The Tupelo journal., 1909-10-15
Snap Shots
BY COL. W. [. CLAYTON.
Author of Pen Pictures of the
Olden Tines

with WhCm we mix anu HilASle
every day-live and work in a
very circumscribed sphere OF
a,tion? You look to the army
and find an occasional Lee or
Jackson, and few others less
prominent and eminant while
the rank and file-the common
soldiers constitute the great body
Of the army.
You go into the court house
and only a few lawyers at the
bar rise to distinction, while the
bar is filed with mediocres,
In the ministry only one here
and there speak with the power
and pathos of the Apostle Paul,
while our pulpits are filed with
the common preacher, such as
belong to the great throng of
ordinary people whom you meet
on the streets of our cities and
towns and in the byWays Of the
country side. Bat do you kEo V,
| believe the great common peo-
pie are as dear to the Divine Ono,
and that He watches oyer their
many little troubles and difficult
ties the same as if it were a
prince in lis palace or king en-
his throne? The very hairs of
our head are all numbered. ooh
Lord, our Lord, how excellent is
thy name in all the earth"
The poor mantle common
mamie ordinary maa- moves
in his little c}rcunscribed sphere,
dies and is buried, and who, be-
side his own loved ones, give him
a passing thought? Last spring,
after having been sick and con-
fined to ny bed and home for
months there was one thing that
marred the 10y Of my first trip
from home over the beautiful
and lovely little city where |
have lived for thirty eight years
and near which | was brought
up, and that was the fact that |
saw men On that trip who had
never missed me from the streets
and did not even know | had
been sick. But | must say that,
whist this was a source Of re-
gret, the happy faces Of my
many friends at my recovery so
gladdened my heart that I almost
forgot the existence Of those bus
mess absorbed and self centered
oue8. have made these prelim-
mary observations as preface
to q few words | am going to say
OF an old soldier friend Of mine
with whom I associated during
the war, and who has been called
to his reward for a number OF
years. His name was-ah, still
is-Joseph Kelley, commonly
called Joe Kelley. Before the
war he had his home cut in the
"Tater Hill" country Of Old TIA
wanda, now Lee, county, where
he lived IN the bosom Of his fam
i!y, making small crops and
faithfully discharg;ng his duties
as citizen and honoring the
Great King. Wnen he entered
the army as a simple private
soldier, he was not less faithful,
but one thing | admired the most
was his patience amid every
hardship and trial and the sweet
spirit of gentleness and love
which ever characterized bis
walk and conversation. All,
Joseph, you may never have
thought Of it, or you may have
forgotten long before the Lord
called you away, the impress
you left on one poor heart from
your life lived in camp.
en- see him now with sweet
saile on his face and glow OF
10y on his countenance, and with
that charming Irish brogue, and
/ can hear even now the rythmic
calences rising and falling as he
sung ION Jordan,'s stormy banks
I stand" to the tune of Lila
Dale.'' | myself had never
learned to sing up to that time
and I have lost the chorus he
used, but it was beautiful. AT
ter learning to sing somewhat,
have tried many hundreds OF
times to remember this chorus,