The Old Country Store

Progress has a price,
That came with high cost...
The old country stores,
Forever now lost.

The store had Wash boards,
And horse harness too...
That smelled of new leather,
Not sweaty but new.

There was muslin and thread,
With needles and pins...
Rick rack and some lace,
Bolts of cloth without end.

Flat irons and starch,
With some bluing too...
To make one's clothes white,
And sparkle like new.

Lye soap for the laundry,
Sorted with care...
Water heated in a boiler,
That had been bought there.

There was sugar and flour,
And spices to flavor...
Lotions and pills,
And tonics to savor.

With a pot belly stove,
To chase winter's cold...
Chairs for just resting,
As stories were told.

But in time came Progress,
With bright neon lights...
Stores full of new products,
A shopper's delight.

The country store struggled,
As it tried to compete...
With the big stores that lined,
Both sides of each street.

The old store has weathered,
Like some aged face...
As Progress moved in,
Took over its place.

An era is gone now,
That some of us knew...
The old country store,
Replaced by the new.

Generations have missed,
And never will know...
The old country Store,
When living was slow.

(c) 07/27/08 Loree (Mason) O'Neil

Photo: T J Garth's General Merchandize store in Roseland Virginia. These old country stores were always a treasure to visit with their old time counters and wooden kegs and the old pot belly stove to keep you warm in the winter. Few people had telephones and a visit in the evenings could let you get caught up on all the local news and to visit with all the local folk. Like so many of these beautiful old groceries, they were forced out of business by big stores coming into the areas in the late 50s and early 60s.