Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-01
The Country Home
The New Year and It's Outlook.
BY MRS. w. H. FELTON,

The New Year and It's Outlook.
We have nearly finished up the du-
| ties-the cares-the disappointments
and the privileges which came to US
when 1929 was ushered in nearly ~
| months ago. The opportunities have
either been improved or neglected.
| The duties have been perfectly or
| very imperfectly carried out-maybe
entirely neglected by some of us
| among the one hundred and ten mill
| lions of American people. The dis
| appointments in many cases especial
| ly in financial conditions are heavier
| and the caPesAespeSfa1ly those that
were dreaded and never came to pass,
| will bother us no more.
But we will not close up the &C
| count, on either debit or credit side
| until we say, 1--WE have lots to be
| thankful for, to be alive--and able
| to eat what is set before ns--Wlth
some sort of a roof to cover us, and
| all about us on their feet and ready
| to start anew on the year 1921"
Nothing can be so bad that 1t
| cannot be worse. The Great Provid-
| er has not forgotten US, at any time
| We are naturally built to be com
! planners in hard times, but we are
| also built to be irresponsible or for
getful in flush times.
| We have had seven years OF the
most unaccountabie experiences since
| 1914, that the world ever saw. the
I most Of us have sunk down, as the
earth slumped, as when we had
real earthquake.
| But the dollar-a-year hnanc1als
have made 1t upA.in basket and IN
| store. They flourish LIKE the green
bay tree. These dollar-a-year finan-
cials have ceased to talk in millions:
infprnS6
their plans fer the future: The
| money that was given to foreign
| peoples-free gratis, for nothing
| does not hurt seriously. 1t is the
| full-f1edged profiteer that rubs US,
sore, both coming and a-going. In
flush years-and then seven lean
| years. $50
It is more than likely we will
know how it is to navigate in seven
stormy years, and come out on dry
| land with either property or credit.
| We have entered a day school now
| after having been fumbling with col
| lege professors for seven long green
years. The dry years, the seven to
come, will discipline our minds, II
we lose flesh from toll and sleepless
nights of anxiety. There is lesson
| to be learned in both fat and lean
years, and ais hard work and constant
occupation are the only panaceas for
sorrows or deep troubles. we may be
better nation, with clearer ideas
on the brotherhood Of man. after we
pull along in slow wagons awhile.
l once read of very sick man,
who could buy any sort of Iuxuries
to eat by the carload-maybe the
live on a scant milk diet, and go to
bed every night hungry, to be able
| to exist He was willing to live,
and he put up with the scant milk
diet. He was contented to drink the
milk, hot or cold.
have heard of an old lady, who
has fair bank account, who cannot
| persuade her family to drive her in
| their automobile, to examine her own
farm, which the youngsters expect
coming to her-a coffin and an obit-
uary in the county paper. But they
tell me that the old woman is care
| ful about eating, careful about get
! ting her feet wet, and careful 70
keep a good fire to sit by and takes
| a good deal of comfort in the thought
that they can't hurry her. to the
hearse, for she has to walk while
she is here, and will enjoy walking
in preference to riding in gay
hearse auto to the cemetery Things
are not so bad with either Of these
piIgrims-the over-rich man and the
shrewd old lady, who knows her, 60
| ing would gladly make a big snow,
| with a funeral, If she would obl1g-
ingly retire to the place. prepared for
her-and then they might step in
The happiest person that I think
ever have known was a g 6 90 : ola o. a
ACQUAINTED with for fifty years. , She
self. She had but one fad--one
craving. She wanted a buggy, and
something to drive hitched to it.
She made no complaint when the
old horse died. when she had a safe
old blind mule harnessed in its
place, and, She was as cheerful as
ever, when he husband, Uncle Jack,
| traded and traded, until they got
down to an old wagon and steer.
the steer lay down and died. but I
helped the old couple to cheap
| little maroon credit--and the old
colored sister was Just as happy
again as a big sunflower. could
see no difference in her cheerful
buggy to one-horse wagon, or
when the wagon changed to a cart.
with a yoke on the steers neck.
| She still could ride.
which literally takes no thought for
the morrow. "Aunt Jimmy" was the
most accommodating person in the
world. She was glad to do you a
favor, took a pride In being your
h hfeRh She ne wou1d co oaenez whe on
- She got more out of life. COM
pairing her happiness with those she
served, who were burdened with
saw or heard Of
In her dying hours. we could look
each other in the face and feel as
sured of strong friendship on both
sides. It is this sort of happiness
that should come to this restless
help let US get busy about. the help
ing. What is hopeless of remedy,
let us put it behind us, and hope
for better day. Don't cross a
You will be surprise ed to find that
such bridges are apt to stay at
distance. Be as happy as you can.
Returns Thanks
T wish you might see how many
Christmas cards arrived on time and
ahead Of time for Grandmother Eel
ton. Some started from far-off Cal
ifornia, some from New York. and
the Georgia crowd was immense:
and so beautiful in sentiment and
full of kind wishes.
I am like child in a good many
ways and about many things. I love
candy-like I did when a bit of a
gir1--and love to hear my friends
tell me they still love me, and will
miss me when I go away.
If there is anybody in your family
who has reached four score. take a
little time for it, once In a while.
and say sweet, loving word to the
old body Her face may be wrin-
kled, but her heart is still tender.
Let her have the privilege Of telling
you (onee a year, perhaps) about
your great grandfather, and your
great aunts and unc1es you never
saw, and, perhaps as not, care to
know about. They are still real