The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-02-22
Bill Asp Returns to the Eternal
City and Meets his Friend Big
Inlln
d,fur Mct,erpolitun Rekord :

hav not up to this time made any re
marks in publik about the trials and tribu
latious, the losses and crosses, the buzzards
and dead hosscs seen on our journey home
to the eternal city. / shall not aood to it
now, only to remark that our comm back
were not so hasty as our leavin. 1t was in
the dead of winter. through snow and
through sleet, over crooks without bridges
and bridges without floors, through a de
serted and desolate land where no rooster
was left to crow, no pig to squea, no dog
to bark; where the ruins of happy homes
adorned the way, and ghosty chmncys
stood up like Sherman's sentinels guardin
the ruins he had made. A little one hos
conscrn contained the highth of my world
ly possessions, consistin of my numerous
and lovely wife and children, and shuck
basket full of some second class vittcls
Countin our offspring there was about ten
oil us in and about and around that wagin.
thus illustratin what the poet has sed, zone
glorious hour of crowded life is worth an
age without a name," though the glory
were hard to purseeve on sich okkashuns.
Mrs. Arp arc oil the opinyoun that her pos
terity were never as hungry before i'm their
life as on that distressin journey, and she
once remarked that there want nary rod of
the road that didcnt hear some of en- a
hollerin for vittels. My wifes husband is
troobed bekaus they aint broke of il yit,
and it do seem that the poorer | git the
more devouring they bccum, all of which
will eend in sumthin or other if sumthin
don't happen.
Wn fnol1, orr;yaJ A..
of our lovely home. The doors creaked
welcome on their hinges, the koopin bug
chcrrupd on the hearth, aud tho whs.lin
wind was singin the sans old tune around
the bedroom corner We were about as
happy as We had been miserable, and when
l remarke ed that General Vandiver, who
okkupied our house, must be gentleman
for not burnin it, Mrs. Arp replied
81 wonder what he done with my soing
masheen"
"He didcnt cut down our shade trees -
scd |.
only buroes and carpets and crockery
are all gone" sed she.
at may be possibul," sed 1, chat the
Genrul-
"And my barrel ofsoap." scd she.
'It may be possibul,' scd |, 'that the
Gcnrul moved off our things TO take kcer
Of en- for US. reckon we'll git EN- all
back after while"
"Atter while,' said Mrs. Arp like an
ekko, and ever since then when | alood
to our Noithren brethren she only replies,
"atter while"
by and by the shattered wanderers be-
gun to drop in under the welcum shades
OF our sorrowful City. 1t wcr a delightful
enjoyment to greet EN- home, and listen
to the history of their suffrings and mis-
fortunes. Misery loves company, and after
the misery is past there's power of COM
fort in talkin it over and fxin up as big u
tale as any body. ! wer standin one day
upon the banks OF the injun river won
derin in my mind who would come next to
gladden. our hearts, when saw the shadder
of an objek darknin the sun lit bank.
1t wer not load of hay nor an elefant, but
shore enuf it wer my friend Big John, a
movin slowly, but surely, to the dug out
landing on the opposite side. His big
round face assoomcd more iatitood when
he saw me, and without watin for remarks
he sung out in voice some two slaves
deeper than the Southern Harmony
"There came to the beech poor exile of Erir :"
"Make him fde," said /, "and you'll fill
the bill" Prouder to see him ,han mon
key show, | padded the dug out over in
double quick and bid him welcum in the
name OF the eternal City and its humble
inhabitants. soon got him ahoat in the
little canoo, and before | was aware of it
the water was sloshing over the gunnels at
every wabble. "Lay down, my friend"
sed /, and he laid, which was all that saved
us from watry grave, and the naboorn
farms from iuundation. When safely land
ed found him wedged in so tight that he
couldent rise, so | relieved him by prize
with the end of the paddle. As his foot
touched the sakred soil he gently separated
his countenance and sung with feeling mel.
ody,
"Home again-home again-from furrin
shore,
Zine ranks may cum and the devil too but I'll
not run any more