The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-12-10
PlUnk0ft' SL0tf0r

what they have seen.
At last this is not so void OF interest as
one might think. If the people who lived
ftv wears ago could have been tod Of
what we were to have in this year or our
Lord. 1850. II would have seemed most
wonderful.
So with the young, II they could be
made to see conditions Just as they were
fifty years ago ii would seem most Won
derful TO them. They can hardly be led
to see how such conditions could have
existed. Just as old folks could not have
seen or been made believe the conditions
that are now upon us.
There is no use to discuss the question
as to whether all the great discoveries
and inventions have benefited the human
family or not. but we might discuss the
changes that all this progress has
wrought In human nature and set all
genius at work for WAYS and means 10
preserve those God given attributes win
out which all this progress IS but snare
and n delusiOn.
If were asked to name what Of Old
times should be preserved. especially
would feel myself too unlearned TO make
an effort I'm that direction. In nv fool
ishness. perhaps. / would say that We
should have a religion as Interchangeable
as the laws of the Modes and Persians.
and L expect that ] would be IoolSh
enough 10 believe that such n religion
was the foundation for everything. N
Guiding the home. ] would never be pre-
sumptious enough to name just what
should be preserved OF old times. but II
you will ask me to name what L consider
the greatest indication Of the passing
away Of these glorious and God given at
tributes. 1 could do that o. yes. ] could
do that in confidence and without
single touch of the thought that / vas q
fool.
Doll babies.
The passing away Of the desire among
girls to play with doIls-that IS what
should name as the greatest indication
of the loss mentioned
Bless you. in the olden times all the
manufactures of the world could ha'd
" supply the demand for dolls There
used TO be wax dolls. rubber dolls and
even China furnished millions. known as
china dolls: but whether a little elft
could get one Of these or no. she was
sure 10 nave a doll. Down IN Pike thee
was no waste Of sawdust Ike there >
now-the girls used it all in stuihH<
white cloth cut and sewed in the shape
of doll babies. and then with SCOT from
the chimney they made eyes and ears
and mouth till they had a better looking
baby than many real babies Of this day
and time
All this has passed. or IS passing. sna
passing fast. An old man tramp came
along the other day who claimed that
his trade had been that of dollmaker.
learned in one Of the technoios-ca-
schools Of New England. This old tramp
claims that his trade is no good now
There has been such a fall off in the
demand for dolls that thousands nave
been thrown out OF work ] venture
that there is not an old time woman
living today but what holds as sweet
memory the little playhouses she Us.d
to have at the root of some big oak. with
big dolls and little dolls stood up against
the tree. They took delight in gathering
mass TO range around these pretty pla!
houses and every piece Of old plate. Old
glass and old jugWare was gathered Win
delight ana went 10 make pretty the
places where they paved. All this would
be foolish now. BY the time they are
big enough 10 carry a don iu their arms
some preacher has took them under
wing as a help and has them begins
or else trying 10 reform the world. Thus
is lost to the world those blessed in-
stucts OF motherhood. and lost 10 theui
ara those happy DAYS Of innocence and
ignorance.
1 haven't said anything about the little
sweethearts that these little girls hg
along IN their PLAYS. Where there vas d
girl and q doll there was more than apt
TO be a boy and a hammer. I doubt u
there was ever a sweeter love than the
love Of little sweethearts- There IS
stronger love. but ! am inclined TO think
that we run too much on strength. They
tell me that women have grown STRONGER.
and are still a-grovirg. They might ge-
too slrong. Anyhow. there is no cling
ing 10 dolls as there used 20 lee. and this.
l take It. IS one Of the strongest intica-
tons of warp In the nature Cf the hu-
man family
But playing with dolls was not ali me
little girls OF the o,den times cid. On
the old Plantations there was "a plenty
to engage the ATTENTION Of the children
The catherine i'm OF eggs was "a most de-
ighftul thing. There We're chickens i'm
those days. never heard Of chicken
cholera tin since the war. There were
hawks then. and this gave the boys good
snort. for whenever boy killed hawk
he was sure to get a chicken pic-thaC
was the custom then. But must not get
away from the gathering in of EGGS. Al
q certain time each day the children ran
sacked the place for hens nests. IT. ere
Was mighty few days but that the
poorest little girls ccl.d gather their
aprons full Of eggs and went running TO
their mammas I'm a flush Of delight. And
the spinning wheels run then and eyery
little giri could spin. And there wer-
knitting needles then and every little
girl could knit. and they did knit their
own stockings ard knit socks for their
brothers and every family had a plenty
Of these And girls MIXED the cows and
churned. This was the kindergarten
training of old times. ami when Young
man got one of them for wife he had
fortune in his hand / VIII stop IONS
enough to say that not o working man
in the world could back 40 the eNtrava-
tsance instilled into young women Of this
day and time AT what they cal their
training schools. and sun enforcement IS
growing and marriages becoming less.
There were 40 public schools in those
days-not in Georgia-but there was not
the Ignorance nor awl1wardness that YOU
heard there was. The truth Is that the
finest specimen of manhood ana the most
elegant womanhood the world has ever
known was produced under the old field
school system OF before the war. There
never was time that a child could mot
get to school if it wanted TO. and there
is much talk now about allowing the boys
and girls to study together. all of which
was Oracticed in the old times BOYS and
girls went To the same schools then and
stood in the classes together. and this
brings me back TO think of those sweet
hearts again. ! guess there never was
boy nor a girl who went to these mixed
schools but what had their sweethearts.
o. how we did love each other. and. no