Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-29
G. II A T

Here IL Is the twenty-first OF January
and am writing on the plaza When the
letfers from Maine. New York. Canada
and Virginia tell me OF the weather there
/ breathe q sigh of great content for We
have had a real Florida winter. Roses.
violets and strawberries have been with
us since Thanksgiving. had ice and
sleet and snow enough in japan to last
me until 90 back Many. many were the
days over there that were so snowy that
/ couldn't see across the street Snow
didn't stay on the ground, IL was too
damn. but that did not keep IL from fall
inx. / used to go nine miles every Sun
day morning. got up at FIVE o'clock to
catch the train TO get there in time for
Sunday school. and many time sat un-
der Just such a shelter as you would
build for your cattle and could hardly
tell the right train on account Of the fall
ing snow
Some Of you may want 70 know when
/ reached there. as got up so early. /
was a good way from the station and us
uaIly got there at seven. the train took
about an hour TO make the nine miles; ii
stopped at another station in the same
city lived in. and at every stop IL waited
from i've to fifteen minutes. Their fast
express only went twenty-five miles an
hour The city 1 lived in had the third to
the finest station in the empire and IL had
4 dirt floor and no heat, except some
Goals I'm a brazier.
But I learned some good lessons over
there One was that much we call ne
cessftieS are really luxuries. After liv-
ing a year in such a country. without a
fire place in my home. / went to Kobe to
visit some friends who had a fireplace.
and nearly ruined my clothing. I'd find
myself almost in the fire. In our school
rooms. we had large boxes filed with
sand. and the mass of glowing Goals kept
the room fairly comfortable, the poor lit
tie children suffer with chilblains and
frozen fingers and ears.
The families often have a square hole
three feet across cut in the floor; box
or Goals is put in there and all OF them
swing their feet down there and put a
comfort over the hole and keep COM
Portable. At night a large earthen bot
tie. holding a gallon OF hot water, is
put at ones feet Consumption mows
them right and left. because they have
10 Keep their houses so tll-ventilated In
winter. When they come to this coun-
try and return they nearly freeze to
death. Then IL Is that they realize the
sacrf1ce that we make in going over
there.
Those VINO have never been out or
their own country think an honor has
been conferred on US by allowing US TO
remain over there.
kor many years the only way that we
could stay was TO get some Christian
japanese TO sign a contract to be re-
sponsfble Tor our good behavior. There
vas q dear old man who held my GER
e1rcate. L used 10 tell him whenever L
wanted 20 leave town and he would be
ax the station TO bow me out. / had
90 have a passport. and show that to
xhe policeman az my destination But
that IS enough or Japan for this time.
Rowgan's experience with his maN re-
minds me or the happy days I used TO
spend az my brothers plantation in
Florida He hired the mail carrier on a
star route as they were called then.
20 leave the mail at the cross roads and
some school children brought il to US.
when there was no school we, too, had
70 hire someone. but they were more
reliable than Rowgan's seem 10 be.
Girls. leap year has passed and the
name unguessed. i wrote to him and
asked him II knowing put me out of
the race and he never said a word, so ]
suppose the coast Is clear for the best
guesSer.
There goes the school bell: the chill
dren tagging along the street begin 20
run, and that half-past eight bell tells
me that /. too, must hasten But be-
I.eve me. faithfully yours,
LIZZIE, O THOMAS