The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-28
PlUnk6tt' SLeft6r
LIKE the fall season.

L black upon the vines ana crowd OF
young people have been out gathering
them for a week. These wild grapes are
not SO abundant as they used to be, but
the young generation think they are. and
that is sufficient for Them and there are
plenty still to act as sweet reminders for
old folk and start flood of memories
to yelling in our hearts. So 1t is that
everything Is cheerful. The young romp
and gather the grapes while the cool
mornings timber up the joints and fresh
en- the memory of the old. till
Over the fields and far away,
hear the partridge sing,
1t sounds as sweet for me today
And has as clear a ring
AS In the years long, long agone.
When there was never sweeter song
To cheer crisp and frosty morn
Than "Old Bob White"'
The partridge is a large part of the
fall season. In old times every boy had
his traps and I venture there is not one
of them living today but what can think
of these trapping days with feelings Of
the greatest pleasure. To visit these traps
was the first work of the morning and
what a delight it was to find the trap
filed with birds. Where is the old man
that does not take pleasure in studying
over these traps and where the old WON
an that does not remember the romps
after grapes. muscadines and chestnuts
IT was delightful to hold the girls hands
and pick the briars from their fingers
and it was another delight to stand be.
Meath a white oak and swing upon
the vines and have the nusca
l5a
And who would forget the old fence rows
that we would climb on our way to the
bottoms All along these old fences tho
grapes hung in clusters with here and
there. a persimmon tree with brown may
mons covering the ground. 1t was all great
for people and it was great for 'possums.
IF Won remember these things you VIII
he sure to think of the rabbits and
SQUIRRELS that were then abundant aud a
And Juicy The rabbits are with US YET.
bur none of the other things are here as
thew used to be: but for all that. the faii
season is not so sad a season you
heard it was.
Our corn crops are splendid. Cotton Is
off, but there Is no grumbling over the
matter. Farmer young men have learned
that corn III the crib and meat III fha
smoke house is far more important th8n
a big cotton crop, and ] predict tina
there will be lots of marrying betwerH
now and Christmas. l am not fooled
about the matter. They are mating ~
and sitting up to each other in the good
old way and when the money for cotton
begins to flow in the marrying will begin
and one wedding begets another and the
parties and cuttings that Will soon begin
Will help along. so that we may conn
Tf.- inc I'm re-drf-
now pretty soon, crops or no crops. hard
times or no hard times.
While the young people are getting
ready to do such things as are always
invited by fall and are happy and cheer
full in consequence, those too old to enjoy
the present are refreshed III memory By
the pleasant season, till everything in
cur settlement, at least, wears more the
smile OF a beautiful spring than the sor-
row that the poets would have us be-
lieve belongs to fall. Old people can
find many comforts in musing over the
past. l doubt if the pursuits of your
IS any sweeter than to think over the
past. All the time there is a fgh ot
change. Last week l watched the sand
wagons taking sand into the city ana
it caused me to take up the observa-
lions of my own life and to reflect thar
1t is mighty common to notice sand
wagons and perhaps there are many
ready to say that there is nothing in one
of these wagons to cause a thought ~
the past But they put me to studylag
over what Il fight 1t is for even sand
to hold it's place in the world Mature
moves along to repeat over and over
again the same long fight, the same SAD
struggle. Every day these sand wagons
are moving in and out on every road
leading into the city-like ants they seem
so industrious and winding one after an
other The Transfers know how to wind
with the hills and find the flats OF sand
and gravel. It is not an easy thing tn
haul this sand, but there are a plenty
of teamsters glad to do it. These I'll
their places and they have their pleas
ures. I have watched their eyes twinkls
as they would discover a quality of sal3
Just suited to their purposes, and the
sweat would roll from their faces
they shoveled it from its place. IIarl
work it is to get this sand, but Il IS
sand purified by the thumps and tum-
bes of nature. For years upon years
these little grains Of sand have bes
rained upon and washed down and dow
till at the very bottom It has been lsr
TO ne without seeming purpose bIs
centuries roll and the great chang
come that makes the sand hauler giat
to lift it from its place to return to TIL
hills again and there to take a place m
frescOed walls, a thing of beauty and
of usefulness. SO the fight begins again
to carry it down and over and ove-
works the DEGREES of providence till who
shall say but what the mission ~ the
old and their pleasures as wei are Nc,
equal to those who are vet in youth
live in the hope that God will regulate
things in His own good way that al
Of us can get good out of life If only We
will try-we are trying
SARGE PLUNKETT