Eiddew: Day 2: The Southern Gentleman

Yesterday's post about Annie & Montgomery led me to this one. 

The senior minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church was Dr. Robert Strong. He always comes to mind when I think of Montgomery. Dr. Strong was the epitome of the Southern gentleman - kind, soft-spoken, gracious, charming, mannerly, & wonderful soft white hair. His eyes always seemed to smile when he talked to me & he never talked down to me. He always treated me as a real person, even when I was 4. I remember going to his house for Sunday dinners & sitting on his lap like a granddaughter. He smelled so good! His wife was a perfect match for him - just as kind & gracious as he was. Of course, his house was the perfect Montgomery southern home - large, white, columns. But what I remember best about his house was his library - walls & walls of books. I loved looking at all the books lined up on the shelves & the sight of those books was heavenly!

Whenever the words "a Southern gentleman" come up, I immediately flash back to Dr. Strong & I am now realizing that those very young, formative years spent around old families in Montgomery have very much influenced how I look at the South & why I love the old Southern charm so much -