THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, August 22, 1995               TAG: 9508220004
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   26 lines

WHERE ARE PORCHES OF YESTERYEAR?

I remember the old front porch. It was a place where family and friends would gather on warm summer evenings when their chores were done. It was a place to rest and talk over the problems of the day. It was a time of togetherness that you seldom see today.

I remember the sights and sounds of the night, the creaking sound of Mom's old rocking chair, the sound of the crickets, the glow of fireflies across the lawn! The sweet perfume of the honeysuckle on the side of the porch. I do believe those porches brought families closer together.

In today's world that's filled with the noise of rock music, stereos and violence, we will never be able to recapture the magic of those star-filled nights on the old front porch.

RUTH C. ROMIG

Suffolk, Aug. 16, 1995 by CNB