The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-10
THE GOOD AND BAD THINGS
The Joy That Came to Poor
Family in an Unexpected Way.


"Sargc Plunkctt," in writing to the
Atlantis Constitution about some of the
things observed on Christmas day, gives
the folio wing story:
To start at the beginning, | would
have to go back to the hills from whencr
flows the Saluda river, in Grcenvillc
County, South Carolina, to period Of
over twenty years ago.
About this time there lived some ten
or twelve miles from the village OF
Grconville 6 family, recently moved into
our community, to await tac starting of
the George w. Scott factory. Their
home in South Carolina was not 50
humble as the one they now occupy, nor
were their circumstances so distressed
The t. nth is that it is a family who were
| doing well on Il little farm on the Saluda
| river, but caught the mani. for going to
| town and have been working at the
| factories in Grccnvllc village Of recent
,o.rs, ill, at last, they have come
| to Georgia seeking work aud think with
| regret Of the home they left, AMI find it
| monstrous hard to keep their sitter going
wailc the Scott factory is boiug made
ready for work.
AT their home on the Saluda, one dark
| cold night there came q man in u wi d
state Of dclirium. The stranger had lost
his hat, had torn ! is clothes and, all to
| gcthcr, were in u forl0rn condition from
pr"tract' spree, but bore every mark
| Of gentleman and Of q man with plenty
when at himself.
| BE that as il may he was taken in and
kindly cared for by the family, one OF
| the boys, as dark and cold as it was
mounting his horse and riding three
miles for doctor This stranger re.
maincl several days at this home on ,hc
Snluda, it developing in the mcantim,
that he had hut Little money on his per
son. This made no difference with the
Carolina cOuDtryman, but when The
time came for the stranger to depart tn,
countryman ripgcd up the best convey,
ancc hC had and the oldest boy carried
the stranger to Grccnvillc village.
There comes the story. The stranger
would have the boy receive a fine coat
that he himself wore, genuine broad
| cloth IL was, tailor made, and no SUCH
coat had been w, rn before by any young
man along the Saluda river. That Goa,
has done service in the couutryman' :
family for many years, until recently ii
| had been hung upon nail in the shed
! room never TO be wOIn again, it was
thought.
This present Christmas found this
country family in a bad way, between
NOV ng to Georgia and waiting, out of
| work, for the Scot mills to start. 1t Is
not necessary for me to state that the
| countryman Of Saluda river was a very
| different man from the factory operative
| that he is now He has grown old and
feeble and so has that good wife, and
they together live with widowed
| daughter where they arc several lit tic
grandchildren, who have already learned
| that life is struggle and who expected
not thing to come their way in the
nature OF Christmas cheer.
1t was just the natural thing for the
| grandmother to set her wits to work to
provide some present for her favoritc
grandson. 1t was a happy thought, |
! think, that caused her to decide to get
down the old coat and undertake to
make small jacket for the grandson
out or what was yet sound.
1t was Christmas eve morning when
the graz dmother set herself to work to
prnvidc this jacKet. She sat by small
table while the now feeble countryman
sat in the corner and fully understood
that 1t was his part to keep the fire
punched up. think that both these old
people had heavy hearts when the first
rlp WAS made upon tho old coat. One
sleeve was ripped from its socket, and
the old man leaned over and watched rs
the grandmother ripped that down to
the cull and then smOOthcd it out on
the table. The other sleeve was soon
out and treated in the same manner.
Then came the work of carefully rip.
ping out the lining. AS this proceeded
It WAS discovered that one pocket had
been ripped sometime or other, and tho
grandmother had some remarks about
its being scWed since it had come into
their family with white factory thread
She didn't like the white thread,
but she knew it was her daughter who
had done it and she ripped along.
What is this?" suddenly II ,lding up
piece OF white paper, which had evil
dcntly worked through the hole in the
pocket before it came into their posses
sion. The old man soon had on his
spccks and r. ad--it was simply piece
Of old letter head:
JEKRI LYNCH,
MERCHANT iAILOR.
whitehall Street
Atlanta, Ga.
The old letter head was torn angling,
and there could only be seen the letters
"Dcar War"
No 0lelling what the balance Of that let. !
ter was, but it did not matter, and was
only curious because it brought up mem.
ories OF the old homo on Saluda river. |
Tho grandmother went on with her rip |
ping, and perhaps not many words |
would have been spoken between the |
pair all morning, for I know their |
thoughts had turned back to Carolina,
and they were living over again the
years upon tho Saluda; but suddenly
citing her scissors drop, she exclaimed: