Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-12-22

All the time she was gathering in her apron
dropped rose leaves and poppy leaves to press be-
tween the leaves Of the big Bible.
A little down the slope lay the vegetable garden
of my father full Of long, beds, all turned
over each year by the spade and the spine. On
Lord but yet have the memory Of 1t In my pacK'
Why had they not thought of gardens to be fur-
rowed by horsepower? But they had pot. think
because they were yet too full OF Old England
and Yankee was after all, the most imitatNe
creature in the world. He shook his fst and
wagged his tongue like the great bell at MOSCOW
at the world Englishman, but for all that he was
himself English, both in his stomach and In his
head. He not only spaded his gardens but he
took his snuff like an Engishman, and he built
his fence after an English pattern. What else
could explain why he had so many little yarus
about our house, and built our house close down
by the road? AS If we were crowded Into little
island and had not room enough to turn around,
in. We are more Independent now, and really
are getting some notions Of our own But tnen
our house stood only a stones throw from the
highway, and there was a little box, OF yard In
front, and this was full Of locust trees and honey
suckles, and there at night the honey moths would
come and play highspy in the blossoms. George
III our great gray cat, would sit down to look
at one that came too near-for what was ltf-a
bird or butterfly? And like all Of us, he was
bit of naturalist. He liked very much to classl-
fy the world but never hestated to put the choic-
est specimens in his stomach, which Is, l see the
way with other scientists. They Will eat a
megalothoporoid as quick as pig
But you should have seen the "sturtons" as they
grew in rows all about the vegetable beds, for our
father also had an eye to beauty. Did he not set
hollyhocks all about his corn fields? Then, when
the great stalks of crimson and gold stood up In
tha fo1ly hat church
stopped to look with admiration, he said Truly,
one shall not live by bread alone" And he liked
best those neighbors who looked the longest as
the little mother liked best those who ate most OF
her goodies. The saffron, and dill, and the rue
and rosemary, and carraway, and fennel ana the
mints grew by the brook that ran down back OF
the house and garden; and, indeed there were
also more of these herbs that stood always In the
place of family doctor Indeed, you may look;
but it was not so bad an exchange. And as Tor
the notions, they may have been no worse than
the guesses Of the profession nowadays
There is no good living where there are no
brooks and this was brook Of the first water.
II bubbled out Of rocky hollow, some little secret
cavern and then 1t laughed and tumbled for half
mile before 1t got over Its fun. The little mother
In summer would walk with US there, and she
would sometimes say, "Now, let us go father over
TO the glen, where the bigger brook Is, and the
ferns. and the witcnnaZel ana lne yelo" UlTcil,
and the beechdrops" Oh, 1t was glorious fun
Rut at night after work, the dear father would
come early from the field, and say 'Now, let us
oil 90 for Strawberries" Then-ah, but how can
7 tell YOU such delicious joys! You know nothing
of wild strawberries much less do you know the
delight Of creeping about the meadows and down
by the stumps In the pastures, while the bobolink
whistles, and the brooks gurged, as we gathered
the long stems that lay lovingly against the grass.
Where are we? had no business out of season
and in midwlnter to take you through snow banks
m nick strawberries. But it's such tricks the men,
orv nlays We will get at once back to the house.
The. front door, as you see, opens just In the mid
die In halves and from that the hall runs back as
straight as a Puritan's nose, right through every
halves of the door swing open separately. know
not WHY II was unless 1t were an inheritance from
n,oneer DAYS, when 1t was well to be able to look
ont and parley little before opening the way for
an Indian rush. So, at any rate, all the doors in
those DAYS were cut across the middle. In the big
ward was the woodshed, and that was full of piles
oP wood as dry as tinder. 1t was the comfort Of
winter, and the very right arm of successful
home From the woodshed we all went, Kicking
Arst the dirt from our boots, into the great living
room. where we Nyere all together. Over this door
WAS twined with care a great bittersweet, and
all over the stone curb Of the well was wild
white-fowerlng clematis.
"Father" said the little priestess, tits as well
to cultivate the beautiful and enjoy it. Why