The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-05-29

SARGE PLUNKETT.
A Joyful Trip Through the Mountains Of
Northeast Georgia.
atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
The Constitution has a great big
travelling man by the name of Wood.
lift, and the nearest you can get to old
times and old-time ways is to 60 with
him on one Of his trips through north
east Georgia.
Starting out from Gainesville you
are soon in land of plenty and of
good cheer. It is land where they
make everything at home; where
neighbors visit in the good old-time
way without feeling that they should
not eat enough when they sit down to
the table, and where great big ears of
corn are tumbled into the horse trough
without counting and fodder thrown
out of the loft as long as the horse
will eat it.
Early rising is the rule in this Sec
ton, and as I would lay and listen to
the old mountain fathers rousing the
boys in the mornings it brought up
many memories Of my own experience.
It always was hard to get boys up in
the mornings, but after you are up
and get your face washed and jump
around a little to take the stiffness out
Of your joints, it is delightful and
healthy and one feels we'll repaid for
being disturbed in his slumbers.
It does not take the old mountain
fathers long to have the place all astir.
Smoke soon curls from the kitchen
chimney, the squall of two or three
frying chickens is heard for moment
before they lose their heads, the old
smokehouse door swings back with a
squeak, and visions of ham and red
gravy fill your mind. Everybody
from Gainesville to Cartercay seems
to understand that Mr.. Woodliff is a
big man, and that it takes heap to
feed him. At most all Of these coun-
try homes the small children have to
wait at meals as they did in the olden
times. The look that comes into the
faces of these little fellows as Wood
lift would reach for the chicken dish
time after time, and pass his cup for
more coffee and then, after leaning
back and swiping his mouth with his
red bandana, would straighten up and
reach again, would have made me feel
little sad, had I not known that |
was as much Of small eater as Wood
lift was on the other extreme, and so
the children would have plenty.
Privately, though, I would advise that
Woodliff tone himself down little on
the eating question.
I could not blame the waiting chill
dren for feeling anxious as they watch
ed Woodliff eat, and I admired them
for the control they had over them
selves in the matter. 1t brought to
my mind the experience of a good
Confederate soldier that failed to con-
troll himself as we'll as these children
do through such an ordeal. This
Confederate soldier approached a
house up in Tennessee and, without
any ceremony, asked the lady for
something to eat.
Certainly, certainly" answered the
lady, sbut, she added, ''you will
have to wait for the second table, as
have some distinguished guests to
dine with me to-day"
The soldier said that he would wait,
and took seat on bench out in the
back porch. From where the soldier
sat he could see the whole arrange
ments of the table, and his mouth wa.
tered as dish after dish Of smoking
eatables was carried in and placed.
As the bell announced the dinner
ready and the lady came filing down
the hall with her guests the soldier
lost control of himself and went in
and was sitting at the table as sober
as a Judge when the lady and her
distinguishes" arrived. This left
one Of the "distinguished' without
place at the table and cansed the
lady much confusion, but the Con-
federate held his place with all the
dignity he could muster in his dilapi-
dated condition. The officer that sat
next to the soldier wore general s
stripes and he caught on to the fact
that there was something wrong. He
turned to the soldier and asked him to
what command he belonged. The
soldier answered this question, where
upon the officer said:
"Do you know who you have the
honor Of dining with p
"No, sir" said the soldier simply.
"Well, SIR" proceeded the officer.
"you dine with General Magruder-l
am General Magruder."
"Oh, never mind" said the soldier.
ri used to be particular about whom
I associated with, but since the war |
don't care continental cent"
All the way along in trip like this
we run upon the old unpainted meet
ing houses and more than apt a little
school house near by. There is most
certain to be glorious spring Of water
pretty close to these old meeting
houses and shady grove Of trees to
invite the weary traveller to stop and
rest.
How I did like to stop and linger
around and about these old churches.
It is in these groves that the people
of these mountains meet and mingle
in friendly communion, where the
good old circuit rider sings his hallelu.
jahs and breaches ''the word )" where
baskets are spread and the multitude
invited to eat where the young peo-
pie pair off and love and court along
the path to the spring, in the wagons,
under the trees, on the grass and
along the shady slope. Just such
sweet places used to dot Georgia all
over, and just such scenes were COM
mon everywhere. The old songs are
remembered; the people are remem,,
bered. AS an old man fingers around
these places he can seemingly see the
pretty girls and the hopeful boys as
the strains break from the church to
call the congregation together
"Come thy fount Of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy praise,
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Calls for songs ofsweetest lays etc.
All these things are sweet to con-
template by an old man, and l never