The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-03-28
SARGE PLUNKETT.
1T rs WORK TIME IND PLANTING
TIME IN GEORGIA.
Tie Young Folks are Doing Well-Hog,
Hominv and Plenty at Home
is tho Farmers Motto.

see how the children have gone to WORK
to help the old daddies along.
The fathers and mothers and all the
children have gotten in "tOucn," and
country homes have an air Of cheerfulness
that has been absent for a long while.
There is no mOplng, no drOneS, but little
and big, girls and boys, are finging
things around as if old Georgia was ever
to be their homes. The western fever is
off, "this is our country, and we are
farmer boys and girls" seems to be the
proud feeling, and the good Lord be
praised that it is so is what me and
Brown and all our folks say.
l was walking down one of the streets
of Atlanta last week, and just In front
of me there walked a poor old woman.
Along with her was a little grand
daughter. This was all that was left In
Georgia of q once prosperous and numer-
|, GUS family. They have all gone west
/ years ago, and along with one of his
uncles went this old mothers only boy.
The son was young when he went away
with his uncle, and, away out IN Can
fornia, he had never heard of the death
of his father and his sister, ana ne
little thought that this old mother was all
alone with her little granddaughter.
But so it was, and it was so pltltul
l.
slow along to watch the old Woman's
motions Directly, she stopped and mad
something to say to the little grand
daughter. | know that it was something
in regard to provisions, for, pretty soon,
she tished out 4 rag from the bosom OF
her dress, and SO soon as her palSleu
hands could unite q knot In the rag l
saw IS cents shining in the hollow or
her shaking hand. Three nickels 1t was,
and she looked at them Wistfully as the
little girl touched each one with her
finger and said zone, two, three they
hated to turn them loose. But they must
go; one for meal, one for coffee ana the
other one for Il small bunch OF Nndllng
wood. They had got these things III the
store and had just turned, and the little
girl was helping grandma to get over inc
single step of the store door, when
strong Young man, well dressed, ana
with q quick step, turned to them ana
gathered the old mother in his arms. l
felt and knew at once that this was her
long-absent boy. The meeting was pa
thetic. il was too much for the OLD Wo-
mans weak frame She lay limp III her
bows arms. / could not describe the
scene, but a hack was called, ana as
they drove away l thought the ola
mothers face bore the happleSt iook l
ever saw, as it lay upon the Droad
shoulder of that young man.
/ followed on the way they went, ana
had let them pass from my memory as
| watched through the windows or tne
cotton factory at the Stir ana pustie III
there / had not passed lar beyond tIe
factory till | saw the same hack that
had hauled my friends. 1t was standing
nv the c1rbstone at the foot OF stllr-
wor. and a crowd had gathered about
4 stopped to listen, and heard II
'Oered:
IS dead! She's dead!!'
ok me ut once that the Old mother
| saw others go up the steps.
mt. At the top of the stairs
n long passage way, ana,
where 1t was dark and
crowd had gathered i'll Il little
.o5me one opened shutter just
stepped in, and there, upon bed,
the poor old mother, cold in death,
va lii the strong son and the little grand
daughter down upon their knees with
their faces buried in the covering. 1t
was a sad sight. | could see that AL in
the room felt sad with me; only the old
mothers face looked cheerful, She
passed away before the sting OF death
could mar her happy feelings, and I was
glad that it had been so.
Enough of this. L just want to tell
you what this young man told me when
he arose from beside the little bed. He
had grown rich out WeSt-h1S looks snow
ed this-and he told me that it had been
his dream to come home and surprise the
family and make them comfortable. But
he was too late. He had put Off coming
back too long. And now, he told me,
that he would gladly give up all his
wealth if it could undo what had tran
spired. But it is too late for that now;
but there may be some other young men
who forget and neglect the old home
they may profit by this story. l know
old folks in my settlement who watch for
the mails to bring them letterS-Some Of
them wait and watch a long time, and
at last the letters may come too late.
Write to the old folks, boys-you who
are bound to stay away. You don't know
how much good it does their poor old
hearts to hear from their absent children.
But there will not be so much of this
needed in the future l can tell by the
signs L see that the Georgia boys are
going to stay at home. There is u spirit
of state pride a-grOWing that shall foster
and defend these red old hills, and the
heaven of industry that is manifest every
where will cause them to bloom with
plenty and fill the land with good cheer.
/ like to brag on this young generation
when they deserve it-and the country
Youngsters are getting to deserve IT.
They have gone to work this spring with
q yim-boys and girls. They have put
away the affected airs that were creeping
I'D on us, and early in the mornings the
nilkmaids sing their CHEEKY songs as
they trip down the path to the cOWpen,
and the boys go rolicking to their work
There is no drag, no Sinking, as rule,
and on Sundays they are out to church
.looking neat, and the girls as sweet, al
most, as were the young southern girls
in their homemade clothes during the
conTederacy.
There is- no doubt but what the coun-
try has been all out of joint for tlme-s
morally and otherwise. 1t is hard to
Mace the cause. l have laid it to different
things, as the world wagged on, but at
last l have settled down that 1T was
families out of touch" The old daddy
thought one thing, the mother another
thing, and the children had Il way Of
their own. Houses divided against them
selves have much to do with the times,
and it does an old man like me good to
see the fathers and the mothers agreeing
together They can leaven the whole,
and it is beginning to show its good