Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1910-09-01
LETTER FROM AN bKOLONA

Dear Democrat-Allow ole who is
a subscriber and well wishert Of your
valuable paper Just short spice. No
paper comes to me in Okolona Miss.
whose contents read with IRE in.
terest than do those Of the Deb Rocrat
II sends me. as it were. to my Native
country and keeps fresh the mehory
Of old friends and acquaintaaces.
My father read with pleasure lid
profit your fathers strong and schoIaiSv
editorials and now | enjoy this samt
paper edited by worthy daughters Of j
werthy father. | often speak to my
friends at home Of the noble example
Of the daughters who took up the
work laid down by their father only
when he laid down his life.
He certainly lives in his children
and his works do follow him." All
honor. praise and encouragement to
the lady editors Of the Democrat |
lift my hat high to you! Many times
with my friend and schoolmate, Willie
Clay, have been in the old Democrat
olhce-morc than that, many a time |
have been in his home and he in mine.
Born in the same year, in the same
classes at school. preparing our les
sons together, boxing. wrestling, Chow.
ever not after the manner Of Jeffries
and Johnson), friendship sprana up
between us that the years have only
served to augment and intensity. So
the other day, when in his law office,
he said: Fred, come. go Nth me. to-
my home and meet my wife and get
acquainted with VIM. L. Clay, Jr." /
said, I'll &C" think he is rightly
named, and right here | predict for
him bright future
Just year ago paid visit to your
country-my country. have added
my country" for shall ever claim my
native place as my country, for here
rests the sacret dust of loved ones>and
here live dear relatives and friends. II
can never get so far from it. or stay
away so long but that I'll claim it as
my own. only regret that the 80
years my home has been in Northeast
Mississippi It has not been my privi-
lege to pay annual visits here.
Let nothing have written be con-
strued as disparaging the country Of
my adoption. IL | could not be here |
would want to be there; If | could not
be there, Id want to be here. The
prairies of Northeast Mississippi are
beautifully spread out like your own
valleys. only we have no mountains to
stand sentinels, no springs in their
crystal beauty and clearness to gush
forth from the rocks. While thus
wanting we have some compensation
in our broad and beautiful alfalfa
1 fields. If Judge Richard Walker was
there we would not have to add him
to the soil to make this crop profitable
In mid-wnter when baroness and
bleakness characterize country, |
would like to take him down the old
M, & o. and watch his face as we
would pass field after field of green
and beautiful alfalfa, In the health.
fuIness Of the climate, fertility of soil,
broadness and nobility Of its citizens,
our country is not exceIled even BY
your own favored land.
have nothing to take back in re-
gard to what | wrote about this North
Alabama country one year ago. 1t
looks good to me no. it looks better.
AS now write from the vantage point
BY window Of an upper room in the
home of my brother, A. Mcdonnell,
and look northward, towards the city
in the early morning hours, when the
sun is lighting and bathing the land
scape. with its warm rays. even in my
prosaic soul. it awakens emotions and
could wish for thep Of the poet or
the brush Of the artist. that | may DO
even slight Justice to the enhancing
view. 1t is partly owing to the fact,
this is my NAIVE place. but no country