The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-04-28

tul mau Amos despair OF peace and
good will ever returning to this a
dicted land. This is why l am a
bess'mist today, but 1 live in hope and
maybe [ will be an optimist next week.
Hope Is a blessed thing. The first
composition l ever heard read in school
vas written by u tall, freckled- face,
red headed girl and it was on Hope"
Nd the first sentence: Hope is q
good invention, and if it were not for
hope man would die and woman would
give up the ship" Not only SO. but
Also" said jim Alexander, and George
Lester whispered a part of his speech:
Hope for a season babe the world
farewell,
And Freedom shrieked when Kosciusko
fell
And Remedy Butler quoted a line
from his speech: "Hope springs
~eterDal,in the human breast" And /
had tc lift up my voice, of course, as I
repeated:
Twas ever nus in childhood's hour,
I've seen my fondest hopes decay"
We smart boys had power Of fun
over that red-headed composition, and
it is st;ii q proverb among us that
Hope is a good inventlon.* And SO
we will not utterly despair but live in
hope. l worked in the garden yester-
day, for it was a blessed day. I have
been sick. My back ached and my
left kidney was on Il boom and my legs
we're on q strike and wouldent carry
one with alacrity, but work in the gar
den got me al IN a sweat Of %perspira-
ton ard I feel better. My wife saidI
wolrd, and she knows. She has got
but two laws for me. One is, ] must
work in the garden if | am well, and
the other is | must be well. The war
doesent bother me while I an at work,
bnt ! hoe and dig and ponder while [
dig. am perplexed right now about
. very mysterious force OF nature that
{ DO not understand. 1t IS the lifting
power Of little tender plants. / neyer
have understood how it is that the pea
or a Dean or 8 potato patch or al okra
seed can crack the cloddy gcound and
lift the clods and part them and find 8
way upward. These little tender
shoots that will bend and break at the
touch can lift a weight Of pounds, and
[ am satisfied that there is ome mystic
rious force that helps them do-some
electric influence that en- anates from
the plant-some dynamite power
What farmer has not wondered thai
a shooting grain Of corn could up.
hcave and split asunder a clod
that he could hardly break witt
his horny hands. Then, again, wha1
q preservative Is our mother earth
How safely it keeps the roots Of vese
tatiou from frosts and freezes end ger,
cold. We had sixty-six rose bushes, al
OF choice varieties, and have taken
world OF comfort IN their beautlfn
bowers. but this last winter they wcr.
All Nl.!Gd-- killed dead 10 the ground
and ! cut them down and found no sig,
OF life. It made is al sad ana w1ot
ahout i, and a good man. q florist, 9
Chan be-sburg. Pa, Mr.. William 3.
Reed, read my letter, and surprised
ne 10y sending siyty-six new plants ol
the best varieties. and planted then
carefully between the dead ones and
they are sTrlnging up beautifully. aDC
now, 10 and behold, the Old ones are
sending up strong and vigorous shoot:
from near the surface ard most Of then
ure above the budied joints. SO ii 81
of them live AID grow, there will be s
vii lerness Of roses. and We can tax,
or choice. am ready TO certify tina.
Mr.. Reed is q g,eat big-hear.ed man
Aud now Mr.. +. X. Robertson, o
~Chickamnuca. has sent me 800 straw
berry plants Lady thompson auC