The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-02-10
IN DAYS GONE BY.

Nothing is so sweet and tender to the
mind as the thought of our early child
hood. AS | sit now and look back over
fifty years of my life, many sweet thoughts
come to me, and in meditating upon my
past life and how God has dealt with
me, loved me, fed and clothed me, for
gave my sins; made me his child and fol-
lowed me with loving kindness, l am
wont to say with the Psalmist, "What shall
| render unto the Lord for all his bene-
fits toward me-"
was brought up in a family of eight
brothers and three sisters, all of whom are
still living,save one noble boy who was
planted by the cruel hand of war at
Montgomery, Ala, and two sisters who
have crossed over to await our coming.
l can now see, by the eye of sweet memory,
all of my childhood over again; the home
garden, field, lawn and above all old
Campbell creek, the most sacred stream
to me on earth-unless | except the Jor-
dan-the stream in which / was buried
with Christ in baptism by the sainted hands
Of dear brother Giddings, in 1868. Then
again memory brings up our childish
gambols in that loved creek, the "old
fall" the "gum hole" and other bathing
places. Oh, how sweet to think of such
pleasant time when my school mates,
many of whom have gone to judgment,
some unprepared.
After forty years have passed | can
feel the sense of pleasure yet that came
to me when one of the 6nny tribes gave
my hook a passing nible. Again memory
calls up the horrible war between the
states. was some ten years of age when
it came, and of course it blighted my
yes, so far as education was concerned
at that time. l served term of four
years as pillow and mill boy. can now
see in my Imagination the sorrow de-
pllCHCu 1dCCS Va my uCdA oi0 AdliASA oAAu
mother as they talked of our boys in the
army Six in all, and an awful condition
of the country. Every post would bring
news and sickness, trouble and death. My
own dear mother would work, pray and
wait AT last the sad time came, one dear
boy dead, another lost his arm. 1t was
too much for weak human nature and
dear mother was put to bed almost life
less. Dear young people who may read
this, you know nothing of trouble as we
then knew it.
Again, memory brings back the time
Of CONJUNCTION for sin with me. have
been a subject of strong CONJUNCTION. The
Lord saw fit to show me my awful con-
dition early in life, and under that con-
viction led me to accept Christ as my
Savior. / look back to the fearful days
and nights / spent in dread of death and
hell / had great trouble by day, and
frightful dreams by night If | had but
a headache or sore throat, or heard of
some one dying, or saw grave yard,
my sins would loom up mountain-high and
/ was in great confusion. / would resolve
to do better, but would do worse, and
would hope there was no God, no judg-
ment; then l would think from whence
came this conviction of sin, and finally
found peace in believing in a crucihed
Savior. The text, 81 will arise and go
to my father" how vivid how solemn all
comes back today afrcsh to me! have
n,ever regretted that choice. Soon after
my conversion. I undertook to do as a
great many claimed to be doing then,
to believe in Christian life and at the
same time take a social dram. | made
a failure at the first trial; came out drunk,
had a fight with one of my best friends.
Now memory brings back the sad thought
Of a young Christian in disgrace. My
feelings at that time cannot be described.
thought that God was going to take my
life, and sought His forgiveness; prayed
cried and promised, but the heavens were
brass above and the world hell below.
It was Christmas, young sinners were in