San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04

when less than q year old, l could
not have been more than 3.
| According TO family tradition, I was
not perfect child by any means, I'M
less the word perfect describes a bog
with all the natural inclinations "a
mischief. Tradition has it that / used
to disobey the injunctions of my moth
er and slip away from home to play
with other children. Our yard was
enclosed with an old-fashioned paling
fence with a Dashboard about a foot
deep. By crawling close to the ground
l could conceal myself behind this
broad board and get away from home
without being noticed. More than
once l was brought back and chas-
tised and tied TO the bedpost as a
punishment.
EARLY AMBITIONS.
Three ambitions entered into my life
before l was years old. l fix the
age at 6 because one of the first things
to stay in my memory is the removal
to our farm home. which occurred in
the summer of 1866. The incidents
of my boyhood are roughly classified
as having occurred while we lived in
town or after we moved to the coun.
try. This is the way / know of three
early ambitions.
The first was to be Baptist
preacher, due doubtless TO the fact that
my father was a member of that
church. OF course, 1 was too young
to have any distinct recollection Of
either this ambition or its abandon.
ment, but the record as given by my
parents is that my father took me to
an immersion one night during a pro-
tracted meeting held in a Christian
church. 1 saw the converts going
down into the pool of water to be
baptized. evidently watched the cere-
mony with great interest and was
deeply impressed by it.
On my return home I asked my
father whether it would be necessary
for me to go down into the pool Of
water in order to be a Baptist preach
er. He answered in the affirmative,
and after that they never could get
me to say was going to be Baptist
preacher.
HIS FIRST LOVE.
Ny second ambition was TO be
farmer and raise pumpkins. This did
not last long, but long enough to be
a matter of remark in the family. 1t
! may have been due to the plans we
were making to remove 10 the coun-
try.
i remember that young lady by
the name of Hester, daughter of
Brother Williams. the much-beloved
pastor of the Christian Church, came
into my life about that time and prom
ised TO wait for me. She was a very
handsome girl, nearly grown, and en-
couraged me in my taste for agricul-
tural pursuits.
When shortly afterward decided
TO be a lawyer, she gave my change of
plans as an excuse for refusing to
look forward, TO life partnership,
and married a farmer cousin of mine.
TURNS 20 LAW.
Ny third ambition, to be a lawyer,
was probably due to the fact that my
father was lawyer, and at that time
circuit judge. / used 70 20 down TO
the courthouse and sit upon the steps
leading up to the bench and listen TO
the trial of cases. This ambition was
it succeeded, and was actually at
tanned.
In 1866 we moved to the country,
because father believed that the farm
was a better placs to raise a family.
Our house was a brick one, of the
type quite familiar in Virginia, with
hall running through the centre. A
commodiOus yard, about 300 feet long
and 300 feet wide contained a row of
cedars on each side of the walk, and
several rows Of naples.
BRYAN FAMILY LIFE.
still measure distances by my rec
elections Of that farm. A hundred
yards is still the distance between our
|, front door and the gate. a quarter
mile is the length of the avenue, and
half mile is the distance from our
farm fence to the main street.
One picture which is most clearly
outlined in my memory is that Of the
family gathered in the parlor On Sun
day afternoon, singing Sunday school
songs and church hymns. Mother, al
though not an accomplished musician,
played the accompaniment on the
piano. and led the singing. Fathers
favOrite piece was "Kind Words" and
we were wont TO close the singing with
his fayorite song.
POLITICIANS VS.. CLERICS.
The spare bedroom was set apart for
the special entertaipment of politicians
and diYines. Bringing together in
our home these two classes Of people
not only illustrated my fathers views
on the subject, but early taught me
to regard the science of government as
an entirely honorable one.
Ny father was as much at home
with ministers as with politicians or
statesmen. He saw no necessary con-
flict, and / have never been able TO
see any, between the principles of our
government and the principles Of the
Christian faith.
Our farm, which was my home for
seventeen years. contained $40 acres
in one block, nearly all Of it prairie.
with a small woods pasture near and
an S0-acre piece of timber about three
miles away. We had a part Of four
teen acres adjoining the farm where
my father INDUCED bis fancy for deer,
the number in the park running up at
times 10 as high as twenty.
KEEPS PIG CLEAN.
Ny parents were not fanciers OF
pure bred stock, although / remember
several excellent males that were
bought from time TO time-as a bull
10 which we gave the name, White
Cloud. We were very proud OF him
until he became vicious. when we had
70 dienoea If him Nv first cYpp II |