The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-09-21

friend. Against the advice of many
| friends, | consented, hoping it would
. ultimately be for the best. If mistake.
it is only a mistake, and may the world
profit by it. Why the attitude of these
men? Easily explained. These are facts:
Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Petree have certainly
not been counted among the supporters
! of the Circle; Mr.. Dobbs has declared
1.-THE Club is dead' since dedication day,
| simply because two or three members
were not present to take part in the al
ways successful meetings; and Mr.. f. A.
Kemp-if he or any of his children have
ever been to the Circle since it was or
ganized nearly three years ago, have
never heard of it.
Why their attacks on me F? My friends
say they were chagrined at my building
the house right in face Of the evil proph-
.ecies of most of them and then all ieal-
Gus of the honor the Circle and people
gave me. Waitingsti another insures
success, then sharing its undisputed
blessings, it seems to come with poor
grace for them, when my friends would
give me an empty honor for my labor to
raise their hands and try (but in vain) to
tear it from me. America never saw
just such an instance before. They cover
me in their card all over with harshness,
and not one kind wcrd for all my anxious
labor 4.
Now, with this full history and ample
refutaiion of their groundless charges, l
forever wash my hands of a subject these
men neither appreciate nor understand,
but which my friends know so WE'LL
Whatever they may say, let the public
Judge by the spirit of their last attack.
They may tell of disagreement among
the Building Committee about the name
some opposing Earnest Willie" which
| thought would be more modest than
my real, full name, which a majority of
them told me their hearts favored. Any
way, the Circle on May Goth warmly rat
fed their action, as nobly testified last
week by Farmer Beach," The minutes
also tell. They may claim (as | hear)
that / ''prepared letter, laid it before a
young lady in Atlanta, and got her to
send it up here suggesting that the Hall
be named for me-" o my If they do,
the personal testimony of. the noble
young lady herself, stands ready to
brand as false the unkind charge. That
the name originated with my friends, let
the manly, voluntary card of Prof. Edgar
Talley in last weeks Journal testify.
Remember, the original papers are on
file in the Ordinary's Office, speaking
that Truth who stands up with face all
the more radiant for the tramping it has
received. With the sweet peace. of heart
that flows from a consciousness of duty
done and Gods approving smile, | fear
not what men may say.
Surely these men were misled as to
some things, had forgotten Others, and
well God knows the rest.
Friends on every side tell me with
cheering words and beautiful letters that
they have not hurt me tfor the people
know me), but they have greatly harmed
themselves.
Some day feel that these men will re-
greet their treatment of me. If they will
| drop on their knees right now asking
| God to teach them, or in the last solemn
| hour when about to 60 before the Great
Judge, who knoweth every heart, they
will regret having so causelessly SANDER
ed the invalid boy whose hard labors
their children reap now and will reap for
years to come the boy who is ready to
forgive them, and who, thank God, is
! still happy on the rock of that Truth
| which, though obscured perhaps for a
while, shines clearly at last, as it stands
mistaken and unmoved.
Willie ID. UPsHAw.
Upshaw, Ga.