Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-11-23
iHE LAST LEAF ON THE TREE
BY J. o. Knott.

t'NS oSneath them of wide application
"na thus may fit into many a situation
O'her than the immediate one consid.
SIsa' am asking the readers of the
REGISTER 10 indulge me in a bit of com.
MUMMY sentiment and history.
IN recent visit TO my home neigh.
oornood. | called upon my uncle and
aun', Mr.. and Mrs. ]. NJ Hendricks
my aunt Is the only remaining men,
OCT OF the original Samuel Knott fam.
? hy' She is the last leaf on the tree
Sde alone connect the generation 10
NhSE my father and his brothers be
.s"o-I Win the e..e...-uA t1at M.
.. ~ LAY.
Intensely. Yeas .sys E,, m any
.-- s.. To- m. aUn, lae sem
s.'...-~ %. Se2...,. ir act. wniie
'-A."s ".ta T.r 80 my iase visit
NoGlA scarcely TeaiILS that | VAS no
speaking to the vigorous ana viNacious
person that had always had on her
tongues end the family history.
Some time ago | wrote for the Reg
ISter story on The Old Home"
That story told as hes; | could the
character of the home in which my
aunt was reared. recall her as an
unmarried woman, with voice that
was very individual AMI musical. She
was full of laughter, and was of the
| IRISH beauty type-having very black
mar and bluish-grey eyes. All that
l recall OF her courtship with by uncle,
Mr.. Hendricks, was their taking me
into the front of their sleigh and Civ
ing me ride from the old home to
my own, where the George Knot;
homestead now stands. OF course
recall the wedding and particularly
the wedding dinner. Trust a boy to
recall wedding feast.
Years have brought the unexpected,
as they always do. But in the main,
the fruitlon of life is much what such
nome influence and such original char
acter promised. The faith has been
kept. The sunset days are calm and
even beautiful. Light has come at
eventlde. A reverence mixed with awe
is felt by those of us who look upon
enc who knew so familiarly and low
ed so fondly our fathers and mothers
heartily wish that every member
OF any family occupying positions such
as my aunt and uncle now occupy,
might receive from the family connec-
ton some obvious evidence of the fam
ilyS reverent love. What tribute af-
. VI WIN . HSd'lI, dS llluSll DIS tIlGSc re-
lleve the feelings of the living, can
compare with expressions of regard
and love TO the living who have given
mes time and energies to us? A
man in one of my former pastorates
said that his career killed his mother !;
ard not until he looked upon her dead
face did he realize what he had done.
lie then reformed and lived ever af-
RI H,,t ,nt,.
what reversal of correct living this
was! Not long since, the movies in
washington gave a screen presenta-
ton of "Over the Hills" 1t dealt
with filal ingrattude and neglect
Some young women in the auditorium
wept so bitterly that the remark was
made, This picture has gone home to
some Of them" | wondered as saw
1t how many young women and young
men, in this city of strangers, would
go to their rooms afterwards and write
tender letters to their aged parents. II
any did this, the picture was moi
shown in vain. If do not seem to be
to say to all persons whose parents
are living or who have aged relatives
yet on earth, nothing is so conSoling
" thS lSoit upOIl NC
parture of loved one from earth as
the remembrance that we did what we
could to make the closing days of the
older people happy. And nothing
will bite and sting like the bitter men,
DRY of nconsiderateness, not to say in
gratitude.
think can say for the two persons
Immediately concerned in this refer
thof I'D
ready to do everything they can; and
that mere duty is lost in delight to do
what will give these two any pleasure.
II differences ever existed, they are
gladly forgotten. Only the gold of
character remains when now the fires
: of life are withdrawn. The ashes OF
to the winds. The family connection
have fought and won.
My uncle, Mr.. Hendricks, has been
in feeble health. But upon my ask
book on Colonel Mosby's exploits, in
alton between General r. E. Lee and
battle Of Gettysburg, nv reference
to the Civil War was like the rattle
of sword to an old war-horse. I'm
, mediately Mr.. Hendricks eyes grew
bright and his voice grew stronger.
Then he gave me, in most vivid words,
and in most interesting details, some
: touches of the war to which he gave
his young manhood. ! only wish that
there had been hidden away in some
place a stenographer who could have
reproduced these flashes OF first-hand
information from one who met per-
sonally most Of the generals of the
Confederacy and who was in the fight
with body and heart.
"What is your opinion of Wade
Hampton as compared with Stuart, as