Darlington School - Jabberwock Yearbook (Rome, GA)

Page 23 text:

A wx. w W

Page 22 text:

Wzrmm wrret gmc La lLLlAM WALKER BROOKES youngest ot the three sons ot Walker Iverson Brookes and Harrret Estes Brookes was born March 28 l858 at Orange Grove the ancestral home ot hrs mother rn Barnwell Drstrrct South Carolrna Surroundrng the Southern Colonral house encrrcled by gardens vrneyards and orchards were broad acres ot tertrle lands through whrch the Savannah flowed to the sea lt was standrng upon the verandah as a lrttle boy srx years ot age that he looked out rnto the nrght and saw flames prercrng the black shadows as they leaped alott devourrng many homes upon nerghborrng plantatrons that vred wrth Orange Grove rn beauty Sherman and hrs men were on therr march to the sea Hrs tather Walker lverson Brookes gave hrs chrldren every educatronal advantage that the trme and the srtuatron permrtted In l869 the oldest son lverson Lewrs entered the Unrversrty at Athens Georgra and Joseph James Darlrngton a young younger chrldren ln advanced years Mr Darlrngton gave a vrvrd prcture ot the scene that met hrs eyes when he stepped trom the steamboat at Johnson s Landrng He saw a grove of grant magnolra trees under the spreadrng branches a young boy on horseback and over hrs arm the brrdle ot another horse that was rn readrness tor Mr Darlrngton From the trrst moment ot therr meetrng there began a relatronshrp between Wrllram Walker Brookes and Joseph James Darlrngton that was more than teacher and puprl rt was sprrrt wrth sprrrt Walkers devotron tor Mr Darlrngton strengthened wrth the years Mr Darlrngtons rdeas and rdeals hrs lotty standards ot conduct and character hrs rntellectual achrevements hrs srmple srncere relrgrous tarth lett therr rmpress tor lrte upon Walker Brookes Hrs beautrtul young mother had been called to her heavenly home rn I86O Several years later h s tather was unrtecl rn wedlock wrth Mrss Martha Cooley ot Rome and rn , , . 1 1 I 1 . I . . . I . I . I I . I . I f f I , . . . . I I . I . . I . , . , graduate ot Erskine College, was engaged to come to Orange Grove as tutor to the . . , I l I I . . . , . V ,

Page 24 text:

WILLIAM WALKER BROOKES l87O Mr Brookes removed wrth hrs famrly to that crty Mr Darlrngton was soon rnduced to rom them and contrnue the happy assocratron as tutor rn the famrly After an rnterrm Mr Brookes secured a posrtron for Mr Darlrngton rn the boys school founded by Mr John M Proctor Here young Walker contrnued under the rnfluence and trarnrng of Mr Darlrngton untrl he completed the course provrded by thrs school Influenced no doubt by the fact that hrs father was a lawyer early rn lrfe he chose the study of law as hrs vocatron So he now went to Atlanta to read law rn the ofhce of Judge George Hrllyer where Woodrow Wrlson was at one trme a student l-le was ready to stand hrs legal examrnatron at srxteen years of age when physrcrans told Mr Brookes hrs son could not lrve unless he had a radrcal change of lrfe and ceased such close study that rt was absolutely essentral that he lrve rn the open Thrs was a butter drsapporntment but relyrng upon hrs trust rn the love and wrsdom of rn South Carolrna he assumed the management ofthe large plantatron I-lrs father ownrng an extensrve lrbrary many books had been left rn the old home when the famrly removed to Georgra After the days work was over alone rn the house he would read books of travel of phrlosophy of relrgron The boy who at srx years of age had seen homes and fortunes swept away rn the flames of war as a lad of srxteen erghteen nrneteen felt a flood of sympathy for humanrty surgrng through hrs heart Nrght after nrght he would close hrs books leave the great empty house wrth rts lonely halls and go out rnto the open under the stars where God seemed so near and pray to the One whose ear rs ever ready to Irsten If l lrve make me of use to my generatron After four years at the plantatron hrs health was greatly benefrted, he therefore returned to Georgra resumed the study of law passed hrs examrnatron and was ad mrtted to the bar rn I878 Soon after thrs he opened an offrce rn Rome where he began hrs practrce Early rn hrs career he was chosen to represent Floyd county rn the Legrslature Hrs experrence rn the House of Representatrves served to show hrm that , . . . I I . I . . , . God, young Walker followed the course insisted upon and returning to Orange Grove, , . , ' f ll I . I . . ' I ' I I . . :-., . ' I f -