The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-07
HEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

In spite of the fact that the great
 majority of people drift carelessly | along without seeming to take any thought for the morrow, life is made
 up of choices.
 You hear it said of a person, "Oh,
 he can't make up his mind but then we know from time immemorial wo-
 man has right to change hers, which
 is evidence that she does make it up, if for no other purpose than to exer- else her feminine prerogative.
 But after all is said anent the in
 decision of mankind, whether we wish it or not each day we have to do whole lot of choosing, and between the rising and setting of the sun, every mothers son of us has to decide num- berless questions. small or great. Take as simple a proposition as go- ing to Trussville Sunday morning to preach I was reliably informed that all I had to do was to board Gate City car and catch the "jitney'' which
 made a trip every half hour. With this in mind I rather overstaid my time in bed. and only got on the march about o'clock.
 Now. in ordinary weather two hours would have given me all the margin I needed. but after a stroll from Noun tain Terrace through Avondale park, where even the bears had their noses pressed against the iron bars of their pit as if crying for bit of betting. l came out on Spring street to the Tide water car line.
 The tracks looked as if the cars were moving, but having made inquiry among a number of people who came out of their houses, I could not estab- fish the fact that the Birmin gham Railway. Light and Power company was running on schedule, so I strolled on down to First avenue and asked q boy in the little store if the cars were on time, but his reply was disconcert- ing. Not on your life" IL was up to Int to SSl bO lHO cHu
 of the Gate City car line, so I jumped the next East Lake car and got off at Seventy street and up by How ard college and over the mountains a mile and a half in heavy snow I made my tedious way. meeting a brave little "newsie" with his bag of Sunday pa- pers manfully delivering his route. The sight of him put little iron in my blood, and I forgot my troubles. At 20 minutes to 10 I reached the wiener stand where the "jitneys' hang out. to find that none of them had made any trips since the snow fell. walk and change of cars, with small hope of getting step further on my way. It sure looked as if the jig was up so far as filling my engage ment was concerned. But make it .
 rule to keep my appointments if pos sible.
 I then asked if there was a. phone anywhere available to be informed that | there was one in the ore company s office, but it was closed on Sunday.
 I went to it on the chance that some
 one might be doing some extra work.
 but found it closed. I looked around 1 the corner and saw two men trying to thaw out an iron pipe by the use of
 fires built about it. l asked if either
 of them happened to be connected with the ore plant. and one admitted it. | told him my predicament and asked
 if he would open and let me use the 1 phone. He said that he would be glad ! to, but that it had been out of service for several days. I told him I was obligingly opened up, and I got cen | tral and in a minute was in connection
 with one of the "jitney" drivers who
 lived about a mile up the road. It
 looked as if luck was turning my way. 1 "Jim.'' I said, I'll give you $5
 if you will get me to Trussville.' D | replied q would tackle it, but hava
 no chains on my car and it is impos-
 sible to make it. or I would do it both | for the money and to accommodate
 you" Things were getting desperate
 but never for one moment had I given
 up the hope of getting up the valley
 and yet. I knew I did not have time
 to get taxi from town.
 1 Now. here is where things began to
 brighten, for a young man in a Ford
 had driven down to get a doctor and
 had stopped to use the phone. and ne ! overheard the conversation. Turning to me when I put down the phone
 he said. q do not run a car for hire but I'll just make that five and see
 that you get to the church on time"
 Let's go," I answered. "All right
 said he. but first by the doctors" ]
 readily admitted that even preaching
 could wait in case of life and death out
 Now. I'll remember that ride up tine
 valley as long as I live The road; were slick but in spite of the pace we
 kept in the middle of the track ant
 the machine ate up the miles as we
 raced past the farm houses. I was
 never as glad to get a glimpse of
 town in my whole life as I was to set tTrussville and. believe it or not, W, stopped at the church door exactly a