The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1907-01-31
4 LETTER PRGN A NEW YORKER.

NNAN SF~S(i anu W ~ - 81 (OhAtlA az
in his surroundings, 4 trip to
what Artemus Ward called " the
Sonny South, is delight.
Ones ears are soothed with the
soft, liquid accents, and ones
sense is charmed by a certain
observation-disclosures which
passes back and forth, even
among tbe most humble and
obscure. You lose that Northern
sense of preparedness for some
brusquesness or rebuff when ad-
dressing a stranGer-the people
are not plumed ready to say
something smart" and leave a
Jingle, if not a sting, On the con-
trary, you feel that every one
purposes 10 be kindly. You hear
sir " used more in a half hour
than you do NOrtk in half a week.
!nstsncing this general gracious
ness ia the common, every day
intercourse, let me cite the case
where the Judge. accompanied
by the writer, visited the black
smith, and informed the latter
that the colt would be sent the
next day TO be shod. The Judge
finally said that he would deliver
the animal himself. What North
ern blacksmith would take this as
a chance for courtesy ? The
Southern vslcan at once made
reply; Judge, there's no one
whose society 1 would mo- APP
preciate." An insignificant oc-
currsnce, doubtless, but it charm
ed Northerner.
One little setback. You go
South considering yourself an
American - that grand, broad
name which covers a contincat.
But before you are twenty-four
hours south Of Macon and Dixon s
line you have dwindled. tO-a
Northerner. A man there is a
SOutherner, a NorthcrneT, OF a
Westerner. The larger, broader
title, which we prefer, does not
seem to pass current. You avoid
any controversy over the negro,
because you feel that-coming
from your sectiOn-you VIII be
misCOnstrued If you say anything.
The Northerner is supposed 20 be
burning TO do all sorts Of impOs-
sible. repuls.ve things in the d.
rcction OF that race. The CUES
iion cannot be discussed by yOr
in an abstract way. because there
is only the red-hot impassioncc
way in which to consider it.
The only disappointment the
n 2rtherner could have in the
Judge was that he wore a derby
hat. He missed just that badg,
Of the South-the siouched hat
to make his picture complete.
A passionate admirer Of Jane:
Lane Aliens little classic, "
Kentucky Cardinal" I had {
genuine thrill in seeing him foI
the first time, in his wild. natura
state. the lovely red bird Of thai
tale. Day after day l visited hi,
hauntS, and drank in the picture
driving home one night with the
Judge, a certain page OF thai
! Book came back to me. We haC
found ourselves kindred spirits il
oar disbelief III that cruel, mcdi
aeval dogma of eternal punish
ment; so right here l want t
; send to the Judge the beautiful
WORDS OF James Lane Allen as
, finale to our cruder exposition O
the case. The birds are moult
ing. If man could only moul
also-his mind once a year it
5 useless passions! How fine w
: should all look if every Angus
the old plumage of our nature
would drop out and be blow
y away. and fresh quilts take til
vacant places ! But we have on
set of feathers to last us throug
our fCrescOre years and ten-ol,
d set of spotless feathers, which "
g are told to keep spotless all on
lives IN a dirty world If on