The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-04-25
IFrem the Atlanta (da.) Constitution.l
BILL ARP"s CHAT.
In which mc Eccomes somewhat Domestic
Ia his Views.

It's hard winter shore. Maybe it,
because we havn't got used to country
lifc--living miles from bottio oI
paragoric, or gallon Of kerosene, or Q
plug OF tobacco, or spool Of thread, OF
u pound OF soda--with nothing to vary
gate the monotonY but passing drove
OF mules every day or two-no yisitors
no peddlcrs, no sewing machine agents
no sunshine, 10 nothing, but to sit BY
the fro and read, and feel blue, and
look ont of the window, and amuse the
children. There are no brick sidewalks
nor paved streets to walk OH, and the
big road to town has lost its bottom
and reminds one Of the way old father
bunyans Pilgrim travelled when trying
to reach the promised land | had
hoped the grand jury would present II
as an unbated nuisance, but they were
10 busy presentiu' the Governor and
Murphy and other furrin matters, they
overlooked our home concerns. Maybe
they'll yttend TO 'am when they get
through with the cipher dispatches
Everywhere is mud, and mire, and
slush. When it amt freczin, its tina win
and rainin, and the children and dses
track mud all over the house. We
can't keep en- in and VIC can't keep 'em
out. Tho boys have got traps bet in
the swamp, and are obliged to 90 to 'em
every fifteen minutes, and il they catch
u bird it's Aa big a thing as KILN an
elefant. They built brick furnace in
the back yard, aud have been co1kin'
on 1t for two days, bakin' hoecakes, aud
fryin eggs, and boilin coffee, and their
afflicted mother has mighty near sur
rendered, for she cant keep sk illet, nor
s spoon, nor u knife, nor plate ia the
kitchen, and 80 she tried to kick the
furnace over, and nov goes about lump
in with u sore toe. Some Of the older
ones have found chalk quarry in
ditch, and taken notion to drawin
and sculpture. and make pictures of
dogs, and chickens, aud snakes all
round the house OIL The outside and
while the good mother was coosin
the two youngest ones chalked over the
inside as good as they could. The
mantle piece, and jams. aud doors, and
window glass, were all ring-streaked
and s,riked. and ~ couldn't do jus.
tice To the subject myself, | waited for
reinforcements. When tha maternal
ancestor. appeared l wits n pecpin
through the crack of the dJor. She
paused upon the threshold like au &c
tor Playin high tragedy ia a thratcr.
"Merclful father. r then :. long nnd
solem paus. WAS the,e ever auch a
set upon the face of the earth What
shall dol Amt it enough u run nny-
body distracted Here I've worked
and worked to make the old house
look decent, aud now loos at IT, I've
= good mind to wiring your little nccks
for you. Did over mother have such
= time as | have-cant leave en- one
Rinnit that they aint into mischief, aud
its been the same thing over and over
all Of em far the last % years. Ia
rather been an old maid IA thousand
times over. wish there wasent
child in the wOrld-yes, do uooks
at em mouInfully for minutc.) Come
here, Jessie, you pale.face little darling.
Mamma amt mad with xou no, you're
just the sweetest thing in the world;
and poor little Carl's broken finger
makes my heart ach" every time look
at it. He did have the sweetest little
hand before that boy mashed il all 10
pieces with his maui and there's that
great scar on his head, where the brick
fell on him, and another over his eye,
where nc fell on the hatchet. ! wonder
if aver will raise you, poor little
thing; you look like little orphans; take
your chalk and mark some mere, if you
want TO-"
When came in she was helpin EN-
mako u bob-tail dog OH the closet
door.
"I've found your old tom cat" said
l; "Carl had him fastened up in that
nail-keg that's got hens nest in it."
"Why, Carl, what upon earth did you
put that cat in there forl"
"Why, mamma, he's a settin, and
wanted him to lay some little kittens.
Me and Jessie wants some kittens"
"Well, it does look like everything
was born to trouble, az the sparks fly
upward. The old spotted SOW has eat
en- up half her pigs, and the potatoes
are rOtting, and Daisy has gone d.y,
and we will have no more butter till
spring. William, hadent you better
buy q lottery ticket Who knows but
we might draw the capital prizel l
tell you I'm getting awful tired of being
poor ("
Blessed are the meek" said !, "for
they shall inherit the earth"
1.-TWO hundred and forty acres is as
much of the earth as want, said Mrs.
Arp, "and more too. I'd rather have a
few carpets, and some nice clothes, and
a carriage and horses, and two or three
old-fashioned darkies to do the work
and look after the children-that's
what ant"
BLESSED are the poor in spirit" said
l, "for theirs is the kingdom Of heav-
en-"
"Well, I'm poor enough in spirit
goodness knows" said she, "and when
everything is quiet, and the children
asleep, there's comfort in reading
about blessings in the distance; but you
might as well preach serenity to man
going over Niagara Falls as to talk of
meeknOss to a mother that's raisin these.
kind Of children"
HIts in the Stock" said /; "the Arps
always was mighty hard to raise, and
you've got along with em so far amazin-