Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-09-11
Back On My Native Heath.

IL has peen TWO years n SIX
months since I left the county! Dur
ing that time I have travelled from
"Dan to Beersheba, and from Beer
sheba back to DAN" I have climbed
lofty mountains and looked down up
on the clouds. I have descended into
the valley and stood on the banks of
the Tugaloo river and watched its
turbulent waters roll by; I have look
ed above me in the star-decked dome
of Heaven and gazed upon the far
away planets and comets, performing
their s%tupendous and harmonious
revolutions, and have seer written
upon the face of all nature the glory
and wonder of the great Creator!
But when / look up at the great
Blue Ridge mountains sending their
peaks heavenward, l say, "This is
one of the great h~andiworks of God"
I have stood on the brink of the
beautiful Keowee along whose banks
the stalwart Indian wooed and won
his forest-born lover. Along this val
ley and on the mountain side and
through the deep gorges the Red
men would settle with blood their
disputes of boundary and dominion.
l have been to Lovers Leap"
This is where the son of the chief
of the Oconee tribe was running
away with his dusky maid and was
about to be oHertaken when they de-
cided to make the plunge rather than
be captured. Here they embraced
each other, saying, Together we
have sweetly lived, together let US
de-" and they made the leap two
hundred feet, below upon the rocks.
But 1 am DEPRESSING from my text.
Yes, l am standing on my. native
heath at the "Oaks." Here is where
1 first saw the light, and where, in
childhood l would play with the bees.
frogs and bugs, and frolic with the
calves and Lambs. 1t helps to go back
at times and look at the old home
and live in the past for a short while.
1t calls up holy associations and hal
lowed memories. Home" That is the
sweetest word in the English Ian
guage. I love the old home. A mans
home is where he places his single,
bakes his bread and pulls off his
shoes. But l still call "The Oaks"
"home." l love every nail,in its walls.
I love old Edgefeld county, love
her history, her great men and noble
women. I love her hills and hollows,
and every tree, flower and blade OF
grass that grows on her historic hills.
After the battle Of life has been
fought and my armor has been laid
aside, l want my mortal remains to
sleep in her soil.
But let US get down to brass tacks.
These are wal times; it is war4to the
knife and the knife to the hilt! The
United States has the finest looking
soldiers the world ever looked upon,
and they are full of grit, courage,
and a whole lot of "pep." Best of all,
they are unafraid. Lloyd George
said in the British parliament, CIV
erybody knows how CALAMITY the
Americans fought shoulder to Shout
der with your French comrades. You
Americans ran into the fight like
going to a feast. Your magnificent
dash upset the Huns entirely" That
is a beautiful compliment. hope
and pray that they may aim low,
shoot straight and kill orr cripple
every Hun they face on the battle
line! Those they can't kill or catch,
run them ragged, give them no time
to dig or rest.
This is every mans fight. 1t is a
fight to put down Prussian autocrat-
ic rule, a war for humanity and
Christianity. Any man who holds
back his sword in this conflict for
the freedom of the world, the curse
of God will follow.
Course We Meroz," said the Angel
of the Lord. Course We bitterly the
inhabitants thereof because they
went not up to the help of the Lord,
to the help of the Lord against the
mighty"
Many Deaths in Community.
Nearly all of the old people from
this community have died. in less
than two years. Fifteen old people
have died from Fruit Hill to Johns
ston, namely: Mrs. Zimmerman, Mr..
Ransom Bledsoe, Mr.. Morgan, Mr..
Riley, Mrs. McClung, Mr.. Jack Ed
wards Robert Powell. MI. Asbel, |