The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-02-05
COMING BACK HOME.
B. REV. N. r. PITTMAN.
v ritten for The Robesonian

L..
Floyd at Fairmont, N. c., on Jan.
uary 26, 1917, l observed nv sixtv-
first birthday. Engraved on a mar
bic slab which marks bv mothers
grave is the date of her departure,
January IS, 1856, whic his the date
Of my birth.
For many years I came from dis
tant places to her grave and wept
alone. [ was told that she was there
in the ground and that God took her
from me. Many times I wished to
shoot God, | knew that the Yankees
killed letter Pittman's father. One
night l was very angry at God when
slept with letter at his home His
neither tuckel the covers on that
winter night abo1t Us and
caressed and lovingly stroked
his brow and kissed him,
but did not kiss me. Cousin Mag.
was a beautiful mother and l loved
her, and | know now that she lo1 ed i
letter and Frank and Gussie and
Bob all the more because their faith
er had recently been slain in the
Civil war. When she went away
from our room after kissing letter
and without kissing me l was mad
;, at the Yankees for taking letters
), father and at God for taking my
mother. And yet l would go long
distances year after year to my
mothers grave, but my tears were
> bitter and my prayers were without
:, comfort.
Much have I read the Bible and /
: have learned that my mother is not
buried and that God did not kill
: her. "Our Savior has brought life
and immortality to light through
e, eternal life" Christ Jesus says: 81
r give unto them eternal life and they
e shall never perish" My mother was
e and is a daughter of God and God
S has never lost a child A mortal
S is not Gods child. Men bury mortal
n remains, saying dust to dust, earth
e to earth, ashes to ashes. The gen.
: uine man is indestructable and i'm
" mortal.
/ enjoy coming back home. | fine
l. many admirable people in Robeso1
{ county who knew me when | was
is little boy. They call me Rowland
IS as they did half century ago. Las
IS week I met some Confederate sol
lie diers in Lumberton. Some of then
10 spoke affectionately of my. father
1et A. r. Pittman, whose preaching wa
IS beneficial to them.
IN What they said recalled to m
es memory a morning when l rode l
all a buggy with my father from tn
Ill old home on Horn camp, near fall
". mont, to Lumberton, where he too
on r2seago on a train for the seaside
lis serve as chaplain among the soldier
u The other day | went to the Old RAJ
mt wav station and looked down tt
At track and remembered how my hea
sh hurt and how | cried there when
watched the train bear my fatn
1lo away. 1 u
be; Since those days have crossed tt
es- oceans and roamed the seas ana raj
lty bled in foreign lands, but l am y
I've what my education has made me- a.
ald I am discovering anew that l 20
ad- With undying affection the. Peep
the who we're dear to me when L was
son Before I was twenty I went aw;
MI from Robson. In my early zee
/ left my old home for one poar
ace ing school after another. l w
md .cuth of Ashpole, where L ooar oar,
ess end was a pupil Of Arch McMl1l'
IN q great teacher. Then l BOARDED
err Or,en humans and was q pupil u
der S. W. Bennett at Union AGA
nat emv. clerked for James Meme
M on Broad Ridge. When L was apo
gh1 sixteen years of age l went to ba
Tea nockburn, S. c., and had a gre
ATE crop of cotton gathered for Neeoha
me J. Thompson. l also clerked
er,, Uncle Nein McQueen.s store at cray "a!
mo creek on the Cape Fear river: RI
No. allv | landed in The Robesonlan
ter flee, where I spent two years.
I have recently spent a few mon1
or in Robson county. l have Vlslo
ns homes in which hospitality IS enaii
40 ing. I have walked and f'ioeh
er, roads which delight my splfls. w.
ma ma ike the footpaths along the III, roa
ice manse and listen to the threnody
re wind in the long-leaf pines.
o,,iov the aroma of the forests.
Is. ~ 49, 1naths that wind about and in al
az clr f fhrouoh field and forest I reli
10 10 o1ades among the trees AMI tt
coz skv above the fields.
ms go fo,7nd happiness with fami
t aronns at the old-time Fireplace
ms : who have spent my winters f
ng noanv wears in a cold climate
for s steam offices and stear
ng heated homes. have found old7 !!
zee n,erriment, refreshing music, rolilc
I'VE ing humor, songs Of zion and lar
"a a i i1 prayer for the firesides OF gre
Mt AID good people this winter
re- South Carolina and Eastern Nor
The Carolinas are great. I ha'
err been in all the States except MAN
ma New Hampshire and Vermont, b
w9l the Carolinas have the blue r1Dp1
Il 1at from nv unprecedented hand for G
me, ne mate. Excepting few days. ma,
ace been happily out Of doors 1 e
a ,te ery day until near February l. II
OIL merchants and farmers seem to
,r prospecting. H. e.r
six LEI NC ous n grow orchard