The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-02-10
Bill Arp RCiuns'tO the Eternal City
= and Meets Ills FrCnd Big John.
Tdjtar MeH,ypolitdn Record =:

THIS time made any remarks IN pubhk
about the trials and tribulati0ns, the
losses and crosses, the buzzarls and
dead hosses seen Oh ourr journey home
to the eternal City. | shallnot allood
to it now, only to remark that onr com.
IN back wcremot so hasty as our lcavin.
1t was in the ,'d+ad- Of winter through
snow and through slcet, over creeks
without bridges and bridges without
floors, through deserted and desolate
land where no rooster was left to crow,
no pig to squeal, no dog to bork where
the ruins Of happy homes adorned the
way, and ghostly chimncys stood up
ike Shcrman's scntmels guardin the
ruins he had made. a little one hos
consnm contained the highth Of my
worldly possessions, consistin OF nv mn.
merous and lovely wife and children,
and shucli basket full of some second
class vittels. Couhun our offspring
there was about ten Of us in and around
that wagn, thus illustratin what the
poet has sed, "One glorions hour of
crowded life is worth an age without n
name" though thc glory were hard to
persccve on sich okkashuns. Mrs. ARR
arc 3f the opinyom that her postcrity
were never as hungry before in their
life as on that distressin journey, and she
once remarked that there want nary
rod ofthe road that ddent hear. some
OF on hollcrin for viticls. NV 'wiGe's
husband is trooblcd bckaus they amt
Urokc of it ylt, aud it do seem that the
poorer git the more devourin they
"ckum, all OF whiol will send IN. sum.
thin or other if shrthin don't happen.
We finally arrived within the pre-.
Snkts Of orr lovely home The doors
crcakcd welcome on their hinges, the
hoppnl.bug chrrrnped OH the hearth,
and the whisthn wind was singin tue
same old ld.tlBe;arouadt the bcd.ruom cu,.
ncr. We. were about as happy as we
had been miserable, and when / re-
marked that General Nandivcr, who ok.
kupiod our house, must be gentleman
Tor not bnrnn it, Mrs. Arp replied
Il wonder what he done with my so
ing mash en-
'lde didcnt cut down our shade trees, :"
scd /.
Wy Rnrocs and carpets and crokcry
arc all gone" srd she.
"It maybe possibul," scd !, "thatth
GeNerul--"
HAnd my barrel of soap" scd she.
"lt may be possibul, " scd I, "that
the General moved off our things to
take kcer of'cm for IFS. | reckon well
git EN- all back httcr while"
MHer achi1c," said Mrs. Arp like an
ekko, and ever since then when T al.
lood to our Northern brethren she only
replies 'dttcr wAj2c."
by and by the shattered wanderers
begun to drop in under the welcome
shades of our sorromful City. 1t wcr u
delightful enjoyment to greet EN- home,
and listen TO the history Of their suf
frings and misforunes. Misery loves
company, AMI after tlee misery is past
there's power Of comfort in tall,init.
over and hXih mp as biga tale as any
body. Il We're standin one day npon
the banks of the 'injun river. a wondern
III my mind who would come next to
|sgladden our hearts, when saw the
shadder of an objek darknin the sun.
lit bank. Z 1t were not load ofhay nor
an elafanf' bnt shore enufit were my
friend Big John, q moving slowly, but
surely to The ding out landing on the
opposite Side. His big round face as.
soomed more lattitood when he saw me,
and without waitin for remarks he sung
outsipa voice some two slaves deeper
than The Southern Harmony
There came to the beech poor exile
Eriih"
"Make him .fat' sed I, "and you'll
fill the bill" Proii;ler to sec him than
4 monkey show, padded the dug out
over in doublesquick and bid wccnm in
the nameof the eternal City and its
humble Inhabitants. | soon got him
aaoat in the little eanoo, and before /
was aware of it the water was slcsaine
over tho gmncls at every wabblc.