The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-28
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

ness or profession
 This is being changed by the war activ-
 ities, which are bringing all of us into
 closer touch. It's one of the good things
 that we are getting out of the calls which
 the government is putting on us. We
 are learning to know each other better
 ard because of this Birmingham is com
 ing rapidly into it's own. Alter some years absence, 16 years ago | I returned to make this city my home
 having bought the Alabama Baptist, the
 organ of the Baptists of Alabama; but
 during all this time I came only once
 or twice into personal touch with the editor of The Age-Herald and then only
 in a casual way.
 freely confess that felt that there
 would be little in common between us,
 and never made any effort to cultivate
 him. l take it for granted that he had
 the same feelings in regard to me; that
 is, if he had given me any thought at all. Our lives were lived in different
 grooves.
 |
 | I used to read his Ned Brace articles
 in the Sunday paper, but while enjoying
 many of them I never got at his human
 side until he welt out, several years
 ago. to build ,Bracewood, Q country
 place on Red mountain, and began to
 talk about it in natural manner that aprealed to me, for it revealed a new and pleasing side of his nature | little before had built a home
 and put in great deal of time in put
 tering about the place. Having lived 1 around so much, I had never taken root t;
 and to have a place of my very own to look after soon grew on me, and before I knew it I was interested in flowers. then in fruits, and then chicken fever caught Ire.
 | Mir. Barrett was evidently traveling the same route, for it began to creep into his i Ned Brace corner on the Sunday edi- 1 torial page that he was gardening, or | setting out fruit trees, planting grape
 vines, putting in oceans, getting an as-
 paragus bed ready, arranging for a lot
 of currant bushes, and getting garden
 plot in condition to raise his own vege- tables.
 | I found out that I was warming up
 to New Brace, and then one day he l proudly announced the fact that his prize Tamworth SOW had presented him with a litter of pigs and that he was go- i ing to raise his own bacon. I was ready
 then to greet him as friend even | though on some political questions we stood on the opposite sides of the fence and differed on some of the public ques- l tions of the day.
 Now, for more than year have been working with him on The Age-Herald, and in that time have learned to know him better and to appreciate many of his good qualities. I am not now thinking of him as an editor, but as a husband. father, neighbor and as a citizen. His public career at present does not interest me, it's his intimate private life | that does.
 
 I know that he knows that what write is not in any way influenced by the fact that I am member of his staff, and I believe the public as we'll as those who know me, will also free me from any desire to flatter him or set down things l to better my position on The Age-H Herald. I will treat him just as I would any out sider on whom wished to hang a story.
 The public sees him driving about in his car, or at public functions, and is apt | to set him down as man who devotes his time to his business or to society, and is not interested in the ordinary ev- l ery-day affairs which center about the home. have never known a man who was more wrapped up in the little daily details whict go to make up family life. | He takes a hearty interest in everything which goes oi: in his town or country place.
 1 TO see him at his best is to put in a day with him at Bracewood. Not long ago he came by my desk and said: MT. Barnett, I am going to drive out to the | mountain and plant some cantaloupe seed, and would be glad to have you go with me" I accepted with pleasure, as wanted to get a bit of fresh air and to see the piggies, the cows, the ponies and the garden.
 We got there and found the COW had a young calf, which was frisking about the lot The Tamworth pigs grunted their welcome from the pen. Just then the butler arrived with Janie's saddle horse, and two boys came scampering up with , Edwards and Kitty's ponies, and MT. Barrett sent Arthur. the butler, up the road to get the mule to do bit of blow ing.
 Then things began to happen. You would have thought that Ned Brace was ar overseer instead of an editor Down in front of the house, just inside the hedge by the road, he found place for a cantaloupe patch and kept two men busy planting them. One prepared the holes while the other brought the com post. Every now and then MT. Barrett would say, q believe this would be a good place for cantaloupe, and in a few seeds would go If all come up that he put beneath the sod cantaloupes will spring up all over the grounds at Brace wood.
 IL. T