The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-03
PlUnk0fk' SL6tf8r

written for The Weekly Constitution)
1t has come to--be a question In TIM
neck of the woods whether the great ca
lamities are worse than the wear and
tear of everyday life-the little things
that eventually gives us all that We can
stand
Whoever has escaped being poisoned by
thunderwood has no good right to COM
plain of other Affections of life. Brown
has had nearly everything and I have
had many trials. but I never saw any,
thing nor felt anything that equals pol
son from thunderwood. l have heard q
sight said about the agonies of delirium
tremens-they are not in IL. Once when
Brown came home off one of his sprees
he took a seat out on the porch and d.
rectly he imagined that Tom Webb'S
Jersey yearling made lunge at him
right where he sat the porch. They
had terrible tussel and rolled and
tumbled on the floor. but at last the old
man swallowed him-yes. swallowed the
Jersey. 1 imagine that mans mind IS
in bad condition when he can find no
other way to dispose of a yearling than
TO swallow him. and TO feel so certain
That he had that he walked 10 the glass
to look at himself and asked us If we
saw any difference in Ia size: but none
or 1t can cause the same conditions as
DeinB poisoned by fhunderWOOd-
Last week a few little pimples broke
out on my wrist and itched right smart,
but / thought nothing of the matter. The
truth IS. / rather liked It, for it IS not
every man who has lived since the war
that knows Just how good It feels to
scratch with the itch. but 1 will remark
for the sake Of innocent humanity that
you had better not scratch much with
underwood poison. 1t spreads as you
scratch and every new place that you
touch on your person becomes poisoned
also.
This has been the trouble with me.
From the few little pimples on my wrist
L have spread # till II covers me entirely
and | am the most beautiful aspect that I
ever looked In the glass at-children ev-
erywhere run and scream kuklux at my
approach. My own dogs would eat me
up If my looks did not scare them so
bad that they fee I'm horror. When a
mans own dogs go back on him it is
time for that man TO give up-especially
an old man. My face is swollen TIL I
can hardly get in and out barn door.
and it IS still a-swelling. My nose is as
big as any ear Of corn raised in Georgia
and Is as red as a turkeys snout. My
eyes are closed. so that if anything ap-
pears in this letter you do not Ike you
can charge il TO Brown. for he writes
while I dictate. II bad looks was all. I
should never complain, but the feeling IS
worse than the looks. and I shall make
no effort 70 describe them.
In great Calamities the agony IS soon
over with and then We are cOmforted. IN
most cases. by the thought that we are
not alone in our suffering 1 was caught
in a cyclone once while leading a stub
born mule; the mule planted himself
against the storm while waved out from
the end of the bride rein Ike a ribbon.
1 knew the mule would stand the storm.
but the fear Of the bride breaking turn
ed me gray IN a minute. but the agony
was soon over and I was soon helping
others from the wrecks of the storm
that was not 50 bad
Just two miles this side Of GAINESVILLE.
In the county of Pike. during the war, L
was in a railroad wreck mat killed d
great many Two old engineers of At
lanta stood at the throttles and when
you hear that II was old Uncle Bill
Mitchell and Lum Kyle. with orders to
run for all they were worth, you viii
imagine that the locomotives were run
ming when they met. Kyle's train was
loaded with provisions for the army,
MitchelFs with passengers No such
collision had ever been known up 10 that
time, and l doubt If II has had an equal
since, but f. was soon over with ana
the agony suspended. but not so one OF
the happenings Of the incident. 4 long.
lank soldier was thrown clear over the
telegraph wire and came down with
swipe right through a small perslmmon
tree. There was nothing much IN TINS,
you would say, but I had not told about
the hornets nest that this soldier drug
down from that tree 1 venture that
those hornets caused more agony among
the crowd than this greatest Of colHslons.
The collision was over n nash. the
hornets fingered.
have Sen several wars and ~ one of
these sorrow and agony entered almost
every household and was met everywhere
upon the highways Even IN All LIS
abundance OF sorrow there was llie COIA-
fort of sympathy and In the knowledge
that the SufferiugS was not alone me
SORROWS of this war had q halo OF conSo-
lation that is absent In small matters
and so # Is that at last our hltle every
day troubles are just as great II not
greater, than these 3, s-,
have studied in my present disfgured
condition 10 place the greatest anxietles
and sorrows Of man. At urst 1 thought
l had it al least So far as farmers are
concerned in the drought livery gay
for four weeks the thuuderS nave rOaftu
and the lightningS flashed, but the clouds
moved around US. Il is TACT thdt We
live in u streak that has been burning
now for four weeks The most 1aNoIdDle
prospects for rain would appear rom
time 10 time, but sons now Ihey came
not to us There is no one can under
stand the anxiety of the old farmer from
the time the clouds begin to gather and
thunder but one of his own brothers OF
the hoe. who have crops scorching. And
none can understand the depth OF the DIS
apointment as the clouds exhaust them
selves and the rain for that day mas
passed.
ter. ii is not the passing Of these clouds
which cause the horror and anxiety. Il
is the tumblng Of the castles we have
builded There is no more pleasant thing
than the building Of castles IN the air.
and from my heart 7 believe there Is no
more sorrOwfUl thing than 20 see these
castles tumble. \ great cloud starts ND
from the south and hopes are high. but
the cruel wind steers il around to the
east too far for us and a beautiful castle
tlImbIes to its fan. 50 It goes day after
dav, TIL all the pretty castles are down.
scattered. ugly in their wreckage. and
the loss OF prestige In the confidence OF
those we most like to please Is an agony
that must be felt to halfway oompre-
II has been part Of my life to watch
+ha tuuhliul. Of castles. Bright hopes
arise which give the promise OF all our
hearts desires, hut they steer around az
cruelty as the clouds and leave Us burn
ing under the shame OF failure.
SARGE PLUNKETT.