The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-05-11
SARGE PLUNKETT.
Gives Praise For the Orphans Home
at Decatur.
The SWEET CHILDREN OF TIE HOME.
How Their Days Are Spent While
at the Orphanage-A Word
For the Good Matron.

fOr Inc 0CISl'lulloii
Brown and l both would be glad to do
some real good before we die, and we have
tailed it over and decided that to help the
orphanage at Decatur was our opportunity
perhaps the last opportunity we will ever
have.
Brown is an orphan ana ! am an orphan
and all people as old as we are orphans.
but / can tell the young that one never
gets so old. nor so far away. nor 50 crowd
ed with other environment as to forget
his parents. his youthful home and the
scenes of his childhood.
Last week We went to the celebration of
the twenty-fifth anniversary Of the Meth
odist Orphons home at Decatur. There we
saw the young orphans-the helplessness OF
babyhoOd was there. the bright-eyed boys
were there. the sweet little girls We're
there. For twenty-five years this home has
been carrying this work. For all these
years crop after crop of these little chill
dren has been cultivated here. and they
have scattered out through all our country.
This work will still 30 Oh. and the good
it may do or the harm it may avert can
not be calculated. Yet, Brown nor myself
has given thing for this home
through all these years-not a nickel. II
made me feel bad that this fact
when we looked upon the throrS of happy
children that sang and romped and We're
so filled with joy over the occasion of last
week. ana we resolved 10 do something. be
it ever so little. TO help the cause.
To that end Brown will never again take
a toddy-not even in the mornng-and the
dimes that he has been spending in this
way viii be dropped into box ana from
time To time sent to MIR. barclay. of At
lanta. This man Barclay has been working
on Brown for some time. and J only men
ton him here that he may feel encouraged.
lie struck mighty hard slate in Brown,
and ! used To feel sorry for him when
thought Of how he was wasting his pearls
before swine In trying 10 argue that there
was no good in toddies. For years upon
years men and women have been wasting
time trying to correct ry old friends
habits. but never "a change till ire looked
upon those little orphans AT the home
When Mrs. Taylor held up the little babe
and showed il 20 the audience / saw
tear trickle down Crowns check. Ii was
the strongest argument that has ever been
put To- h;u-lu the sight OF these helpless
chndrcn-aud both of us felt Ike mean OH
re3rohotcs for never having done a thing
20 heID this cause We talked about il go
ing home and ,vc hove tal5e,i about i
since. ana so the resolution was formed
OF saving the dimes. and Mr.. barclay VIII
soon begin to receive them as Brown
part Brown Is stirring himself as De never
stirred before in this matter. He has TOOK
to IN" field and is going among The men
that ho used to drink with and getting
them to chip i'm their dimes, and e is sur
prising To me how such associates as his
could be SO liberal. | am fearful that he
Will beat me IN this good work and that
would never do.
/ have studied q great deal on just how
10 prevent Brown from outstrpHing mo
in this matter. and after considering the
whole thing / have fel upon plan
Mr. r. A. IIemphill. who is big boss
al The Constitution office is president ot
the board of directors of this orpHonage-
lie says that ass Mr.. BARCLAY VIII receive
the funds from Brown that he Will receive
whatever may be sent 20 me.
Therefore I have fell upon the following
plan
i earnestly COLI upou every one who has
been reading these letters TO send a small
amount to help this orphauasc. send 20
cents if YOU can hut send that. but rich
folks can send as much as they please.
Anyhow. let every CHILD and man and wo-
man send as much as 10 cents.
don't want Brown TO beat me. Every
little country child can get up dozen
egss, sell them and send the dime in 10
AR IIemshill.
BE sure to send TO r. a. Hemphill. care
Constitution. Atlanta. Ca.
Don't send anything to me. as sending il
to Mr.. Uemphill coEsolidates the whole
amount without trouble and the name of
every sender viii be- sure To- not get lost.
/ wish thar every reader of this paper
could have been at the celebration last
week There You could have seen "a Prac-
teal demonstration Of the homes work.
You could have seen the happy children.
the doehts of the place, and then YOU
could have unused over what IS their
condition and what it might have been bur
for this most godly charity. The children
sang sweet SONGS made pretty little
So Hn.#H
that would have well paid every individual
who has donated to the cause to have seen.
The dinner of the occasion was one OF
the delights. / have a sort of sncaking no.
ton that this dinner and the manner that
Brown was treated 10y a Peacatree lazy
had a right smart to 80 with his retorma-
ton Brown had a sort of prejudice against
those fine Peachtree folks but he has none
now He says they are just people-sood
people
The home is i short mile from the car
shed at Decatur. u stands In q splehdil
grove of oaks. the water IS spiehdii' a'-"
fine stretches Of wooded land. gives a
home to the birds, the squirrels ana Is
charmed with the wild flowers Coriiec'eu
with the home is a farm of 200 acres, upon
which Mr. TAYLOR. the superintendent. IS
speuding his time, learning the boys no"
to farm and making produce Tor the nome
There is no idleness about this place
are busy about the place. Mrs Tayior
takes charge of the girls. and Mr. Taylor
Tho bovs. as soon as the school hour IS
closed and a hustle Of industry takes
charge of the whole place. They are cheer
ful workers those large enough 10 work,
and everything about the place IS rs home
like as such a thing could be. The very
small children play on the lawn and fit
about like the children of the happiest
homes in Georgia.
What a comfort this should be to every
- i m
10 contemplate the happy condition of these
children But none of us know what is
before us Perhaps the day may come
when this home will shelter the children of
some of our readers. There have been chill
dren there in the last twenty-five years
who had as good parents any of US.
Misfortune comes to where il is least eN-
pectcd sometimes, hut / can state for the
comfort of every mother that if she were
TO die tomorrow and leave her little ones
TO the cold charities of the world, they
would be taken and nursed and loved in
this home aud brought up in the faith of
meeting the mother some day in heaven
Last week went to revival meeting
going on at the Methodist church in De
catur and a pretty little girl from this or
phanaSe Joined the church and gave n lit
lie talk about her experience, She could