Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-09
Mrs. Balls Letter.

verberating thunder, that has been heard
throughout the length and breadth of
this land of ours The political lessons
of 1896 should prove wholesome for
many year to men who aspire to lead
ership. There is no American office be-
yond the supervision of our people; there
is no American court too sacred to be
held accountable by our citizens for the
honesty of it's decisions. And Americans
will only be free and Independent so long
as they remain awake to the danger of
the Entertainments of the classes
I began this letter with view to tell
ing something of the exposition grounds
and other suburban points of interest,
but find that 1 have wandered off into
politics, like the veriest campaigner.
Everything seems SO saturated with pol
itics these days that one naturally drifts
into a discussion of public questions if
one converses at all. But fortunately all
the interests of life are not public ones,
and there are many minor matters that
serve to divert us between times.
The exposition grounds, with the ma
jority of the handsome buildings still
standing, are yet the mecca for large
part of Atlanta. There still greets you
the yellow, turreted, feudal-looking gate
way, as silent and solemn as deserted
castle. The stile is motionless and the
offices are vacant; only at common en-
trance on the right is there any sign OF
life. There, just inside the enclosure,
stands the gatekeeper, who receives the
small toll charged for admission. You
pay 10 cents each, enter the grounds and
find yourself in the midst of the Dream
City. There are the grand buildings
which once held the bountiful products
of the earth and the marvellous inven-
lions of mans genius. There are the
beautiful roadways the broad terraces
and many of the heroic figures which
seem to keep watch over the voiceless
city. There to your right is the lake, but
no gaily bedecked barges float upon its
quiet waters, and you wait In vain to
catch "a reflection in its transparent
depths of the rudy glow of rockets and
whizzing fireworks. The state buildings
stand in quiet dignity, full only of de-
1ightful memories. The bell tower is just
as tall and stately as ever, but there Is
not single chime to greet the listening
ear The woman's building is unaltered,
and remains a monument to woman's
tireless energy and her comprehension OF
the eternal fitness of things. Still ON the
basement doors and windows are the
signs, Hospital and Nursery, ana
these words recalled my visit to the lat
ter during the exposition had read SO
much of the Nursery and the good that
was being accomplished by IT that de-
cided to visit 1t at the earliest opportuni-
ty; so there went one morning peIore
the sightseeing had depleted my vital
forces 1 suppose I looked somewhat too
cheerful at the moment for mother
who had exhausted her patience ana
strength with a fretful child, and, conf
dentially, was bouyant with the hope
of an immediate visit to the fascinating
streets of Cairo. At any rate, from some
cause the nurse in charge at once sus-
pected that / had not come to crave her
assistance, so she asked with depressing
dignity, Have you baby hereF Such
a possibility had never entered my poor
brain. which was becoming alarmingly
cratic and frivolous from many divert
ing sights and sounds. AS soon as the
full import of the nurses question pene-
trated my mind / looked at her with
startled pallid face, and gasped out: Of
course not" Then found had made q
fatal mistake-after the manner OF truth
tellers sometimes-and,w with severe mien,
the woman said: You must leave az
once; you have no right to remain mere.
And I was about to turn reluctantly 10
the door when 1 caught sight of a dear
little baby's face which was strangely IA
miIiar, and it's faithful nurse asked, isn't
that Mrs Ball?" And, sure enough, there
they were, baby and nurse-not mine TO
be sure, but belonging to GOOD Alabama
neighbors When the implacable nurse
found that a sweet, sunny faced papy
smiled up into my eyes she reiented,
looked at me as If I were civilized be-
ing instead of a Phiiistine. ana permitte9
precincts. A baby's smile had opened the
door of the woman's heart. as u viii fling
wide the very gates of Paradise.
The noisy, turbulent midway, with
the Chinese village. Moorish palace Fer
ris wheel, plantation cabin, trained AMI
mails and unframed humanity, Ii en-
tirely thing of the past, and only for
lorn and dreary roadway and barren
hillside remain to tell the tale OF song
and racket that held sway during the
great show.
The Streets of Cairo are as desolate as
the desert of Sahara and as free from
excitement There is nothing to remind
one of the stalls, brilliant with the bar
baric spIendor Of oriental coloring; no
whirling dervishes, no dancing girls and
not even lonely little donkey IL left OF
ali the wild and reckless throng. You
turn aside disappointed at mans brief
stay. but there away In the distance
stands that great gray monument OF
Gods eternal power, Stone mountain,
and around it's majestic summit the soft
The night is coming over the hills, the
stars begin to twinkle in the skies and
fine tender shadows settle upon this 81
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