Thursday, December 28, 1899
Father Abraham’s Talk
This talk is found in Poor Richard’s Almanac and is represented as having occurred at a merchant’s vendue.
“But dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says.”
Then Father Abraham enlarges as follows: “How much more than necessary do we spend in sleep forgetting that the sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping enough in the grave.
If time be of all things the most precious, wasting of time must be, as Poor Richard says, the greatest prodigality; since, as he elsewhere tells us, lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough always proves little enough. Let us then be up and doing, and doing to the purpose; so, by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity.
“Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy, as Poor Richard says; and He that rises late must trot all day and shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.
“Drive that business, let not that drive thee.
“Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
A BOYHOOD REMINISCENCE
By W. T. Price
During the winter of 1841, the writer was an eleven year old pupil of the Pocahontas Academy founded by Rev. Joseph Brown, and for the winter session temporarily the Old Brick Church was used. My boarding place was at Mr. Davis Poage’s, the nearest house. The group that gathered nightly around the fireside was Margaret Poage, verging ninety years, Mr. and Mrs. Davis Poage, both well up in sixty; and myself.
I need not say that in the kitchen I found more congenial company with the Fagans, Aaron and Lewis, both grown young men, Lewis Fagan proposed that we should form a debating society with Aaron for President. This was done and Lewis and I had some animated debates over such questions: Who deserves the most honor, Columbus for discovering America or Washington for defending it? Which is most conducive to human happiness, marriage or single life? etc.
Mr. Poage, however, felt that the kitchen was not the proper place for his boarder to spend the evenings, and so he took down a copy of Rollin’s Ancient History and proposed that I should read for the people from supper to bedtime. Mr. and Mrs. Poage occupied their cozy chairs amply cushioned with sheep skins in the east corner. The aged mother retired to bed, leaving the door open so she could hear, and the reader was placed at the west corner near the churn which served as a candlestand for the tallow dip that afforded the needed light for reading…
EDWARD ERVINE
Ancestor of the Irvine Relationship
Among the citizens of prominence in the organization of our county was Edward Ervine, late of Green Bank District. His residence was at the head of Trimble’s Run. This homestead is now occupied by his son, Preston, and David Gragg, a son-in-law.
Mr. Ervine was born April 2, 1790, near Miller’s Iron Works on Mossy Creek, Augusta County and lived there until manhood.
He married Mary Curry, who was born June 1794. Upon leaving Augusta county soon after his marriage, he settled on Back Creek near the Brick House at the mouth of Long Draft. They were the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters…
In the leadings of an all-wise Providence, Edward Ervine’s lot fell to him in a sparsely populated country. The type of the religion he inherited in Scotland and the north of Ireland tended to blend in personal character, indominable industry, wise provision and satisfying comfort, and the ideal of his endeavors was to have a home of his own amid fields and meadows. Of such homes an eloquent writer says: “The homes of our lands are its havens of peace; its sanctuaries of strength and happiness. Hence come those principles of probity and integrity that are the safeguards of our nation. Hence emerge those devoted sons of the soil, the true citizenship of our loved country…
