The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-30

L nave stated that / am native OF
the Sunny South" And / also want
to 60 on record as one who has never
| felt desire to leave the home, SO well
beloved. True, in this comparatively
new section of Uncle Sans dominions,
We are deprived of many advantages
possessed more lavishly by other sec
tons more thickly populated. Or,
rather, I should say that this was
much more noticeable some sixty
years since than at the present day.
AS case in point, half century
since, fair Florida (my home state).
Just newly admitted into the Union,
was one vast and primeval forest,
from whence the Indian and(the wolf,
the pioneers relentless enemies, had
| Just been banished or exterminated.
1t can be readily seen, then, by the
man who reflects for a moment, that
education" was very crude in that
day, and when the further fact is also
noted that the whole country had just
emerged from the throes of so-called
| civil war, which, to me, had proven
rather uncivil. followed up by the re
construction" period, or "carpet-bag
| rule" as 1t has been not inaptly term
ed, maliciously imposed upon the
south by his northern brother, because
Of his temerity in daring to meet the
| invader in open combat in defense or
hearth and home. Happily. this is
all Of the past. The bloody shirt"
has been relegated to oblivion. The
Dove Of Peace now hovers serenely
over the erstwhile agitated territory,
and men of all sections and creeds
strike hands, vieing each with the
other to show to the world that sec
tional luminosity no longer exists.
Amen! So mote It be!
| But to return to my narrative: l
was seated, then, upon the PROSTATE
body of my old friend, the tree, and
famenting the fact that the events
! just recorded had cruelty deprived me
| of the coveted education 1 desired In
order to make of myself a learned and
| successful editor, which was to be my
browning achievement and ultimate
goal. For I was not so obtuse. even
j then, but that l could grasp the fact
that 1t is to the press We must look,
raher than the statesman, for all that
| educates and enlarges and directs the
events and achievements among our
fellowmen. Well" said I, (apostro-
| phizing aloud as the solitary are often
impelled to do for lack of human COM
panionshipl, Though my boyhood is
no more. though | was not permitted
to learn much of books, yet, by dill
gence / may overcome those seeming
ly insurmountable obstacles partially,
though 1 never shall be an editor. |
need not be altogether ignorant, as L
can see, for all that, if time proves
propitious.''
:'Te-he! te-he. te-he." came a cack-
ling, rasping laugh at my elbow, and
turning | beheld what | took to be a
very weakened, withered and decayed
old man, seated on the same log as
myself, but with his back turned to-
ward me.
"Te-he! te-he!" he continued. Talk.
Ing Of me, were you? And that to my
very face"
To your back, apparently, | should
say, SIR replied, for was not afraid
OF one Of my own species, but l con-
Tess l was of the supernatural voice of
/ the bush already mentioned. As /
addressed him he sprang to his feet,
and, confronting me with alert nirn-
bleness, l was much amazed to find
him no longer superanuated but appar.
emily as youthful and vigorous as |
was.
appearances are deceitful, appar-
emily" l remarked. lust now |
thought you Peter Farley, perhaps.
| You appeared to be SO old to me. but
was much mistaken, see."
Appearances are often deceptive.
young man, and you are not SO far
astray. either, when you compare me
to that mythical gentleman, Old Peter
Farley, with slight discrepancies, Of
course, for was making history. thou.
sands of years before that ancient
story-tel'er was supposed to have been
born
with that observation he again turn
ed his back to me, and seeing him
thus, l was ready to credit his astound-
Ing assertions. for now he again an
peared 10 be as old as the everlasting
hills.
Who are you, any way; where DID
you come from, and how long were
you here, for did not see you arrive?"
blurted out
With that he turned, and resting
himself on the log by my side, said:
one question at a time, please, d"
adding laughingiy, there is plenty or
time." With which fatuous remark
he began to chant something like this.
And is time dead? I thought time
never died! l knew him old, It's true
and full of years; and bald. except IN
front. But he was strong as Hercules.
| saw him grasp the oak; it fell. The
tower; it crumbled. And the sculp-
tured monument. Who am I? Well.
| many men have called me .Robber':
others who knew me more failiarlv
| often called e Opportunity but NV
true cognomen is Time. Now Won
know who | am, even as | know Won,
Where did come from? am tempt.
ed to reply even as Satan did in the
Book of Job, From going to and fro
in the earth; and from walking I'D and
down in it, How long have I been
here? I was here before you came to-
day. Rather, ! should say, I was here
when this old log was a green hush
like the one which frightened YOU so
little while SINCE said he, laughing
heartily.
l began to fear / had a mailman tn
deal with, so decided to test him.
Mr.. Time said l, you have made
some most rearkabie statements; one
of them was that you knew me- yer