The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-11-12
SARGE PLUNKETT.
BROWy Is DROOPY AND WEI NOT
BE CONSOLED AGAINST WILL.
The Dress for Weddings Cost Too Much in
These Times, and the Oid-Time Dress
Is Much the Best.
For The Constitution.

For The Constitution.
Old winter is upon us--a big white frost
this morning and Brown shiverS in the
chimney corner.
Ordinarily Brown would be as frisky as
a three-year-old on such a morning, but
the death of the czar OF Russia, the
in China, Queen Victoria's Old age, the
price of cotton and the great number of
boy children lately arrived in settle
ment and billed to arrive, puts him in
droopy mood and nothing can BE- done 10
cheer him. / got down the old FIDDLE last
night and ratled off Sugar in the Gourd,"
"Arkansaw Traveller and Come Out the
Wilderness" in a lively way, but not
smile came to his cheerless countenance.
The little grandchildren got out some wal
nuts and down on the old hearth rock they
cracked and eat and now and then some
little would offer its grandpa some of
the goodies, but not a one would Brown
take and not smile nor kind word. Moth
ing but forms of cOnscript officers fit
through his imagination. He fears the
signs of the times smack too much of war
and he can't be kept from associating con-
script officers with war, nor can he forget
how they slipped up on him in the late un-
pleasantness and nothing can move him to
relax for one moment in fear Of another
'slip up
OF course Brown Is crank. If there
were TO be n thousand wars no conscript
act would reach him. ] serter agree with
him on the signs of the times. especially
on the abundance of babies and too much
talk inviting war as n relief for the times,
but there have no comets appeared and no
aurora boraalis. Great people who stay in
their Offices and never mingle with common
folks would be surprised if they were to
go out and mix up and listen TO common
folks talk. The temper OF the times IS
growing for war. or anything that promises
a change. As for me and my folks we are
cheerful and refuse to agree to any such re-
lief as war would bring. We want to re-
turn to the simple ways of old times and
INK that is all that is needed to bring
relief The tan trough used to be down on
the sprinc branch and the old red russell
shoes were good enough and one pair a
year was all that was ever expected by the
family. Homemade jeans for the males
and homespun checks for the females kept
the people warm and gave satisfaction A
little iron, salt and ammunition for
Christmas hunt was about the
height of farmers purchase when
he went to market. Old brother Webb was
laughing yesterday about the farmers growl-
ing over scent cotton and TOLD Of the
first bale he sent TO Augusta after he
moved to where he now lives. There were
wagoners in those days instead OF railroads.
a good 500 DoUnder-was turned over to
q wagner on his way 20 Augusta with in
structions TO sell, buy fifty pounds Of iron
and sack of salt. pay himself for the
hauling and bring what remained 10 the
owner. Brother Webb received $.S3 upon
the wagoner's return as the amount left.
How would farmers now like to take fifty
pounde f iron, one sack of salt and I.SJ
for q 5OO-pound bale Of cotton? The farmer
will
results. Yet the simplicity of old times
allowed brother webb to salt down meat
for a years supply. make plows for his
use, pay his taxes out of the $i.S5 and carry
home from the cross roads store good
supply of ammunition and big jug OF
mountain dew for his Christmas frolic.
Right here in old Dekalp IL those days-in
ten miles OF the great city Of Atlanta-a
woman dressed in calico was in the height
of fashion: she was "honton," while an old
farmers greatest ambition in the matter
or dress was to be abl" to wear
good jeans both summer anu
vrinter-fcw in that day could aHord 70
wear Jeans in summer. even as a Suhu'!
e,,.t Got some of the old-t.mers 10 tell YOU
Of their start in life. Germ Lilis HNe5
lust over the way. and yesterday hetru
him telling. with a pride he could not con
caal of how he walked ten miles 10 gel
married then hand in hand the bIlue ".iU
GROOM footed it TO their future nome, t.e
eroorn carving all the brlCe W@'dI"pe
upon his arm wrapped IN pls pii ,Igi,I
bardkarcbief What would these pil"'''
tourists with trunks large enough TOT
smolxehouse think of this. ana YET, TINS
sa,,,, ..Gern,'' Ellis has raised eleven strong
healthy and respectable sons en-" uauSi'''I
all doing well, and never one no" 70
the third generation, has ever seen iiS'ue
a Jail
II is foolish, suppose, to ever nope "t ITr
~ some of the big notions the Naih w
eir2s the extraVagant customs may oe -
spned Ii is not the very rlch pcplie ~
.I,IrII o6oof these simple customs. i ne
eXf.nv3eance of those able to stand IL nelps
others and Sorter Keeps things eVeheo up
The trouble is that All OF US are CIV" nv in
desire to keep pace with forks away w ~
the scale Of wealth. The very rlch SCI d
pace and every fcol goes in str,nh 70 ~
IN thousand dollar tor 8 hriual o,'tl't
and tneu 81 900 more fO- Il SPIN afouAu lne
country on a tour Must nave coON
AMI Il maid servant and pefhapS; u nc"
All this just for style, lot any
body with sense kno%s that a young cou2ls
lust starting ont don't need any servants
All this to keep up with some Fich pr S III
for common sense tells you, IN SOBER mo
mente that a young man should remain
single who is too feeble 10 40 the niue
things around the house OF newly hldiTled
main and the girl who has not the sense
and the strength to keep mousse LOT wv
ought not to put herself in the posbloh OF
increasing such stock ,
The truth is that it is not the decrease
of earnings among the industral classes
that so demoraizes things as 10 create sucH
a desire for change. 1t is the increase OF
the living beyond our means,
the craze for style. the weakness TO Keep
mace with abler folks than we've nave
turned 60 be apes and are towards. We
are afraid of what others will think about
us. and this fear of the estimation OF oth-
Crs has more TO do with our depressed con-
dition than any real hardshps We would
encounter by acknowledging the corn ana