Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-01-19

Remember the o'd-tme "watch
meetings" we used to have? Too bad
they have fallen into disuse for we
used to have some mighty good times
attending them-to say nothing of
receiving an uplift that helped US
well along into the new year. o, |
know the young folks have parties
now and watch tine old year out and
the new year in but they don't get
out of such gathering sswhat we old
timers used to get out of those
watch meetings." Nowadays they
make fudge and play cards and gig
gle. Then we used to sing and listen
to good music and hear Elder Fergu-
son, and Elder Wetzel, and Deacon
Holmes, and Brother Haynes, and
Sister Lowrie, and Sister Bedford,
and lot of others, tell their exper-
fences.
We didn't go hungry at all of those
old "watch meetings." for most of
the time there would be lunch along
{ about IL o'clock-not a church socia-
BILE, or anything like that. but just
plain lunch, with rather subdued con-
versation and not much laughter.
Just before midnight a solemn hush
would fall over the gathering, and it
didn't take much of an imagination to
hear wings and whispers and echoing
music not made by earthly hands.
And just as the clock toled the hour
OF midnight, the good pastor would
kneel, with all of the watchers, and
pour forth prayer that the new year
might he full of richest blessings for
all mankind. Then a rousing, rally
ing song or two would be sung and
with laughter and good cheer and
hearty wishes we'd start for home
thourgh the crispy cold of the first
January morning.
If there happened to be good sleigh
ing when the new year dawned,
didn't we young folks have high old
time on the evening of New Years
day. It's all right to go buggyriding
in narrow seated single buggy with
cher, of course; but there's only
one way for young folks to go sleigh
riding, and that's the old fashioned
bobsled' way. Four horses to the
bobsled," every horse loaded with
sleighbeIls, and about four "bob-
sledsfull." Full of rollicking, joyous
young folks unspoiled by fudge part
les and dressing for the opera and all
that sort of thing. Fill the wagonbox
on the hobs about two-thirds full
of sweet hay, and then pile in the
blankets and the buffalo robes. By
the way, what's become of all those
buffalo robes? Then pack each wagon
box as full as it will hold of young
folks-O, they'll pair off, all right,
all right-tuck in the blankets and
robes, and away we 60!
The young folks of today may
really enjoy themselves with their
box parties at the theatre, and their
receptions and soirees and all that
sort of thing, but if could drop
about thirty years or such n matter
from my shoulder tonight, the first
thing I'd do wouldn't be to go to any
theatre or reception or soiree. Not
me! The first thing I'd do would be
to pass the word around that the
"boys" were getting things ready for
a "bobsled party - l wouldn't worry
about the girls-they'd be able to get
ready for any old good time in less
than an hour in those days. They
have to take the whole afternoon to it
now. We "boys" wouldn't have to
shave and put on clawhammers and
dinky little patent leather pumps for
that sort of social affair. Not us
We'd hike home from work, stow
av ay enough chuck to make a dys-
peptic writhe in agony to see, and
without stopping to change single
garment would hurry out to get the
horses harnessed and the "bobs" pre-
! pared. And about z 80 we start out
after the girls--and we'd always find
'em ready on the minute too.
And then we'd make things hum
for about three hours. Remember the
songs we used to sing? "Jingle
Bells, " "Goodby, my Lover, Good
by, " Singin 'aaSkewl. ""Good Night,
Ladies'" Coin Back to Dixie"
"Suwanee River" "Old Kentucky
Home" and all the rest of them
they'll come to your mind as you sit
and think of those old days. And if
we "boys" were feeling just a bit
flush, which wasn't usual so soon af-
ter Christmas, we'd have little oys-
ter supper at the village restaurant
after the ride. Not oysters in bulk,
almost fresh from their ocean bed.
Say must have been almost man
grown before / saw an oyster that
had never been in can. No sir; our
oyster suppers were from the good old
cans marked Cove" and they were
mighty good eatin' those day, believe
me.
And fhn =,