The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-03
I New Y0qT'S Tale.
Written for The Constitution.

ALu 50 uOeS L, sara DTONll, bS lS poOh
vigorous bite on his tobacco and prepared him
self to listen.
81 went back" continued Plunkett, to
where I used to live in my young days, in old
Pike county, but things haint material there,
and folks haint the same, and [ was glad when
it was time to start home"
ON be bound" chimed in Brown.
CAS- passed erlong the roads that used to
travel and knowed everybody, I'd ak:
"Who lives here?
"And they'd tell me Professor So-and-so or
DR., So-and-so, or Rev So-and-so, or Judge So
and-so, till jist hushed up axing questions,
and begin to wish 1 was back erlong with
the old oman"
THE war brought this new tangled way Of
calling folks on" spoke Brown, land l don't
like nothing that was got up by them times"
"Well," continued Plunkett, 81 found every
thing changed, and the folks what had
known had either moved off to Texas or were
dead one, for I'd ak 'em:
"'Whar's old Rolin'?"
'Hes dead long ergo!"
'Whar's. the Hollands?"
"Gone to Texas"
"Whar's Burton?'
"Gone to Texas"
"Whar's the Jones p
"Gone to Texas"
"And so it went, till at last axed em whar
the Blakes was, and found that one of tho
girls, Elizabeth, was living over by the mill,
erlong with some of her grandchildren that L
didn't know nothing erbout, but nothing would
do but what l must go over and see her, and l
went, and me and her talked of old times, and
she list set thar and the tears would
run down her checks, and L cried
erlittle myself, but the young folks
thought it was childish, and so braced up
and wanted to change the subject, but Eliza
beth wouldn't here to it, till at last one of the
young gals that was in the crowd walked over
to one of these here pianos and two or three
stood up by her and she begin to thump erway
on it and they all sung some hifalutin songs
and then they turned Ground to me and Eliza
beth and axed us if we didn't like the music,
and Elizabeth lowed to me:
"Don't you remember the last time we were
together was at er singing at old man Lees
down in the 0th?'
"And then the youngsters were right in for
us to sing 'em one of our old songs, and Eliza
beth layed off her specls and begun and 1
joined in on the base and we sung, as the tears
rolled over Elizabeths cheek and drapped
down on her lap, this old song which we had
sung together forty-fye years before
All in the merry month of May,
Nhen the green buds they were swelling,
Young Jimmie on his deathbed lay
For the love of Bobry Allen
Young Jimmie died on Saturday.
AMI Bobry died on Sunday,
The mother died for the love of both,
She died on Easter Monday.
Sweet William was buried in one churchyard,
And Bobry in another,
And out of his there grew rose,
And out of hers brar
when me and Elizabeth quit singing one
Of the young men cut er caper er two er round
on the carpet, and sung:
"Bonnie Annie Laurie or any other man,
Nelly BLY, stuck her foot in her
Hoop-te do-dem-do."
"And out he pranced on the porch to the
water-bucket and took er drink"
"I'd bet er hundred dollars he was one of
these here since-thc-war youngsters" spoke
old man Brown.
"But," continued Plunkett "nothing would
do the youngsters but what me and Elizabeth
should sing EN- some of our old lively songs, so
Elizabeth she begin to smile and let out:
ooh, where have you been, Billie, boy, Billie boy,
Oh, whore have You been, my charming Bile?"
81 have been to seek wife; she's the joy of my life
But she's young thing-too young to leave her
mama
''Did she ask you in, Billie, boy, Billie, boy
Did she ask you in my charming Billie2"
Sheasked me IN, with dimple in her chin,
But she's young thing-to young to leave her
mama
"Can she make cherry pic, Billie. boy, Billie boy
Can she make a cherry pic, my charming Bilie?'
"She can make cherry pie as quick as cat can
wink lis eye,
But she's a young thing-too young to leave her
mama,' etc, etc.
| "But," continued PlunIett, 'I'm back home,
and me and Elizabeth will never see each other
ON this earth again, for she's scventy-two, and
| If l live through tomorrow it will makeIeighty-
| three new years that have passed over my
head, and folks may pass erlong and say he's
! dead before another new year comes, but m
! glad I've never been in Texas"
| The reason don't like Texas is on account
OF yonder little grave in the corner of the fence,
right by them cedars and that pcrsipmon
tree. My old oman planted them cedars thar
and built that rock wall Ground EN-, and 1
expect to'fx it in my will so as that little grave
will be cared for"
Brown chunked the fire and took fresh
chew of tobacco, and Plunket proceeded:
"Erway back yOnder when me and the old
oman were young like"
| lhe old oman, as IIunkett called MS Wle
layed her knitting down on her lap, and put
ting one of the needles in her hair, as was her
habit, she finished the sentence by remarking;
'And that was just the day before New
| Years"
''Now, how do You know what I'm gwyne to
tell" remarked Plunkett, but soon proceeded:
"The old oman and me war gwyne over
across the creek TO spend the night--it was the
night before New Year, IS and as we went
on up yonder by that gin house we seed or lot
of folks there fist er striking camp for the
night from down somewhere in Monroe coun-
ty that were on their way to Texas.
"'We're going to use water from your spring
tonight said one of the campers, as me and
the old oman got opposite to en-
"'Au right said l, and l aXed EN- where
they war bound for, and they told me Texas
"Over to one side by er fire, sitting on err big
trunk was err young oman with or bouncing
little baby in her arms, and as me and the old
oman walked up it crowed and jumped and
laughed at us till the young mother could