The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-23
SARGE PLUNKETT.
THE OLD MAN Is HILARIOUS OYER
THE OUTLOOKFOR THE YEAR.
Among the Mechanics and Farmers GOOD
Cheer is Present-EverythinE Brighter
and the World Seems Turned for Good.
For The Constitution.

The wind is chilly and the day is wet
and gloomy, but L feel like clapping my
hands and singing: 80
''Praise God from whom all blessings flow!'
The sight of better times is Frightening.
Everywhere you look and everything you
hear points to returning of old time met-
DDS and of the old-time brotherly feeling.
] can count twenty families who have
moved away from the towns to the couh-
try within the last two months. l know
of three young women who have returned
to housekeeping and gave their situations
in the stores TO their loafing brothers.
These girls should have monument built
to them for their good sense in this matter,
and other girls should, and 1 feel sure will,
follow their example. 1t has taken but Ut
tie experiment to show that If the girls
turn to and take mems places in business
pursuits the household affairs will go to
the eternal bow-wows. Ninety-five per cent
of the young brothers who have been
crowded out of positions by their sisters
have turned to be loafers and tramps-
you may make good clerks and bookkeep-
out of girls, but you can't make COOKS
and housekeepers out of boys. This is go
ing to get right. The pendulum is starting
back and mighty soon you will hear of
more marrying, less divorces and FEWER
suicides. The disposition to have less of
the sensational in religious matters and of
mixing religion with "ismS" can be dis
covered in every person you will talk to
on the line. There was one time in the past
few years when ] began to think that we
would have to depend upon the lawyers
of the country to hold up the purity of
institutions, but the good preachers are
getting right and l feel safe. With the
Sermon on the Mount" for their guide
they mold the masses to healthy
condition and save the land from anarchy
and infidelity. There is no more harping
Of "the poor man against the rich man."
but brotherly feeling and helping hand
Is what you by watching them.
cOnnl1ipt
as you pass among the working people
the negro The negro laborer is hard to
compete with, is what is claimed. l feel
as If this will be settled in Gods own way.
l used to believe in slavery and 1 thought
the country would be ruined to free them
but l am as big an abolitionist now as
ever old Horace Greeley was l think that
putting them into slavery Gods work
IT was only Gods great plan
To Christianize the African
God anchored them among the southern
people, who advanced them in civilization
and turned them from cannibalism. L don't
think that the climate had a thing to do
with settling slavery in the south. 1 feel
like saying to the yankees that
The Lord soon saw it would not do
TO anchor slavery among you;
The contact made the negro worse
And it was moved to save the curse.
Gods hand is plain. 1t seems to me. in
the Negroes history. The way they stayed
st home and worked during the was
done. The negro was Gocie to the last
and even when Sherman's guns were lun-
bering in his ears he was faithful to his old
master. They were the very best of hands
to hide the provisions from the yankees
and they hid horses and cattle in the
swamps away from them and seldom be-
trayed This is what made it possible for
them to live among us after the War-the
people remembered and appreciated these
kindly traits, and it still stands in their
ia .It cOmnlaint
the young generation of them as compet-
tors in the mechanics and L feel that the
Lord will take them away in his own good
time. 1t may be that the Hawaii muddle
will result in the negro going there. l am
in for their going, because he will grow
Ynore and more to be q bone of contention
as the older generations who used to feel
50 kindly to each other pass away. The
younger sets have no ties to bind them, no
memories Ia temper the passions and all
in all, L think it about time for the Lord
to move them from among us. am always
reconciled to the good Lords movements,
but if He will hurry up a little i'll this
matter will throw up my hat and SO will
Brown.
But [ am cheerful anyhow. Everything
is brighter this year than it was with the
old year. The faces of the exposition Off
GERS in last Sundays Constitution threw
halo of sunshine into many household.
When the people look upon such faces
united in grand effort all thought of
failure passes away. The interviews from
the ladies were cheering and it gave
chance to tell my old oman that / did not
see anything from Mrs. Plunkett. 1t give
her the grins, but I am not near even with
her, for very often She finds opportunity
to remark that she don't see Plunkett men
toned in SO and So
I don't know Of any class but one who
should not feel hopeful and cheerful over
the prospects. The exception is the class
who are making for Florida to see the
Ill
guessing. Me ard Brown run upon an old
fellow yesterday who has struck camp and
says he is going to lay up till the thing is
settled. This old man left his home over
two months ago and is taking it a-foot 10
be at the fight. He says that the governor
of Florida don't know how much sorrow
he will cause if the fight has to move over
to some island where the footmen cannot
folIor or should suddenly jump to Texas or
California. The old fellow says he has stop
ned where he is to see where it will so, and
ii it should happen TO jump back this way
he would be tchled nearly to death. because
he has saved such Il tramp as to Florida
and back. Strange, but this old fellow says
that if the fight was changed to California
tomorrow he would try to make it there
in tirne-he would walk day and night TO
do so. People living out OF the course have
no idea OF how many men have traInped
hundreds of miles to be at this fight. This
it not very cheerful. from a moral stand
point but when we may be sure that Il
great number of these fools will die from
the trip, it should cheer US and make us
feel that everything is working together for
good.
The most cheerful thing of all the year
is to Warch with what vim the farmers are
going to work. If the weather will allow
from the outlook now, the crop of 1874 will
be planted in the best prepared ground
that has happened since the war. Every
fellow is bustling to get pig and all the
talk is that we are to raise our own bread
and meat at. home.
I may be a little too hilarious on the
cheerfulnesS that the new year has brought
but [ hope it is all right; everything seems
ia warrant it. Just few moments ago the
old oman came in and took seat by me-
We began to talk of our young days and
of the Wav we used to coo over each
other
Soon she slipped her hand in mine,
lust why / cannot say,
R,lt sure it would have been Unkind
If | had taken mine away.
She soon drew closer up to me,
And leaning over on my KIN sc,
She brushed away the gathering tear
And asked "4hnd l Just as DEAR"
.Just as dear" | answered. and together
we have started the new year in cl.eer-
ful mood and with high hopes. May the
Good Lord prosper all.
SARGE PLUNKETT.