The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-03-03
SARGE PLUNKETT
Plunkett Resolves 10 be Cheerful Eo
Matter What May Happen.
atlanta Constitution.

ment TO be checr1ul always ana every
where.
We have been a great comfort to
each other since We came to this
agreement, and are growing fat under
the experiment. If We 60 to funer-
al we 90 a-smiling, we return in high
glee and laugh ourselves nearly to
death when our folks call us old fools
for giggling so much, but we know
what it costs to always be solemn, and
truthful and sincere, and we are de-
termined to keep right along giggling
and praising and singing
"Just let the wide world wsg as it will,
Well be gay and happy still;
Gay and happy,
Gay and happy.
Well be gay and happy STILL"
Experience has taught us that they
will call us fools no matter how they
do, and, besides, experience has taught
that man cannot judge as to what he
should grieve over or laugh at. l
want to tell a little story as illustra-
tive Of this, and also to impress that
kindness is most sure to have its re-
ward.
We took spell Of riding on the
electric cars, and away out on one Of
the lines, where briars are thick and
the place lonely. our car suddenly
came to standstill, and we all won
dered why we should stay at such
place. Before we had time to wonder
long we saw our motorman scooting
over a little ways towards a poor
old horse that had been turned out to
die. The motorman had with him a
bucket Of oats and bran, and he put
it at the old horses mouth and ran
back to his duties.
''Thomas Hood was the name that
the conductor gave when asked as to
who the motorman might be.
"Thomas Hood, Thomas Hood, ;"
unused a dignifed old gentleman, whom
we had all recognized as a stranger in
our section.
We saw the old gentleman's eye
follow the motormans return to his
post, and as he stepped upon the plat
form the old man arose and offered his
hand, and I never saw eyes look kind
lier into eyes when they saw that there
was no mistake and the recognition
complete.
l will have to take you away back
into the sixties to explain this meet
ing. This motorman-Thomas Hood
was very small boy in the year 1864.
He had seen his little home down in
Clayton county stripped of everything
by the foraging parties Of the armies.
Every horse had been taken to pull
the army wagons the cattle bad been
driven away, the hogs killed and even
the chickens were shot and cooked by
either one side or the other.
One little pet calf was all that had
been left upon once prosperous place,
and Thomas, in love for this pet, had
spent many sleepless night and many
restless day. But for the boy the
calf would have long ago been gone,
and they spent the most of their time
together. Thomas always kept a
plowline on the calf, and when he
heard that soldiers were in the settle
ment he was not long in getting over
the hills and into the woods. His
people were trained-all people were
trained in those days-and when
Thomas would hear the cry: "Sol-
diers soldiers u he few to his calf,
and they ran over the hill together.
Many times Thomas and his calf
had escaped in this way, but the fatal
time came. Once they were not quick
enough. and the Yankee foragers saw
them just before arriving at the top of
the hill, and that dread word
'Halt halt halt !! sounded out
loud and fast.
Thomas heard the command, but he
did not obey. He only raped the
calf with the rope and pushed the
harder. Quicker than it has taken to
tell it yankee soldier had raised his
gun, quick flash came and the calf
lay dead upon the ground with the
boy standing over him.
This settled everything with Thorn
as; his pet had been slain and he
made no further effort to escape. He
stood above the calf with tears stream
ing when the soldiers came up. The
scene was pathetic. It touched every
soldiers heart, but the old gentleman
of the street car was the one to offer
consolation to the boy.
eve will pay you inrgold for your
calf" said this old gentleman, as he
run his hand down in his pocket.
''I want none Of your gold," said
Thomas looking up sadly.
"But," continued the boy, che was
my pet; I raised him myself, and I do
hope you won't skin him and take him
away.
"Not for the world" said the man
of the, street car, and mot for the
world" echoed his companions.
Thomas returned to his home and
the soldiers passed over the hill, but,
as the fortunes of war would have it,
they did not go far till company of
confederate foragers dashed upon them
and hard little skirmish ensued.
The Yankees were routed and left
their dead and wounded upon the
field. Among these was this old gen.
tleman of the street car, and it came
Thomas Hoods time to show a kind
ness, and l think he did his part gen.
erously, judging from the feelings of
the two when they met after so many
years.
l have heard that the old gentleman
is a very rich northern capitalist and
that Thomas will no longer lead the
life of motorman.
Brown smiles and | smile as We
contemplate the feelings of this poor
motorman at being raised above want
and above the hard life of running a
street car, and, knowing that it was
his little kind act to the poor old
horse that made him known, we are
trying mighty hard to be kind to ev-
erybody and to everything:
And we laugh accordingly.
SARGE PLUNKETT.