Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-22
MY BIRTHDAY.


Nv eighty-second birthday found me
in New York City, and unfortunately for
me, had been so sick for three previous
days that decided to start homewards
on the 10th of June. It is annoying 10
be sick anywhere, but especially when
you are making q real pleasure trip. Sc
L decided to use my feeble strength N
getting home again, and by resting two
days in Washington City and two other
days in Atlanta, Ca, reached my own
domicile in fairly good shape, and with
very grateful heart I was able to
thank my Heavenly Father for HIS pre-
serving mercies.
had a chill, followed by high fever,
and I think 1t was the very changeable
weather which made a number Of people
sick and harrassed with cold.
The evening of my return had q good
fire and was none too warm with some
extra winter wear. 1t has been a most
peculiar season, for extra chilly days and
high winds. But the mall which had
accumulated in my absence was a CRATE
full sight, for had kilograms and postal
cards and letters and good wishes that
reached from Alabama and Florida to
California. The good friends and rela-
lives had remembered 1 was going to
reach my eighty-second birthday and
things for me until 1 felt glad 1 could
be an aged pilgrim with so many years
of happiness to think about and so
many good people to appreciate and
love me.
am getting around again all right,
and very glad to send CHEEKY greeting
to the readers of The Semi-Weekly Jour
nal, resting under my own vine and fig
tree.
I trust this greeting of the thoughtful
ones who sent me so many birthday
messages will be received as a reply
from their grateful old friend, the edl-
tress of the Country Home Column, as
nv mail is always large and the de-
mands upon my time are always heavy
when 1 have been away two or three
weeks from home.
WHAT Is BXTRAvAGANCE?
I walked into one of Atlanta's larg-
est department stores a few days ago,
and ] saw II was packed full of beautt-
full things, all sorts of things, a vast
variety of beautiful and high priced
things L said to a young lady clerk
who had been in the store a long time
a most valuable assistant-'What about
your trade? VIII you sell all these
things right OFF,"
She replied. ''Of course we will, our
trade was never better" Poor people
couldn't buy these things that 1 saw.
1t needed money and plenty of IT to buy
those expensive things of all kinds.
/ recollected in the meantime that
these things had to be made by some
body-lots OF somebodies. These work
ers had to make a living out Of these
beautiful suits, umbrellas, shoes. stock
ings, wraps and laces.
If nobody bought, there would De
thousands of unemployed men and wom-
en-. who could hardly live. when out OF
a Job. The florists who sell so many
flowers. employ a great crowd of busy
people. The flowers are neither good
to eat or to wear; therefore they could
be omitted, and doubtless they rank
alongside with what we can call extrav-
agance.
It Is not high prices that run us
down financially, IL is wastefulness that
forces the business of spending. Sem
sible people will not throw away or
waste their money, but the buying OF
fine things with money you can spare
helps a thousand people TO more rea-
sonable wage.
But It is the getting of something for
nothing that plays the mischief!
An auction counter Is generally a
place when things are dumped, to get
some sort of a price for those who are
forced to the wall and are obliged to
sacrifice their stuff. Wastefulness Is
the word to use for such things.