The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1902-07-28
Bill Hrp'S Lefter


ing change .hat he knew was at hand. his
great mind seemed to be studying and
waiting for the moment of his departure
waiting and watching for the separation
Of the soul from the body. and wondering
how he would pass the crisis. There was
no fear. no dread. as ne calmly whisper
ed. II still live" and Immediately died.
His body died. and what was the next
vision of his great soul the world would
| like to nnow. but II is forbidden i
thought of all this not long ago as
seemed to be drawing near the end and
approached the confines of that undiscov-
cred country from whose bourne no tray
| eler returns. l was serious and solemn
| with expectation. but was not alarmed.
| for my faith is that my Maker will take
care of me and of all others who love
Him and try to do right All that trou-
bled me was the separation from those
love and their grief at my departure.
Two months is a long time to be a child
again without vital force enough to walk
alone. But have passed the crisis, and
though weak and nervous am on the up
grade. and can walk about the garden and
carry the little grandchi!d in my arms
and give him flowers and feast on his
smiles and caresses.
Well. that is enough on that line. You
readers can find sermons and prosy COM
mentaries on sickness and death on anoth-
er page. "Carpe diem" Let us enjoy the
day and be thankful that we stu live.
But to drop reverent.y from the sublime
to the ridiculous, / recall that when l
was young a number of Us were quoting
the last words Of great men such as Sene-
ca and Plato and Calvin and Luther and
one said: Wen, you know what DaNiel
Webster said?' No. we did not remember
and he replied: why, he opened his
great big eyes and looked at his friends
who were weeping around him and whis-
pered, Boys, don't cry; | am not dead
yet ,"
Forty-one years ago last Sunday the
battle of Manassas was fought II was
the first battle of the civil war and made
a deeper impression upon those engaged /
in II than any other. Compared with the /
great bagtles that came after it. it was I
almost Insignificant for there were only /
four hundred ana seventy federals killed /
and three hundred and seventeen confed- 4
crates. The federal account gives sixteen /
hundred OF their army as missing. That is
"A mistake, for by 4 o'clock they were
all missing. our cavalry couldn't find
them, though they followed their trail OF
discarded guns and haversacks for miles ?
and miles. There never was such a rout
and sucn a panic during the war We
didn't have enough wagons next day to
gather up the scattered munitions OF war.
and it took Mcdowell a month to call in
fc r
and reorganize. But IN the long run they
got even with us and a little ahead and
The Grand Army IS stiu Dragging how
four of them whipped one of us i'm four
years. That's all right. We are satisfied
with our record and Il grows brighter as
be years roll an ,,.AnPe. "es"ai"i '~ai'-. a.
he ruins of the Cooper iron works IL
vas Wild weird. ghosty place on the
ranks of the Etowah. where once we're
.olling mills and foundry and furnaces
md -four mills and tan yards ana nun
ireds of cottages. where happy 4aDoF'IS
md mechanics lived. But sherman
-, burned and destroyed everything,
nd since then most OF the crumbhng
a,aIls have fallen and the trees have
crown mn In their midst ana wild vines
,ave climbed the trees and nothing Is
isl5la bat ruins and the sad spectacle ~
-, .,v,e1 and brutal war. But this Is one
luruiug that, according to the rules anu
.isa eres Of war, was Justified, Tor these IRON
works we're making cannon for the con-
e,5.racv. Il was the lonesome chimneys
~ the poor all along his line Of march
that marked his brutality and proved his
assertion that WAR is hell
But no more OF this. While viewing (
these ruins my memory went back to the /
limo when Joe Brown was governor and /
LII 1.a a. q "a q
smear point and a side blade curved down /
ward ike a reaphook ana a long handle I
IN a socket. so that our boys might take /
'em coming and going. II they didn't /
run we were to spear EN-, and if they
did run We were 10 overtake EN- and
hook 'em back. That's what old man
Lewis told me, and he was the master
mechanic who made them, and he still
lives near here and is in his SSth year
l saw him today and he steps light and
spring. Tie is an Englishman MI.
Lewis" said + why didn't the Georgia
BOYS use these irHesY' Well YOU See
said he. ''the old army officers who were
drilling our boys at Big Shanty looked AZ
tbese mixes ana said to the governor:
What will the enemy be doing with their
guns while our boys are rushing on them
with these pixies? They VIII shoot our
hovs down before they can get TO them,
and they made SO much fun over the
mixes that they were refused. West Point
wouldn't have anything that was not
used at West Point" And so the further
manufacture OF pixies was stopped and
those that were made are now scattered
all over the country as culios for
museums. A sister OF mine says she saw
one of them not long ago in museum
I'm Boston But still | don't see why
snears are any more ont of order than
bavonets when a desperate charge Is to
he made. Charge bayonets.' is in the
West Point tactics, and why not Charge
nilxesq" They are an awful looking
weapon and If they were coming at me
and my gun was to miss fire should
drop il and run like a turkey. l had
rather be bored with a bullet than stuck
like n hog But il is all over now, and
we have beaten our spears into pruning
hooks according to scripture and VIII not
learn war any more, except when the
nurattocs and niggers refuse to give up
,bir lands 10 us. We want more land
Cor territory and more niggers for sub
jects.
PIT hear the dinner bell and must go
nor TO partake of the feast, but TO say
grace and preside and inhale the savory
! odor of roast lamb and green corn pud-
! ding and look at the peaches and cream
| for dessert They let me do that and
Give me nothing but soup and rice for
INV share My tomatoes are now In their
nrine and ii pleases me 20 gather them
q, tho early morn. My largest weighed