The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-05-26
LETTER FROM "OLD TIMER"
The Comet, the Weather, the Chill
dren, and the Crops.

has passed safely through the tail of
Halleys comet with no mishaps save
certain old man ate too much din
ner on that day and felt drowsy the
whole afternoon, but felt disappoint-
ed as clouds obscured the sky and
he never could see the tail so did
not hold it, Uncle Bill, an old COL
ored man, a few weeks ego brought
some beautiful roses made up i'm
an old time bouquet, the back of
which was made of the much de-
spised fennel weed. With the most
beautiful effect, he lifted his hat only
as an old time negro can, saying:
See here, Cap, I bring you some
flowers; dey crowd in me own ya'd.
1 ben fer fetch i'm to de young mis-
sus ente," so the roses were
taken with thanks and handed to de
young missus and asked the old man
what was wanted. Then was stated
tale of woe hard to realize. "Say,
Cap'n, I scared mos to det, de comic
ben TO commin soon so-an dey tel
me dat he ben fer hit de cart wild he
tail an broke EN- all to pieces ente,
an I tell Lula (his wife, dat l been
for kill dat hog in de pen an we eat
um up befo de time cum and all de
chicken what ben run in de ya'd and
all de tings in de garden, fur me
can't lebe all dem good tings to vase
an spile, when jegment day dun cum
an ben fur gone. What you tink
ebout EN-, Cap'n? sho scared ente." ."
Then was tried all the reasoning
known to alleviate the old mans feel
ings and partially succeeded, for he
left the fat hog and garden but he
ate the last rooster on Tuesday night
before, saying he "sabe dat much
enc how, ente." Now he says: Dem
chicken he ben fer eat up ebery ting
in me ya'd so I kill EN-, ente."
Now the great event is gone and
the scare is over with the timid for
the time, and an old man invites you
to take a stroll with him. Now sit
on the end of that board under a
shady old red gum tree and look, for
on this May-day the sunbeams are
dancing, they strike the earth with
their genial warmth then rebound
and millions of them are laughing
and dancing over the fields as they
see their touch on the little plants
unfolding and look like a long
drawn out band of green ribbon.
Then the birds. See the little blue
birds as they spy some worm, how
quickly they dart and pick it up; yes,
here comes a red head sapsuck.
|Watch the cross little bee martin: fly
at him as he comes too near his
nest, but the sapsuck sits quietly on
the side of a tree and the cav OF a
crow near by warns mistress bee mar
tin of danger, and then a futter OF
wings, a hurried fight, with sir
crows hasty retreat soon leaves all
calm and serene and brings to mem
ory Mark Twain's adage: ITO be
good is to be alone" and an old
man concludes that to be alone with
the sunbeam, fields, birds and flow
ers is good.
Then the children, bless them, how
much charm they give to an old man
who sits and watches them play. How
he enjoys seeing them tear up crea-
ton they call it, and they run to
him all begrimed with dust, the pers-
piration running down their little
faces and hear them exclaim: Ain
it fine!" Then go to the pumps and
get a trough of cool water and battle
their faces and then wash the dirt
from their feet and legs; then lunch;
after that more play, more dirt and
UuSC, SuSu duOIuOl WOOL ASA NA~~>~~
Yes, happy childhood, how dull
life would be were it not for them.
Come again, little boys and girls.
You always have welcome and a
warm spot in an old mans heart and
now that the black-berries are here,
won't it be fine-blackberries, milk
and sugar, with the red-bugs thrown
in for good measure, few briar
scratches, and thorn or two. We
will all enjoy tearing up creation.
Now a word for the crops. They
are late but green, and fine stands
in most fields, all free from grass
and weeds with the prospect for a
big crop next fall, for as an old man
ruminates in the past memory brings
to light that all early casters bring
cold and late spring. Well does he
remember the first year he ever
plowed a crop. The first of June his
father came to where he and old