Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-21
Blu REV. THOMAS DIXON, JR.
Copuright 1902
Blu Doubleday, PAGE 8 Co

/
sidiary ring which Legree had organized
to hold the real estate forfeited for taxes
/ until q rise in value would bring them
| millions of profit. They had stolen from
| the state treasury the money to capitalize
this company. Where 1t was possible to
| exact a cash ransom, they always took 1t
| and cancelled the tax order, per1errlng
! the certainty Of gold in their pockets to
the uncertainties of politics
They tried their best to get cash ran
| som of thousands of dollars for the town
of Hambright. But the ruined people
| could not raise a thousand. SO Tim
Shelby as the agent of the Union Lana
| and Improvement Company" became the
owner of farm after farm and home after
| home.
It was a vain hope that relief could
| come from any quarter The red nag OF
| the sheriffs auctioneer fiuttered from two
| thousand three hundred and twenty doors
| in the county! This was over two-thirds
| of the total. Those who were saved, Just
| escaped by the skin of their teeth. They
sold jewelry or plate that had been hid
| den in the war, or they sold their corn
and provisions, trusting to their ability to
live on dried fruit berries, walnuts, hick-
DRY nuts, and such winter vegetables as
| they could raise in their gardens.
The preacher secured for Tom tum-
bled-down log cabin on the outskirts OF
| town, with a half-acre Of poor red hill
land around 1t, which his wife at once
| transformed into a garden. She took up
/ the blubs and flowers that she had tend
ed so lovingly about the door OF their
old home. and planted them with tears
| around this desolate cabin. Now and
then she would look down at the work
and cry. Then she would go bravely back
| to il. AS nobody occupied her old home,
! she went back and forth until she moved
| all the jonquils and sweet ptnks from the
| borders Of the garden walk, and reset
| them in the new garden. She moved
then her strawberries and raspberries,
| araAggooseberries, and set her fall cabbage
plants. In three weeks she had trans
| formed a desolate red clay lot into
smiling garden. She had watered every
plant daily and Tom had watched her
with growing wonder and love.
"Ole woman, you're an angel!' he cried
eff God had sent one down from the skies
she couldn't have done any more"
The problem which pressed heaviest of
all on the preachers heart in this crisis
was how to save Mrs. Gaston's home.
"If that place is sold next week, my
DEAR" he said to his wife, "she Will never
survive"
ct know it. She is sinking every day.
It breaks my heart to look at her.
what can we dor
"Tm sure / can't tell We've given
| everything we have on earth except the
clothes on our back. I haven't another
| piece Of jewelry, or even an old dress"
1.-THE tax and the costs may amount to
! a hundred and seventy-flve dollars. There
isn't a man in this county who has that
much money, or I'd borrow 1t If had TO
mortgage my body and soul to do 1t.
'1ll tell you what you might do" his
wife suddenly exclaimed. Telegraph
your old college mate in Boston that you
win accept HIS invitation to supply his
pulpit those last two Sundays in August.
| They will pay you handsomely."/
cit may be possible, but where am
to get the money for a telegram and a
| ticket7'
Surely you can borrow some hereT'
IT don't know man In the county
who has IT,"
"Then go to the young commandant of
the POST here. Tell him the facts. Tell
him that a widow Of a brave Confederate
l soldier is about to be turned out Of her
home because she can't pay the taxes
ment. Ask him TO loan you the money for
the telegram and the ticket"
The preacher seized his hat and made
his way as fast as possible to the camp.
The young captain heard his story with
| grave courtesy.
Certainly, DOCTOR" he said, "I'n loan
| you the forty dollars with pleasure. I
WISH 4 COulQ 90 IlOTG 10 ICilCNS TIC us
| tress Of the people. Believe me, sir, the
people Of the north do not dream of the
awful conditions Of the south. They are
being fooled by the politicians. I'll thank
| God when I am relieved Of this job and
| get home. What has amazed me Is that
| you hot-headed southern people have
stood II thus far don't know north
it."
"Ah, captain, the people are heartsick
| of bloodshed They surrendered in good
faith. They couldn't foresee this. If they
had"
The preacher paused. his eyes grew
misty with tears, and he looked thought
fully out on the blue mountain peaks that
! doomed range after range in the distance
until the last bald tops were lost in the
clouds.
'If General Lee had dreamed of such an
| infamy being forced on the south two
years after the surrender. as this at
tempt to make the old slaves the rulers
of their masters, and to destroy the An
glo-Saxon civilization of the south-he
would have withdrawn his armies into
| that Appalachian mountain wild and
| fought till every white man in the south
was exterminated.
1.-THE Confederacy went to pieces in a
| day, not because the south could no long
| er fight, but because they were fighting
the flag of their fathers, and they were
tired of IL They went back to the flag.
| They expected to lose their slaves and
repudiate the dogma Of secession forever.
But, they never dreamed of negro do
minion, or negro dedication, of negro
| equality and amalgamation, now being
ramed down their threats with bayonetS.
| They never dreamed of the conhscation
of the desolate homes of the poor and the
weak and the broken hearted. Over two
| hundred thousand southern men fought
| in the Union army in answer to Lincoln's
call-even against their own flesh and
blood. But If this program had been an
nounced, every one of the two hundred
| thousand southern soldiers who wore the
| blue, would have rallied around the fire.
sides of the south. This infamy was
something undreamed save in the souls
| of a few desperate schemers at Wash
| ington who waited their opportunity, and
| found IT in the nations blind agony over
the death of a martyred leader"
The preacher pressed the captains hand
and FASTENED to tell Mrs. CASTOR of his
plans. He found her seated pale and
wistful at her window looking out on the
lawn, now being parched and ruined since
Nelse was disabled and could no longer
| tend II.
Charlie was trying to kiss the tears
away from her eyes.
Mama dear, you mustn't cry any
morew
II can't help It, darling"
"They can't take our home away from
II III