her
Old Home-She Mourns for Those
Who are no More But she
Reioices in the Sight Of a
Beautiful City.
Contributed.

friends of her earlier years. Sne is u
daughter of Andrew Small who lived in
the homestead on Magazine Hill, now
occupied by Capt. F. ". r. Nance. Since
the wal Andrew Small, his wife, his SOL
John Small, and several daughters have
died. Only two of the family are living
today, namely: Mrs. Maggie Sassard,
of Charleston. widow Of Nelson 7. Sassard,
and Mrs. Smith, widow of Dresden A.
Smith of Walhalla.
Mrs. Kate Small Smith was married in
1s79-thirty-one years ago-and since then
she has been living in Walhalla with her
husband, her sons and her daughters, in
the family homestead, where her children
we're born. One son is Probate Judge at
Walhalla, having been elected first to fill
out his fathers ~unexpired term of office,
and Mt the expiration of that time he
was elected for a full term Of office
| without opposition. Other sons and
daughters help to make their mothers
life a crown Of joy.
When Miss Kate Small and Mr.. Dresden
A. Smith were married they were we'll
known to our people. Mr.. Smith was a
printer at one time in the Press and Ban
ner office. He was a consistent Methodist
and an exemplary Christian. When a girl
Mrs. Smith was a faithful E~piscopalian,
who possessed the best love and good will
Of all.
Immediately after their marriage she
moved to the home of her husband in
Walhalla where Mr.. Smith was one of the
proprietors of the Keowee Courier, which
was recognized everywhere as n Of the
most honorable and high toned OF the
County papers.
Since her marriage Mrs. Smith has spent
very little time in Abbeville. Not having
been here for many years, she was i'm
pressed with the growth Of the town and
the great change Of it's citizenship. Com
paratively few Of those men and women
whom she knew thirty-one years ago are
in Abbeville to-day. Some have moved
away to other homes in other towns, but,
by far the larger number of her friends
and acquaintance have gone to the great
beyond, and are today with the sif1Rt
majority.
Mrs. Smith having met on this ~
only a few of those whom she khatEs1n
the days of her girlhood realized a feeling
of sadness that she was in n city of more
strangers than friends. whore the abse1eec
OF former friends could only bring TONER
heart a feeling of regret and a longing Tor
the scenes Of her childhood. In her girl
hood days she loved the Abbeville which
loved her so we'll. She failed to see many
of the old faces that she loved in former
wears, and she missed the hearty greeting
from many an eye that once grew brighter
in her presence, but is now dimmed in
death.
While Mrs. Smith knew few of the men
and women Of the Abbeville oftoday whom
she met, it seemed that she had not for
gotten any Of the names of those who COM
posed her friends in the Abbeville OF her
childhood. She still possesses a warm
affection for all. With a heart devoid OF
unkind thoughts for any, but which is
filed with love for her Savior and affection
for those around her, the passing years
have dealt kindly with her. Living for
thirty years with a devoted husband
whose gentleness Of character was a ben
ediction, and surrounded as she was dur
ing her married life with the best Of child
rem that ever blessed happy parents old
Father Time has had little opportunity for
chiseling the lines that mark the passing
time or give evidence Of the presence
Of accumulated years.
Mrs. Smith left Walhalla last week to
attend a woman's missionary meeting
which took place near Iva, and being so
near to her old home, she came back to
Abbeville.
Mrs. Smith was amazed at the growth
of the town, and was enthusiastic in her
words of admiration for the many I'm
provements which she saw on every hand.
She admired the beauty of the park in the
public square and spoke highly Of the
architecture and the symmetry of the
Confederate monument. She thought the
Court house and the City hall were perfect
ly splendid. The store fronts are now
up-to-date emporiums in every respect,
and the greatest number Of building lots
on every street, which were vacant when
she knew the town, are now occupied by
beautiful homes. The fine churches and
the elegant school houses added their
presence to the glory Of the city. The
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad and it's shops
were new to her, and the waste lands Of
the rabbit rancho, down the Blue Hill
branch had been transferred into a splen-
did cotton mill, surrounded by a village
OF a hundred dwellings, churches, school
houses, stores, and other evidences Of
progress. So great we're the changes, and
so numerous were the new houses that
she hardly knew Magazine street upon
which she formerly lived. But her old
home seemed more natural than any
other house, and through which. Capt.
Nance showed her. The elegant home Of
Mr.. Sondley had been so transformed into
q home OF beauty that she hardly knew
it. Many new dwellings were added on
each side Of Magazine street.
Since Mrs. Smith was here the town has
put in electric lights, water works and
sewerage, the telephone system, the oil
mill, the Eureka, the best kept hotel in