Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-05-13


message. Did you ever hear of the
wee boy? love to think of him, how
one evening at twilight, sitting on the
steps of his home in company with
his dad" and the stars began to ap-
pear and he was interested for a
while in counting them, but soon Civ
ing up as hopeless job, startled his
father with this question: What are
the stars, Papa2" who in reply said,
20 you know what the stars are,
son, don't your" "Well," said the little
boy II was thinking they must be
gimlet holes in the floor of heaven
to let the glory through"
Yes, most of that generation of big
trees have passed, alas, like the gen
GRAFTON of the big" men of that day;
fathers, grandfathers, greatgrand-
fathers, uncles, and great uncles. Bless
that blur, Moses, tears filled my eyes
at the glad memory of so great
man. Was it because / was a little
boy that men back there looked so
large to me? No, Uncle Ed. Crews,
my Mothers brother, was big man
two ways, three, yes four ways: big
in body, big in voice: now wasn't he?
You could almost hear him whisper a
mile. That was the distance between
our homes, and 1 ought to know.
Big in influence, pocket-book and
hospitality, and above all, big in soul.
They have gone, Moses, and this gen
Grafton is finding it hard to produce
their like. What a challenge to the
nephews and grand nephews and all
men everywhere to fill up the ranks.
Sometimes, when feel one slipping
again, / will write you another letter.
telling of some other big things have
run across during the years of my
globe trotting career; things so big,
that most of the time 1 still feel like
that same little boy, and that some
how should take off my shoes, in re-
cognition that "the ground where
upon am standing is holy ground"
while gaze in wonder at the stars,
and listen to the night voices, and in
memory, to the katydid.
Your fond uncle,
f., e. egg = MARVIN"
And now 1 would like to say that
we appreciate this nice letter from
Uncle Marvin, and it seems that am
not the only one in the world who oc-
casionally gets him memories stirred
up to the boiling-over point.
Today on the street crippled col
ored boy, to whom occasionally give
pennies, walked up to me and said,
"Mr. Moses, yu got TO pennies Then
l asked him how he knew that had
four pennies, to which he replied, "De
Lawd tole me-" Whether he used a
guessing game on me, or whether he
really had vision, don't know. But
1 do know that he got the even four
pennies 1 had.
Mr.. and Mrs. j. E. Offers of Route 5
have returned from Petersburg, Va.
where they attended the funeral and
burial of Mrs. Offers father.
Met Bill and Miss Marie several
days ago, the first time I had seen
them for some time. Bill is the son
of the late Rev. A. P. Tyer who was
our pastor at the Oxford Methodist
church. some, years ago. Miss Marie
was the daughter of the late ]. F.
Meadows, who was a tobacconist here
for many years.
Said they had a son graduating
from the Smithfield high school, Bill
il vice-president of the bank at Smith
field. I was sure glad to see them
once more. 1 told Bill that Miss
Marie as child and as a grown
young lady, was one who always spoke
to people whom she knew. There
are folks who out-grow their school
mates and childhood acquaintance,
but Miss Marie never will. She was
eagerly asking about the different
ones in our grade at grammar school.
am not saying all this just for eff
feet, but am saying it because it is
true, and am only repeating what I
have formerly said many times.
Soon after. we moved to town 1 was
in Miss Marie's grade. Her mother
had been i'll and 1 remember well of
someone knocking at our classroom
door with the message for her to
come home at once. Her mother was
worse. Miss Marie lost her Mother,
and several years later her father re-
married, and he did we'll, as Miss Ma,
RE still kept her same disposition.
l remember a beautiful dress she
wore which was almost literally Cow
cred with little gold-colored buttons
The dress-maker who made it lived
next door to us and was at our home
after she made the dress. 1 can re-
member hearing her say that she