Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-08
AFTER RIDING ABOUND

The 9th of August / was on the
mountain and saw goldenrod in fun
bloom. There were a few red and
brown leaves but not many. Yester-
day / was again in the woods and saw
the gradual approach of autumn. Cot
ton and corn are yet green in this val
ley and only the cutting of the hay
and the tinting of the vines on the
piazza tell me that Mother Nature has
begun her fall fashions.
suppose there will be plenty of cot
ton pickers busy after this week. The
Farmer and | saw some fields that can
be worked on today. The flood of July
has made crops short in some sections
and gave plenty of people a bad scare.
1t is a good thing for all of us TO take
time to see how easy ii is to get in
rut and how the one crop system can
make us slaves to the credit merchant.
l wish that every reader of this paper
that is now in debt would decide with
Gods help to do with just the bare ne
cessities till times are brighter. My
observation here proves the same here
as my work in town; and that is that
certain class of people, the "hand-to-
mouth" sort, pay more for groceries
than the rich do. l have heard of more
than one family that paid ten dollars a
barrel for -four this spring. That was
OUTRAGEOUS i
had a barrel of flour charged at that
three times a day every day in the
week A year of close-livine, where
the husband and the wife pull together,
will put family enough ahead to buy
and pay cash for necessities. The wom-
an who has to work in the field has a
poor opportunity to raise chickens, but
there are some who do, and the eggs
sent to town help wonderfully in set
Ting the grocery bill. But there are so
many who are unequally yoked to-
gether The wife, or the husband may
work till doomsday, but if the other is
extravagant it certainly is dishearten-
ing.
| can't decide which is worse.
know women who married men with no
ambition and after a few years they de-
cided that it was all foolishness to work
so hard when their husbands were too
trifling to keep up their end. And the
excuses q trifling man can make. Not
the reason of a child, just laziness and
self1shness, willing for the place to look
like 80 cents just so full bag of to-
bacco is in his pocket and the sort or
food he likes on the table.
In looking over the fields we passed
recently we saw cotton that gave prom
Use. a month ago, of being the best in
large section; now it is about third
rate cotton. The first and second work
ing had been good, but the last had
been sighted for big meeting"
Nobody has more respect for church.
goers and for revivals than l have,
but God also expects us to work hard
and pay our debts. He says that even
the infidel takes care of his family.
There is a class of people who seem
to think there is merit in being poor
hut they have forg otten what became of
the one-talent man.
six days shalt thou labor" and when
we neglect the field in which we put seed
bought on a credit, or ploweo a mule
not paid for, we are saying in deeos II
not in words, that We think more or
our present desires than our obligations,
Don't misunderstood me. l honor the
couple who buy home and expect to
raw for it, and they can if they are rea-
sonable. But again / beg you not 10
cheat God. PAY that thou owest' out
don't forget that a tenth OF what we
make is not ours. 1t belongs to Coz,
the maker AMI the giver of all good ana
perfect gifts. Don't work yourself to
death. but, on the other hand don't
imagine YOU can play when the grass is
growing, or the garden needs work ana
not havo to make, a hlmsy excuse to
somebody. besides having the thrifty
neighbor despise you.
Faithfully yours,
LIZZIE o. THOMAS.