The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-31
'LAY-BY" TIME.
Plunkett Tells of How the Time
Was Looked Forward To
In GOOD OLD DAYS BEFORE THE WAR
Old Mans Pleasant Visit to the
City of Newman.
For The Constitution.

meant peace and rest Tor the old ana lroDc ana
enjoyment for the young"
These were the remarks Of old man Punk
EFT, as he leaned back against the oak, under
the shade of which he had seated himself
after his monday meal
''Yes, sir" continued the old man as he
frailed the dust from his sock upon the rounds
Of the chair, Eve used to have good times
after lay by Of crops, and even the niggers
always looked forward to the time TO come
when they could have their three or four hours
in the middle Of tho day to gather erround
upon the grass and eat watermelons and drink
cider and sing the melodies that are UnsHng
now and watch the sports Of their young Off
spring as they rolled upon the grass and
tumbled in the sand The niger was happy
then, happier than he will ever be ergin, and
the whites were prosperous and contented
then to an extent that will never
be known in these days of what
they call progress add prosperity. Friend
ship we're sincere and natures true in them
days, and such a thing as one neghbor charg-
ing another for a quarter Of beef or leg OF
mutton or a ham Of shoat warn't known, and
the big meetings went on at the old I'M
painted mcetinghouses, and after the sermon
was preached in the morning the baskets were
opened uD and the yitu3ls spread and every
body was welcome to eat drink aud make
merry and after the meal was over the young
sters would pair off aud scatter through the
groves and walk to the spring and sit in the
wagons and on the grass and court and get
engaged, and then they would all gather in
Che old church again, and the leader would
standup in front aud beat time with his hand
and sing the good old songs that
helped thousands that long since have slept
In their graves on TO that other shore
"Whero no more storms win rise"
"And then would come the campmeeting
time that would bring season Of love feast
ing between neighbors that would pay for all
the logs Of the plow handle in the short ribs
and all the biistcrs from the old shoe and all
the vexations Of n contrary mule in n new
ground cotton patch, and for all the early ris-
ing in the month of May and June when the
grass was iointing and spreading from row to
row. Everything was love, and every smiling
face seemed welcome, without price, to partake
of the bountifully supplied tables that were
spread beneath the trees.
Eyes" continued the old man after pause,
1--WE all eat together and wheat straw was the
flooring for the tents, and the quilts were all
there TO spread down, and the men would lay
down on enc side aud the women on the other,
with inst room for person to walk between
their feet, and if long fellow and or tall girl
happened to lay opposite each other, they had TO
be mighty careful how they Strengthened or
thor feet would meet and get tangled up; but
there was nothing wrong If they did, for tho
young girls didn't have to set up them days as
stiff as or poker for fear they'd be talked
erbout, but they acted just like they were hu-
mans the Same rs tho men, and when time
would come to go TO sleep, sweethearts would
walk together to the tents and at the door one
would so to the left and one to the right, and
undress, and sleep upon the straw with their
feets nearly touching with just as much pro
priety as Is in the customs that now pertain.
"When the big bugle was sounded in the
morning there was rush to get ready TO at
tend the prayer before breakfast. The SER
vices were held under large arbor, that was
renewed from year TO year, and there was
kept long bugle that was sounded from the
pulpit just as they sound their big bells these
days.
at would seem strange to the young genera
ton to watch such getting ready of the boys
and girls, the old and the young, when that
old bugle was sounded. The girls OF this day
would never have got to n morning service, for
by the time they'd get all the
fiXings on what they wear these days
the meeting would have been over, but then it
want that way, for 10y the time any young
fellow could get into his clothes and pull on
on his boots his sweetheart would be ready to
pour him some water outen gourd to wash
his face and then he'd pour for her and in less
than or mint they'd have their hair smoothed
up aud on their way down 10 the arbor TO en-
Joy prayer-meeting where a sinner would be
saved and u hackslider reclaimed before the
sun was fifteen minutes high. They don't
have 10 such meetings these times. For II
they were TO get up a good old camp meeting
now some Of these fellows would come outen
Atlanta and be er hollering ice cream, ice
cold lemonade, only i've cents er glass! or
some other town talk. or else these
preachers what we have
now would stop orhout the time they got things
warmed up and ask some of the brothers TO
pass Ground Che hat. or oso some youngster
would shoot oil pistol If everybody in the
next generation don't so TO hell, if they keep
this progress business up, it will be wander
10 me.
"Tle emily thing that l 500 now il the lay
by time that has n smaci, % the good old day,
of before the war is tho soldiers reunions,
They ,ook me over 70 Newman not long ergo and
/ seed ell soldiers ,,llat I had seed under try
ing times aud when llc good people OF Newman
shoN,d them appreciation for the veterans by
giving Them the preference az the table ana
everywhere il done me good, for / knowed
they deserved it, ani when j Thought Of the
way ahat they had 90 scramble during the war
10 Sc, eF halo heef aNd bread. and looked upon
thoir bri ,lt faces asthey pitched into the tlne
dinner set before them, thought of the old
song Chat we used TO sing that went 70 indicate
mans condition in paradise:
Ana not wave Of trouble rolls across their peace
sel BREAST
for these old veterans seemed to III The meas