Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-07-18
A GRADUATE OF
HALF CENTURY AGO.
An Essay Written by Miss Helen Gray
Steger In 1862.
Published in the Seminole, Oklahoma,
News, March l, 1921

Nearly sixty years ago there lived in
the mountains of Northern Alabama a
beautiful maiden. Her home, an old
fashioned rambling log house of four
teen rooms, had stood the storms of
more than half a century. Even today
this old home, built one hundred years
ago, and occupied by three generations
OF the same family, is spot so pictur-
esque and rugged, surrounded as it is
by the foothills of the Cumberland
mountains, that one instinctiyely feels
on entering it, a spirit of reminiscence
and retrospect. The romanticism and
love of antebellum days cling to its ira
ditions and pervade the very atmos-
phere.
In the mad rush of the present day,
with its wonderful strides of progress
sion in all the science and art, when air
ships sail above US, when automobiles
speed 10y US, when the wireless tele-
graph, the telephone and various forms
of electricity are in such common usage
they have almost ceased to seem won
derful, it is not often that one has the
opportunity for a retrospection of those
days of yore.
In searching through some treasured
relics not long ago l chanced upon an
old time-worn Manuscript, tied with
what was once white satin ribbon, but
now yellow with age, and the small but
quaint and delicate writing was faded
and dim. The document, peculiarly
unique in appearance, proved to be sn
essay written by this young girl of Ala
bama to her classmates IN the year
1862 The title of the essay is, "An
Hundred Years Hence" and since al
most fifty years have elapsed since it's
composition it is curiously interesting
not only to review the change of the
past half-century but to speculate as to
what the remaining years of the CEN
tury may bring forth.
We have with us this week number
of our beloved veterans. We feel that
it is privilege and an honor to have
them in our midst. 1t is often inspiring
and refreshing to these old soldiers to
read some of the unpublished incidents
connected with their past history, and
for this reason the thought occurred to
me that the publication of this manu-
script might serve that mission.
At the time of its composition this
young sirl had father, brother and
sweetheart enlisted in the Confederate
army. The perusal of this soul inspir-
ing, heartfelt message, typical of the
rnhln oanfipaanf ~
hood of that day, will doubtless bring
back many fond memories to the SOL
diers who are with US this week, of
their own past, and to them will come
sweet recollections of the days of yore
when they too had sweethearts in col
lege.
AN HUNDRED YEARS HENCE
The present generation will be re-
moved from this stage of action; every
living thing that now exists will disap-
pear. These mighty armies that are
now eliciting the applause and admira-
tion of all the world will be remembered
only in history. The scenes of life and
intelligence that are now before us
will be changed, and the great and won
derful inventions that have confounded
the most powerful genius of the present
day will be laid aside for those of more
modern date. Each succeeding century
will bring in its turn changes like those
of the past. 1t is thus our beautiful
world retains its beauty and purity
The changes of year are the same as
those of century, only on a smaller
scale. Our mountains and forests are
clothed each year in new yerdure, the
monotony of which is relieved by the
frosts of autumn divesting the earth of
its robe of green, which the balmy air
and refreshing showers of spring re-
turn to it. 1t is thus that year sue
ceeds, century succeeds century and the
earth is still as new, as fresh, as beau
tiful as ever.
This is indeed one of the plainest man
ifestations of the wisdom of God. Let
us look back into the darkened ages of
the past and see what few centuries
have wrought in the course of events.
Look back to the time when philosophy
was studied without scales, astronomy
without demonstration, war was carried
on without powder, shot, cannon or
mortars. They went to sea without the
compass and sailed without the needle.
Learning had no printing press, writing
no paper and paper no ink. They were
clothed without manufactures, and their
richest robes were skins of the most
formidable animals. Now, see the pres
entl we have philosophical scales and
astronomical charts by which these
studies are simplified. See the many
complicated implements for the destruc-
tion of life in war, the many ways OF
conveying intelligence from one portion
Of the world to another We have the