Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-07
Blu REV. THOMAS DIXON, JR.
CoDuri0ht 1902
Blu Doubleday, PAGE & Co

| Ing on 1T at odd times Tor four years.
| They'll think 1t sudden inspiration"
Whats the name of it?''
1.-THE Message of the New South to the
| Glorious Old"
THAT sounds bully, that ought to fetch
EN-"
ut WILL my boy, and when Dave Haley
| gets this postoffice away from you in the
dark days coming. I'll publish that speech
in pamphlet, and you can peddle it at
a quarter and make good living for your
| children"
Don't talk like that. CASTOR. that isn't
funny at ALL You don't think the Radi-
Gals have got any CHANGER"
"Chance! Between you and me they'll
win
Sam went back to the desk without an
other word a great fear suddenly darken-
ing the future. Mcleod had gotten off the
same joke on him the day before. 1t
sounded ominous coming from both sides
| like that. He took up his party paper,
The Old Timers Gazette" and read over
. again the sure prophecies OF victory and
felt better.
! CASTOR accepted the invitation with
feverish haste. He had IT all ready to put
in the office for the return mail to indie
pendence. But he was ashamed to appear
IN such a hurry, so he held the letter
over until the next day. He proudly show
ed the invitation to Mrs. Durham.
What do you think of that, Auntie?''
Immense! You will meet Miss Sallie
sure. That letter is in her handwriting,
She's the secretary Of the association and
signed the committees names"
You don't say that's the great and
only ones handwriting
Couldn't be mistaken. It has delicate
I distinction about it. I'd know it any
where"
TT is beautiful" acknowledged CASTOR
looking thoughtfully at the letter.
~4-f- 1,o6 aFNff orlfe
at wouldn't mind it myself. If 1 had the
money But clothes don't interest me
much just so I'm fairly decent"
'II loan you the money. If you will
promise me to devote yourself faithfully
to Sallie."
Never. I'll not sell my interest in all
those acres of pretty girls just for one 1
never saw and a suit Of clothes. No
thanks. I'm going down there with pre-
monition I may find Her Of whom I've
dreamed. They say that town is full of
beauties"
You're so conceited. That's all the
more reason you should look your best"
st don't care so much about looks. I'm
! going to do my best, whatever I look"
"Oh, you know you're good looking and
you don't care" said his foster mother
with pride r,4,
On the 10th Of May Independence was in
gala robes. The long rows of beautiful
which giant oaks spread their cool arms,
were gay with bunting. and with flowers,
flowers everywhere! Every urchin on the
street and every man, woman and child
wore or carried flower.
The reception committee met CASTOR at
the depot on the arrival of the excursion
/ train that ran from Hambright. He was
placed in an open carriage beside hand
some chattering society woman, and
| drawn by prancing horses, was escort
| ed to the hotel, where he was introduced
to the distinguished old soldiers Of the
| Confederacy.
At 10 O'Clock the procession was formed.
What a sight 1t stretched from the hotel
| down the shaded pavements a mile toward
| the cemetery, two long rows of beautiful
| girls holding great bouquets of flowers.
! This long double line of beauty and sweet
ness opened, and escorted gravely by the
| oldest general of the Confederacy present,
girls and flowersl Behind him tramped
! the veterans, some with one arms, some
| with wooden legs.
When they passed through, the double
| line closed, and two and two the hun
| dreds of girls carried their flowers in. sol
| ernn procession. Here was the throbbing
soul of the south, keeping fresh the love
| of her heroic deadl
They spread out over the great cemetery
| like a host of ministering angels. There
was a bugle call. They bent low mo-
| ment, and flowers were smiling over every
grave from the greatest to the lowliest!
And then to a stone altar marked ITO
the Unknown Dead" they came and heap
ed up roses Then a group of sad-faced
women dressed in black. with quaint little
bonnets wreathing their brows like nuns,
went silently over to the National ceme-
| terry across the way and each taking a
basket walked past the long lines of the
Il - -
single rose on every soldiers grave.
| They were women whose boys were buried
in strange lands in lonely unmarked
| trenches. They were doing now what they
hoped some womans hand would do for
their lost heroes.
The crowd silently gathered around the
speakers stand and took their seats in
the benches placed beneath the trees.
CASTOR had never seen this ceremony so
lavishly and beautifully performed before.
He was overwhelmed with emotion. His
fathers straight soldierly figure rose be-
fore him in imagination, and with him all
the silent hosts that now bivouacked with
the dead. His soul was melted with the
Infinite pathos and pity Of 1t all.
He had intended to say some sharp ep-
| igrammatic things that would cut the
| chronic mossbacks that cling to the plat
forms on such occasions. But somehow
when he began they we're melted out Of
MS speech. lie spoke Win a lShuSAhCSS
and reverence that stilled the crowd in a
| moment like low music.
His tribute TO the dead was poem Of
| rhythmic and exalted thoughts. The oc-
casion was to him an inspiration and the
| people hung GREATNESS on his words. His
| voice was never strained but was pene-
| trated and thrilled with thought packed
until 1t burst into the flame of speech. He
felt with conscious power his mastery of
his audience. He was surprised at his own
mood of extraordinary tenderness as he
| felt his being softened by that Oldest re-
ligion of the ages, the worship Of the
| dead-as old as sorrow and as everlasting
| as death! He was for the moment clay
in the hands of some mightier spirit above
| him
He had spoken perhaps fifteen minutes
| when suddenly, straight in front Of him,
he looked into the face Of the One Woman
| of all his dreams.
There she sat as still as death. her beau
| tiful face tense with breathless' interest,
| her fluted red lips parted as If half In
wonder, half in JOY, over some strange
! revelation, and her great blue eyes swim
ming in a mist of tears! He smiled a
| look Of recognition into her soul and she
answered with a smile that seemed to say,
| 1--WE known you always! Why haven't
you seen me sooner?" He recognized her
| instantly from Mrs. Durham's description
and his great heart uttered cry of joy.
From that moment every word that he ut